Your Daily Tree

Birches

2012-02-10T09:34:00.000-08:00

I've always had trouble taking photos of birch trees. That white bark can really create a bounce-light effect in the bright sun. This isn't too bad, on a very warm winter day.

Let Sleeping Geese Stand

2012-02-08T22:13:00.000-08:00

...on one leg. What great poise and balance these geese have. Yoga by the lake.

One minute of didgeridoo in Golden Gate Park

2012-02-07T17:45:00.000-08:00

It's just a minute of didgeridoo in the tunnel beneath JFK Boulevard.

Snowy Egret is about to strike

2012-01-28T18:09:00.000-08:00

That long neck and bill act like a lightning-fast spear.

Surface tension in water

2012-01-27T15:16:00.000-08:00

Look how water drops hold it together on the nandina--cool! Also: I wish it would rain again.

Playland at the Conservatory - Golden Gate Park, San Francisco

2012-01-24T21:31:00.000-08:00

The Playland model train layout at the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park will be going until April, 2012. Take a look. The miniature landmark buildings and Playland amusement park (long gone from San Francisco's Ocean Beach, but not from our memory banks) are all made from recycled materials. For example, the cages on the ferris wheel are made from old pencil sharpeners--a must-see!

The train this time around consists of cable cars and street cars, a minor disappointment (we love trains), but the layout is lovely with tons of plants from the Conservatory, as always. And there's a cable-car camera that takes you inside the train tunnel, for miniature spooky action. Plus vintage arcade games and fun-house mirrors, and an original Playland bumper car to pose in.

If you really want to experience antique arcade games, visit the Musée Mécanique at Pier 45 at Fisherman's Wharf. Epic kinetic toothpick sculptures, player pianos, moviolas, and Laughing Sal live on at the Musée Mécanique.

Museé Mécanique from Jan Sturmann on Vimeo.

My mom told me that my Grandma Tocha always had to hear this one player piano at the Playland arcade. That was her constant source of entertainment at the park throughout the years. You can experience similar thrills at Playland Not-At-The-Beach in El Cerrito. One admission price gets you unlimited vintage and modern pinball and skeeball plays throughout the museum of fun. There's amusement-park dioramas and magic shows--it's F-U-N.

Snowy Egret plus bonus turkey-duck

2012-01-17T11:31:00.000-08:00

We had a beautiful outing at Golden Gate Park this weekend. Jackson brought his remote-control boat and we stopped by Lloyd Lake (forgetting momentarily that Spreckels Lake is set up for RC boating). But this geographical miscalculation worked in our favor. Lloyd Lake ends in a waterfall, is surrounded by trees and wildlife, and is accented by Greek columns, for that romantic, historical look.

Here's an egret who didn't mind me getting up close with my little Canon Powershot zoomed in. The egrets in our neighborhood are very shy and fly away as soon as they notice you're stealing their souls photographically. This urban bird actually preened and stretched but wouldn't give up his sunny spot. I like seeing all the things egrets can do with their necks.

Bonus: one of the odd, over-sized ducks that appear to be part turkey in appearance. Is that possible?

Backyard plants - extreme close-up

2012-01-11T18:04:00.000-08:00

Jackson has a new digital microscope and we've been playing around with it this week. Let's see how it does photographing tiny bits of nature from the backyard. This photo shows our subjects bigger than scale. The twig is actually about two inches long.

Aloe Vera plant.

Extreme close-up (200x) of fuzzy succulent.

Fuzzy succulent at 20x magnification (and saturation).

Another succulent. These are green all summer. They turned red when the weather got colder.

The Oak twiglet and its lichens.

Stonington, Connecticut - 2011

2012-01-03T20:42:00.000-08:00

We were back in Stonington for Christmas and New Year's this holiday. Last year when we were there, we had heavy snowfall. This time, it was quite cold, but by the time we left, the sun was out forcefully, making for a balmy 55-degree departure. That wasn't to last. This week, Stonington weather is in the teens, but we're back in California, hoping for some rain and snow to fall. Come one, precipitation!

I've never had a photo of seaweed on this site, so here it is--a first

Foggy Oaks

2011-12-18T12:18:00.000-08:00

We're socked in, at least for half the day, making for some dramatic "pea soup" moments.

Tahoe

2011-11-29T09:10:00.000-08:00

Truckee River-walk, Reno, Mt. Rose Highway, Lake Tahoe, Donner Lake for Thanksgiving.

