Road Trip Part 4 - Family, Self-Portraits & a Ticket

After the workshop ended, I left Yellowstone and  headed west to Tacoma, WA to spend 2 days with my cousin, Jim, and his wife, Barbara.  We rode the ferry from Bremerton to Seattle.

I took a picture of Jim taking a picture of 

Barbara taking a picture of the sunset.

After 2 days of rest (not driving), I started my drive down the Oregon Coast.  For this iPhoto self-portrait at sunset on Cannon Beach, I positioned myself to match the shadow of the tripod legs.

Bandon Beach was my last stop on the Oregon Coast.  I headed inland to Grants Pass to stay with my cousin, Jeri, and visit with my Uncle Carl who is an eccentric 93.

People often ask, "Don't you get lonely traveling alone?" The answer is an easy, "No." How could I be lonely when I always had such good company?  

I enjoyed the workshop portion, traveling and photographing with new friends, but when it was over and I left the Old Faithful parking lot, I was so excited to be on my own again that I got a speeding ticket! I had been in the park a total of nine days and thoroughly enjoyed the 45mph speed limit. I was often the driver who pulled over to let faster cars pass. For just a few minutes, I was caught up in my own exhilaration which made my right foot a little heavy.  The polite, friendly ranger explained that since my transgression was on federal land, the ticket would not be reported to California or my insurance carrier.  Just pay the fine and we can all forget this ever happened. I accepted the message from the Universe to slow down, and continued merrily on my way. I still had many new places to see and photograph.

 Any suggestions on where I should go next?

Antique Kodak

I just thought you all might like to see this 1924 pocket camera that belonged to my grandfather.  The thumb screw on the bottom left moves the lens forward and back to focus.  A metal lever on the front changes the aperture (4 choices), and the protrusion on the top front is the viewfinder.  The bellows slides back (flattens) and closes into the case, which then measures 8x3.25x1.5 inches.  When fully open it measures 6 inches front to back.  I think folks must have had big pockets back then.  I took this photo with my 4.5x2.25x.75 inch iPhone camera. 

I have not been able to find film to test its working condition.

Once in a Blue Moon

The most common definition of a Blue Moon is the second full moon in a calendar month.  The moon was full on August first and again on the thirty-first.  We won't see another until July, 2015. 

 

I spotted this barn just off the Masten Road exit of 101 in Gilroy.

My Birthday in Capitola

I love the beach:  the sand, the air, the sound of the waves, the whole atmosphere lifts my spirits, even when they don't need lifting.  I had already celebrated the event with friends, so on the actual day, my day, I drove to Capitola and lazed in the sun with my iPhone camera.  

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 I would love to live at the beach.

Trip to SoCal: Part 1 Santa Barbara

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With a few no-obligations days on my calendar, I headed for Southern California to see my sister Judy. Reportedly I-5 had numerous delays, so I drove down 101, through Cayucos (where I discovered I forgot my bag of shoes), Pismo (where I bought a pair of sandals), and Carpenteria (where I sat on the beach with a picnic lunch).  I could take my time because I wasn't going all the way to LA in one day.  I stopped in Santa Barbara and chose a motel across the street from the  bustling harbor.  As I strolled the boards of the wharf, I focused on the mass of boats and masts...

 

then I sat on the beach and 

watched the afternoon return of sailboats.

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Without a dramatic sunset sky to work with (there was not a cloud to be seen), I concentrated on the soft-hued bands of color that produced a dream-like quality to the reflected pattern of repeating masts. 

 

Next morning, I was up before dawn to set up on Stearns Wharf (the oldest working wharf in California) before the sun and people appeared.  I do not know what caused the split in the morning mist that allowed the shaft of blue sky to shine through.

 

I moved back to the harbor to catch the first glimpse of the sun 

as it rose over the hills and illuminated the boats.

I have more harbor photos on Flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/suebrazelton/

Trip to SoCal: Part 2 Venice Beach

 

Too hot in San Fernando Valley, so my sister and I took off for Venice Beach, one of the funkiest beach towns around. Third world shops line the esplanade, where you can buy beach clothes, sunglasses, hats, cosmetics, tee shirts, painted skulls, jewelry, surfboards, and junk food.  You can also get a prescription for medical marijuana, get botox injections, and have your picture taken with aliens.

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See more Venice Beach photos on my Flickr page:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/suebrazelton/

Fremont Peak Redux

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Just 3 weeks ago I was atop Fremont Peak for some night photography.  Members of the photography club and I returned to capture the shooting stars of Perseid Meteor Shower.  As we waited for the sun to set,  the dry grass glowed with warm back light.

The sunset was more beautiful than I expected.  Usually a spectacular sunset requires broken clouds to reflect the light, but on this night, the sun dropped into a bank of fog and entertained us with radiant layers of color that intensified even after the sun disappeared. 

I wish I had a streaking meteor to show you, but I don't.  They were too elusive for me.  Most of the time, the oohs and ahs from the many spectators sprawled across the observatory platform were the only evidence that a meteor had crossed the sky.  I missed more than I saw and photographed nary a one.  I did however photograph the Milky Way and the 30 inch reflective telescope that was pointed toward it. 

See more photos on my Flickr page:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/suebrazelton/