Donner Lake is a lonesome place in the late afternoon in November, but beautiful.

Random Park Sightings

2011-11-24T11:46:00.000-08:00

Boats, clouds, hawks.

Playing in the park

2011-11-17T22:09:00.000-08:00

Heather Farm Park with with an amphibious RC vehicle and some nice foliage.

Pumpkin Farm

2011-10-27T15:02:00.000-07:00

Clayton Valley Pumpkin Farm does it right on a beautiful fall day.

The popular speeder feeder is a hit.

We are experiencing weather

2011-10-04T21:50:00.000-07:00

Seasons change. Yes they do.

Morphbian rules the pond

2011-09-13T10:18:00.000-07:00

See those ducks surrounding our shoreline? They're very patiently waiting for Jackson to leave with his Morphibian, because normally this is a DUCK hangout. Not a land-and-water-use RC vehicle hangout. In fact, I think we're the only ones I've ever seen to use the park waterways in this manner.

Luckily for the ducks. the Morphibian is quiet and unobtrusive. Still: as soon as we leave, they immediately overtake this area, especially at dusk. I'm sorry ducks but until a park official kicks us out, we'll be sharing the pond.

We took a short walk on a long pier

2011-08-30T10:17:00.000-07:00

The Berkeley Marina has this crazy-long pier that looks like it goes all the way to San Francisco (but it doesn't). It used to be three miles long but I guess it's just a quarter of a mile now. Still, it was so windy, foggy and cold, we couldn't even get to the half-way mark before turning around and heading toward the little beach cove nearby. There, it was warm, still and sunny. A complete micro-climate 100 yards away. We then headed to the boat-launch dock, another 100 yards away and flew our kite in the rediscovered wind.

Diablo Taiko plus Bonsai

2011-08-27T21:33:00.000-07:00

Summer's almost over but the memories are sweet. Here's an excerpt from Diablo Taiko's performance at the Annual Diablo Japanese-American Summer Festival. I completely pigged out at this festival. I love Japanese food. The udon was really good. I also learned a lot about traditional Japanese flower arranging (Ikenobo ikebana) from master flower-arranger and first-class charmer Hideko Metaxas. This artform is like making very focused sculpture using natural elements.

The bonsai from the Shikishima Bonsai Club were exceptional. Apologies for the low contrast in these photos. Everything was nicely shaded making it hard to light on the fly.

Stow Lake - Golden Gate Park

2011-08-24T22:30:00.000-07:00

A paddle-boat ride with Richie and Jackson. This time around we got to meet the captain of the boathouse (he's not really a captain--I just think of him that way) who happens to be an avid record collector. He and Richie talked shop and we got free organic juices. A fine trip, as always!

Mt. Diablo from Mitchell Canyon Park

2011-08-16T13:07:00.000-07:00

Night Fountain

2011-07-25T20:28:00.000-07:00

I wish you could hear the geese-at-dusk sounds, which always make me sleepy. There was also a really interesting traditional Indian dance with live music going on in the community center near by, and dancers practising under the stairway outside when I walked by.

At dusk you get: water and bugs. Wish I could have also filmed the really gigantic dragonfly that was swallowing the bugs whole like a famished helicopter around my head. There was a chimney swift snacking in mid-air as well. Quite exciting--what didn't get filmed.

Ruth Bancroft Garden - Sculpture Show

2011-07-06T22:20:00.000-07:00

Sculptures in the Ruth Bancroft Garden, now through July 16th. Lots of sculptural surprises, and very excellent sculptural-like plants, as always.

Summery

2011-07-02T22:08:00.000-07:00

It's Raining

2011-06-29T09:44:00.001-07:00

I will remember sunnier times with this photo from last week. Supposedly it will get up to 90 degrees this weekend, so I'm also going to enjoy the cloudy dampness while I can.

Balmy Alley - San Francisco (and environs nearby)

2011-06-19T22:16:00.000-07:00

I had an assignment for a photo class to take 100 shots without worrying about whether they would make "good" shots or not--just take 'em and decide later.

On the day of this assignment, my parents and I started our journey to San Francisco to visit my cousin, who was in a serious car accident this week. She's going to be all right, but she has some long-term healing to do. I thank the car gods for sparing her. Her good spirits were something to behold. Heal quickly, Maria! This was just outside SF General Hospital, which is undergoing construction for a new building.

We were hungry after leaving the hospital, so we stopped for burritos at La Taqueria on 25th & Mission. Do you crave an authentic, fresh and delicious burrito in San Francisco's Mission District? Look no further! I've been going to this place for more than 30 years. Same menu. Absolutely fresh and tasty. Be sure to order avocado for your burrito. It is worth the extra price.

While we were driving along 24th Street, watching all the murals out the car windows, I snapped this, not realizing it was a shop for Mexican wrestling masks. A little blurry (I was in a moving vehicle), but look, a Mexican wrestling-mask store!

Then we passed Balmy Alley and I realized my parents had never visited, so my dad kindly zipped around the block and they drove along slowly through the alley while I hopped out of the car and took some photos. This is the original "Mural Alley" of the Mission District. Now there are hundreds of murals throughout the large neighborhood, but I remember Balmy as being the first where a group of artists totally took over a street and did it up right. Here's a smattering of their work, which is always evolving throughout the years, since the 1980s.

To summarize:
-La Taqueria - at Mission & 25th Streets.
-24th Street murals (all the way down from Mission to Potrero--an incredible array of painted buildings for blocks and blocks).
-Balmy Alley - between 24th and 25th Streets and Treat Ave. and Harrison Street.

Highly artificial spring-time at the Hyatt Regency San Franicsco

2011-06-13T11:17:00.000-07:00

Perhaps the most artificial environment in San Francisco, the Hyatt Regency atrium never fails to deliver the weirdness. The giant puffy flowers are a new element alongside the cold 70s-era modern decor.

Alas, the formerly revolving restaurant, Equinox, is now stationary, and for private guests only. I remember my dad taking us there when I was around nine and not only was it amazing to revolve 360 degrees throughout the course of our meal, but the ice cubes in my water glass were ROUND with HOLES in the middle! I'm not kidding! I was really impressed.

Jackson experiences the wall-o-water in the giant fountain.

Mel Brooks used the Hyatt's atrium and its zippy glass elevators to great effect in 1977's High Anxiety.

2011-06-10T21:55:00.000-07:00

Mostly shady hike along Mitchell Canyon loop on Mt. Diablo. The creek alongside the road is really running. I never even knew there was a creek alongside this hike. It's always been dried up when I've gone in the past. Always a surprise. We technically did not do the loop, stopping somewhere near the top and heading back down the easy way. Next time. Still exhausted today due to strenuous climb near the top.

Animal count: 2 fence lizards, ground squirrels, bunny, birds of prey, giant black beetle in middle of road, hearsay of rattlesnake along trail (not spotted by us), tick on my calf--discovered at home--yuck.

Beware Heather Farm's Geese!

2011-05-31T20:41:00.000-07:00

Heather Farm Park is getting tough, setting up two rubber coyote dummies to scare the geese away from this particular lawn. The geese have completely taken over both waterways in the park, which isn't a problem in the natural-habitat setting north of these photos. But the unnatural cement pond and surrounding lawns are completely covered in goose shit year-round. Here's hoping these stalking predator-like statuettes will offer some relief to clean-up crews and Frisbee throwers.

Shell Ridge - drying out

2011-05-23T21:38:00.001-07:00

Breezy days in the low 70s, but already the green hills are turning to brown.

The Interesting Nature Sounds of Shell Ridge

2011-05-21T17:35:00.000-07:00

Shadow Trees

2011-05-02T22:22:00.000-07:00

It's really sunny here. Can you tell?

Miharu Takizakura in full bloom in Fukushima

2011-04-28T22:29:00.000-07:00

A lovely story about Japan's famed Miharu Takizakura sakura cherry blossom tree in Fukushima. It has survived for a thousand years and hopefully will keep blossoming for more centuries to come.

Photo by Nemo's Great Uncle.

Springtime Fresh

2011-04-19T22:09:00.000-07:00

Woodwork Trees

2011-04-11T21:27:00.000-07:00

Guy Lewis sent me this photo of his excellent tree sculpture. He makes really cool guitar boxes too. Working with wood must be very satisfying, and look how beautiful. Thanks, Guy.

Sun! Spring!

2011-03-29T21:54:00.000-07:00

More rain, more blossoms

2011-03-27T22:24:00.000-07:00

Actually the rain is letting up, after days and days of clouds and downpours. When it rains in Northern California it's often of the monsoon variety, which helps make up for the entirely dry summers we have. So, although waterlogged, I managed to squeeze off a few of this lovely tree in downtown Walnut Creek this weekend. And now--the weather gets mild.

Your daily blossom

2011-03-15T10:17:00.001-07:00

New Mt. Diablo photo book promises to be beautiful

2011-03-09T21:59:00.000-08:00

The Contra Costa Times has a feature on photographer Stephen Joseph's new book "Mount Diablo: The Extraordinary Life and Landscapes of a California Treasure," published by the Mount Diablo Interpretive Association. Joseph will be signing books throughout March and April, and presenting a slide-show at the Walnut Creek Library on April 13th. The article lists the dates or you can visit his site here.

The slide-show in the article is small in scale, but the photos still look extraordinary. The Mt. Diablo color gallery on his site will dazzle you, especially the panoramics.

Let's listen to frogs

2011-03-05T20:38:00.000-08:00

It's soothing, funny and odd all at the same time. From Castle Rock Park at the foot of Mt. Diablo. The creek is currently full of frog song.

Castle Rock Park in Technicolor

2011-03-03T18:44:00.000-08:00

I know it looks like an episode of "The Simpsons" but the colors were truly this intense today. I finally got outside after a round-robin of cold viruses for the past five weeks. And what a day. Two coyotes met me on my path and stared me down for a bit before heading toward Borges Ranch. Making the loop, I guess. Anyway, they were not afraid of me, that's for sure but they wouldn't stand still long enough for a photo. I think I saw an eagle flying away from me from a nearby tree. It was either that or the biggest hawk imaginable.

Note the difference in landscape. This is private land where cattle have been grazing for decades, decimating the native tree-sapling population, leaving nearly barren hills with a few lone oaks standing.
While right across the trail, the city park side is in its natural state and full of trees.
Looking through a wind tunnel.

Egret at dusk

2011-02-23T21:57:00.000-08:00

My pal, the white egret, foraging at Heather Farm Park.

Borges Ranch - Shell Ridge, Walnut Creek

2011-02-22T21:03:00.000-08:00

The camera phone can't handle direct sunlight. Well, most cameras have trouble with it as well. Sometimes this works in mysterious ways, making impressionistic images or just a mess. I like a good mess.

Castle Rock from above

2011-02-21T22:08:00.000-08:00

I haven't been able to get out that much for the past month due to an ongoing cold that keeps mutating and surviving within my system. Here's a view of Mt. Diablo with Castle Rock visible in the middle ground from a Shell Ridge hike with some friends. A beautiful day a few weeks ago. I had forgotten my camera so it's from a the camera phone.

Outside in the sun

2011-02-08T08:11:00.000-08:00

It's really warm and sunny this week. The geese keep flying around, honking, like they're heading somewhere important, but they're just traveling from park to park. They never leave in the winter because it's like Florida here for them. I'm home with a cold, so I'm mostly sitting in the back yard or trying to work at the computer. I wish my "Daria" Netflix would arrive...

Nature Life

2011-02-06T20:13:00.000-08:00

Jackson's drawing for our online silly art class. He had to incorporate some already drawn squiggles in his final artwork. The rest of the instructions were done in order and he calls it "Nature Life" (with chubby hamster).

Sunny enough for shadows

2011-02-01T12:55:00.000-08:00

Lucky to be in California.

One Leaf - Five Shots

2011-01-20T12:57:00.000-08:00

I'm taking an online art class that's fun and easy to fit into my semi-busy schedule. Last week's assignment was to pick an object smaller than a car and take 20 photos of it. Then pick out your favorite five. On my walk in Heather Farm Park, I found this awesome leaf and the rest was easy. Here's my favorite five, which was hard to narrow down since I ended up taking more than 30 shots all together. When you find a good subject, go with it.

Music From A Tree

2011-01-19T10:03:00.000-08:00

My friend Audrey posted this on Facebook today and it's worth sharing. The title says it all.

Composer: Diego Stocco

Connecticut Sunset

2011-01-12T11:53:00.000-08:00

Lord's Point, Stonington, CT.

Sandy Beach - Stonington, CT

2011-01-05T14:53:00.000-08:00

Stonington, Connecticut - blizzard 2010

2011-01-03T10:41:00.000-08:00

We've returned from a week of visiting family on the East Coast. Stonington is just up the road from Mystic, which you might remember from the cute and somehow universally seen 1988 film Mystic Pizza. This is an area rich in colonial, Portuguese, fishing and ship-building history. It's like walking around in a history textbook, but prettier. We landed just before a huge blizzard struck, managing to take a short drive through the woods before the 30-50 mph winds hit (for the next three days and nights--dramatic). I've been on the east coast a few times in the winter and I must say, this weather front was most impressive.

Note: the stone walls in the last two shots are property markers that have been around for centuries and are made completely of carefully balanced stone and nothing else. How did those farmers do it?

Snowy Egret - Heather Farm Park

2010-12-24T22:25:00.000-08:00

Walking around the bird sanctuary today, I saw more types of birds than usual. A green heron squawking and flying around. At least three giant egrets sunning themselves (one in a tree--hardly ever see that around here). And the usual gang of cormorants, ducks and geese, several who were getting chased by a naughty little child whose dad probably never got pecked by brutish geese before. Otherwise, he would have put a stop to that. Plenty of birdwatchers too with their binoculars and giant camera lenses. They would never chase a goose being too busy pointing out the graceful hawk perched in the tree overhead.

Diablo Foothills Regional Park - Walnut Creek, CA

2010-12-13T09:25:00.000-08:00

A beautiful foggy day hiking through Castle Rock Park and the Diablo foothills. An easy walk that's quiet, with sandstone pinnacles and wind tunnels full of hawks that fly overhead.

Cactus - Ruth Bancroft Garden

2010-12-07T21:35:00.001-08:00

I revisited Ruth Bancroft Garden today but last week's freakish and unseasonal cold spell has zapped the garden in a frostbitten manner. I'd say half the more delicate succulents and cacti are beneath tented plastic at this time. Now, if you like gardening, you'll actually appreciate all the nicely made wooden frames with clear plastic staple-gunned all over in dozens of variations and sizes, including a walk-through greenhouse-sized awning over the central succulent garden by the pond. But if you're a regular plant-lover who just came to witness dry-garden layout at its finest--wait for the temperature to regulate around here.

Here's some cactus that are doing quite well.

It's worth seeing throughout the year.

Castle Rock - Shell Ridge, Walnut Creek

2010-11-29T22:16:00.001-08:00

Castle Rock is such a cool place. I accidentally left my camera's memory card at home (easy to do when it's the size of a quarter), so these are camera-phone shots. Hence the overtly blue tints. Still--you get the idea.

The Gardens of Alcatraz Island

2010-11-24T12:41:00.000-08:00

When I think of Alcatraz, grim, criminally charged images come to mind, but what about succulents? I hadn't been to the island in more than 20 years but we went this week at the request of my sister-in-law for her first visit, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that volunteers have been turning Alcatraz into quite possibly the biggest rock garden in the world.

It's perfect for succulents, being all rock, and as shown below, well-blasted by sun on a good day. We were worried about the weather, having been told it was going to storm all morning, but this time the weather report was wrong and it was so bright my little Canon Power Shot could barely handle all the light. Not complaining.

The prison and former military barrack are just as cold, heartless and scary as ever, but the former administrative apartments have now been demolished; the remaining rubble left as rookeries for seabirds. I'd like to come back during nesting season and see if I can get some birding shots as well. I can't resist a good seabird, especially an egret or heron.

This is your typical view of Alcatraz.
But as the boat pulls in, notice something besides concrete and wind: plants.
There's always been gardening on Alcatraz, provided by military families that lived there in the 19th century and then later, the families of the prison administrators and guards. There's even a children's garden, now restored, for employee children (who were boated to school in the city each morning and back after all the prisoners had been locked down for the day). But ironically, the children I was touring with were too tired, cold and hungry to climb a slight hill and see it up close. We did travel around most of the perimeter of the island and saw a lot of good plants and ruins.

These former apartments were destroyed and are now for the birds. Jackson took this slightly tipped angle. He has a good eye for points of interest. I would have gotten some close-ups but it doesn't appear to be nesting season.
This is formerly the warden's house, burned in 1970 during the Native American occupation of the island. The annual sunrise ferry-boat service to Alcatraz on Thanksgiving day (called Unthanksgiving) is for those who wish to commemorate the occupation. The Indian graffiti from 40 years ago has been left intact, adding to the layers of Alcatraz history.

Old Borges Ranch - Walnut Creek, CA

2010-11-15T09:46:00.001-08:00

It was a perfect Fall day yesterday so we took a little journey to Borges Ranch, located in the Shell Ridge Open Space above Walnut Creek. I have never been here in my entire life and it was a treat. It's a historic site with farm animals, lots of old farm equipment, water pumps, a blacksmith shop and a restored farmhouse for tours and classes.

A very scenic and historic place but I wouldn't hike around here in the summer. Not enough shade. Perfect for Spring and Fall though. We noted the volunteer-run quail habitat project on our hike, and Jackson got to visit with a lot of sheep, chickens, roosters and pygmy goats (my favorites).

Jackson's photo of the dinner bell.

Looking Up

2010-11-07T22:41:00.000-08:00

Japanese Tea Garden, San Francisco

2010-10-27T10:59:00.000-07:00

The Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park is a little hilly space nestled beside the hulking new de Young Museum building. It's been there for seemingly ever and used to be 50 cents to get in. Now it's seven dollars (unless you're a resident--$5, or you visit between 9 and 10 a.m.--those are retro-priced free hours).

This day was clear and sunny so I thought I'd revisit this small artificially created world. Looks good! Not as expansive and meditative as the Portland Japanese Garden, but still quite nice to stroll through, weaving around tourists with baby strollers. You can purchase relatively inexpensive tea service too. I got a mochi cake for $2.50. That's crazy high-priced, but I had to have that green mochi cake. Most places I visit don't carry it.

My favorite tree there. Artfully pruned and shaped over the decades.

I always thought the tall red pagoda was over-done. You're not really in Japan, Golden Gate Park! Kind of Disneylandish to my eye, so I obscured it with shrubbery.
This giant Buddha has always impressed me. Unfortunately, I didn't hold up a pencil or pose someone in front of it to give it scale. So just enjoy the lovely bamboo growing alongside.

Views from the de Young Museum tower - Golden Gate Park

2010-10-18T09:50:00.001-07:00

I had never been in this tower until last week. I don't know why I missed this delightful trip in the sky. A super-clear day made it that much better. Bonus: lots of great Van Goghs too.

Ruth Bancroft Garden

2010-10-05T20:37:00.001-07:00

It's hard to take a bad photo at the Ruth Bancroft Garden. It's like a combination dry garden/sculpture yard. Ruth Bancroft who's still going strong in her 90s, started collecting succulents in the 1950s and her interest blossomed into this three-acre wonderworld of rock and tough, drought-tolerant beauty. Plants from all over the dry world are thriving here within beautifully thought-out natural clusters.

Indian Summer

2010-09-30T09:01:00.000-07:00

(camera phone still works)

Five best places to enjoy trees (from SFGate)

2010-09-21T22:00:00.000-07:00

Decent list by Jill K. Robinson includes California and Washington State trees of wonder.

Park Furniture Design - the Mad Men years

2010-09-14T11:20:00.000-07:00

I walk by this little grove of rocks and trees most days at Heather Farm Park but I barely noticed these concrete benches and table sets. But on this day I did. And they're really weird, aren't they? Someone's attempt at modern style, most likely from the late 60s.

There's a really unfortunate community center next door with a low awning that makes me mentally duck down every time I walk under it (and I'm barely 5'4"). Another attempt at modern design, but low buildings tend to look like cost-cutting measures unless they're made of interesting materials--like sod.

So be it. Hail to dated modernism. At least they're indestructible, though as you can imagine, they're not comfortable for any length of time--a loitering discouragement device.

Aquatic Park - San Francisco

2010-08-28T23:11:00.000-07:00

I took Jackson on a whirlwind public-transportation tour of San Francisco for his last day of summer vacation. He loves public transportation and the beach, so we got going via BART, then a street car to meet dad for lunch down town. Then we braved a congested cable car experience with dozens of very tall European tourists, and finally: the beach. Ninety-degree weather made it especially summery. And there were several pelicans, dive-bombing the water. Whenever they dropped straight down into the waves, you could hear people on the beach go, "Ohhh!" in awe and admiration. Pelicans are strange, ancient-looking birds. I was glad to see them.

The creature rising from the sea in the second photo is either a Dolphin-club swimmer's arm, or Nessie the Aquatic Park Monster.

Blue Heron just barely

2010-08-23T22:17:00.000-07:00

A nice couple pointed out this blue heron while walking along the path last night. They were thrilled and whispering and pointing--THAT'S that proper approach to bird watching, people. None of this tromping around and exclaiming, "WHAT? A HERON you SAY? WHERE?" So, thank you, nice couple.

I was able to shoot off a bunch of shots in a dark canal while this colorful guy hunted bugs. He was a stealthy (and hungry) little thing so many photos came out blurry. And guess what? Herons look like cats when they hunt. Very still, then aiming toward the prey, then LUNGE, SNATCH! Bug in the beak. He caught at least three big grasshopper-looking things as it got progressively darker and I had to eventually give up. The bugs were eating me at that point anyway.

Two views with two different camera settings. Nothing fancy, just a Canon Powershot, so I'll take what I can get.

Rock City and Wind Caves - Mt. Diablo

2010-08-18T22:47:00.001-07:00

Rock City is well named and the wind caves are sandy and made from wind (and graffiti).

It's getting darker earlier

2010-08-16T23:06:00.000-07:00

Soon I'll have to start tagging posts for "Fall." My evening walks will begin earlier and the alarm clock will wake us all too early. On the bright side: cardigans! This is Mt. Diablo glowing at dusk behind Heather Farm's wildlife sanctuary--a remarkable park in the middle of a growing city.

Low-key Wildlife at Dusk

2010-08-11T15:55:00.000-07:00

At dusk the wildlife around here gets a bit complacent. Knowing they blend into their surroundings that much more, they don't take off quite so quickly as in the daytime (you hardly ever see much of them other than ducks and geese and the occasional turtle in the daytime). Here's some low-contrast sights I saw on my walk the other evening.

The elusive muskrat. There's a big family of muskrats swimming around the lake at dusk but they're very hard to photograph because they duck under the reeds near shore. This one was sitting nearby in the canal, not noticing me for a while until a couple of walkers came by and startled it away. I tried to explain to them that there was a muskrat two feet away that I was trying to photograph but they just smiled and said, "Oh, yeah?" really loud. Way to go, nature lovers.

A large group of finches were picking apart these thistles. Another pair of walkers scared them all off, except for this loner, who fearlessly plucked away at his thistle feast, tossing it about while I snapped away. Looking for bugs in there? Don't know. The air was fluffy with downy plant matter.

I'm not including my blue heron shots because that blue heron is stealthy and managed to blend into the surroundings so well, you have to squint to see him. And that doesn't live up to my exacting photographic standards around here (ahem). I'll get you yet, little heron, even though you're the shyest creature in the lake.

Stow Lake -- Golden Gate Park, San Francisco

2010-08-07T23:22:00.000-07:00

Paddle boating last week in the fog. We went under the bridge where Joseph mentioned there might be a troll living. I sang "Come Sail Away" for the acoustics. Paddle boating is good exercise, yo.

Datura's a night owl

2010-08-02T20:59:00.000-07:00

When I go for my early evening walks, there's a few Datura plants at the entrance-way to the park. They look like the top photo when I start my walk. And when I head home, they look like the second photo. During the day, they look like spring rolls--you'd never know there's a dramatic flower waiting to come out at night.

Breezy with crickets

2010-07-30T20:42:00.000-07:00

If you stick with it 'til the end, you'll hear some geese too.

Low-light walk

2010-07-26T11:05:00.000-07:00

It was a it too dark for photos, but I took some anyway. Nice wildflowers manage in the heat (and cold--it's been a mild summer with lots of blustery, foggy mornings).

A winged thistle.

This is not a technically "good" photo of Common Swifts, but it was the best I can do. They circle around their communal nest at dusk before "funneling" in for the night. These swifts don't live in a chimney or a hollow tree, but have chosen to live under a bridge that crosses the canal along the trail. If you walk over the bridge, several dart in and out of it from beneath your feet. They're really hyper little birds and never seem to stop moving, even while roosting--hence, blurriness.

Walnut Creek Library Opening

2010-07-17T22:42:00.000-07:00

Our brand-spanking new WC Library has officially opened and what a beaut. Jackson liked it so much he wants to go back immediately. So large, it takes two photos to show most of the building. There's lots of art installations and public events coming up. Being the nerd that I am, I'm thrilled. And it was excellent to see Jackson walking through the building with a big smile on his face, saying, "Wow."

No amount of futzing with my camera would get it to flash in front of this bright window. You get to see the art better this way, I guess. Flying bottle art is underrated, I think.
This beautiful great horned owl lives at the Lindsay Wildlife Museum. He and a few other animals were hot and bothered by all the humanity and noise, but they handled it well. The birds of prey are my favorite creatures at the museum, which rescues injured animals and tries to release them back into the wild if at all possible. Some have to be kept on if their injuries inhibit survival.

I told the docent that I had heard an owl outside my home-office window a few months ago and she asked what it sounded like, so I said, "You know, like: hoo! a bunch of times." She said, "That would be a great horned owl. They're the only ones that make that hooting sound." I was thrilled and intrigued all at once. She said that in January, they're looking for mates, so that would explain any calls coming from the trees around that time. I already learned a bunch of local facts at my new library today.

Tilden Park Steam Train

2010-07-08T19:29:00.001-07:00

Steam trains in the Berkeley hills roll through a redwood forest--a 20-minute ride for $2.50 each--deal!

Macro Lens Free-for-all

2010-07-05T23:12:00.000-07:00

Not trees but close-ups with the new camera and its built-in macro lens. Long ago with my 35mm camera, I had to buy a special detachable macro lens to take close-ups. No more! I wasn't even sure if my camera had a macro lens and if it did, how close could it go. The answer: pretty damn close. Summer in Heather Farm Park is especially lovely in the Butterfly Garden.

Arty

2010-06-25T23:05:00.000-07:00

Jackson took these on the way home from seeing a movie with friends the other night. New camera, low light, eight-year-old at the helm. I just drove.

Blue. Flowers.

2010-06-11T22:10:00.000-07:00

No trees, but nice.

The goslings are growin' up

2010-06-10T17:10:00.001-07:00

Look at their long adolescent gosling legs. Very prehistoric looking.

Kaiser Permanente Gardens

2010-06-07T22:38:00.000-07:00

I just spent the last two weeks in the hospital with my boy. When he started to get better, his favorite thing to do was walk around the hospital grounds and visit the gardens. Every hospital should have big trees and gardens--we were lucky to be there. Bonus: the pediatric ward is amazing because the people there are amazing.

Sunset

2010-06-04T17:07:00.000-07:00

Good Sky

2010-05-18T22:16:00.000-07:00

I hope the new digital camera I ordered can handle the specs of my camera-phone. Otherwise, I'll be a disgruntled consumer.

Please Do Not Feed the Goslings

2010-05-14T08:35:00.000-07:00

We have lots of ducklings and goslings at Heather Farm Park now and people sometimes bring their big bags of stale bread to feed them. There's a large sign at the lake entrance, outlining all the reasons for not doing so, but people either don't notice it or choose to ignore it (in fairness, the park needs to post more signs, especially because it's an official nature preserve). So when I walk around the lake and I see people with their bread-bags, I mentally wrestle about whether I should inform them of the park rules.

The park doesn't want anyone feeding the birds because they get sick from the human food. Sometimes they die. They're not built to digest bread and it has no nutritional value for them anyway. Feeding wild birds encourages them to stick around the area longer than they should and they over-tax the ecosystem with their needs and waste. The lake water fills with algae, making it difficult for other species to survive.

Sometimes people listen to me and stop feeding them. It's usually moms with little kids. Little kids love feeding birds, but if the no-feeding rules are posted--don't encourage them. Teach them about animal safety and habitats. Kids naturally love saving and caring for animals. They won't want to feed them if you tell them it's not good for them.

The other day I pointed out the sign to a mom and she just kept letting her kids feed the goslings big hunks of bread, which they gobbled up. I told her it could kill them, but she ignored me. I got so angry and repeated the rule. She said something like, "Yeah, I heard you the first time." I told her it was an opportunity to educate her kids, which was my polite way of telling her she's a dummy. I often think being polite is not always the way to go. It's probably too late for her, but not for her toddlers.

From the sign:
-Bread and other snacks cause harmful and potentially fatal health problems such as botulism and duck plague.
-Alters the natural ecosystem balance
-Decreases life expectancy and health
-Pollutes the water and habitat
-Discourages natural and healthy migration habits
-Creates overpopulation
-Causes problems for other native birds

And may I add: The goose-shit situation at Heather Farms is untenable. Please do not encourage more shit.

Smoke Tree

2010-05-05T09:49:00.001-07:00

Happy Earth Day - Hug a Tree

2010-04-22T10:11:00.000-07:00

Every day.

Double Rainbow

2010-04-12T08:24:00.000-07:00

It's there. Look to the left of the main rainbow. Yesterday could only be described as a monsoon. Torrents of rain. Then late-afternoon sun. Then rain with the sun for a couple of hours. Hence: double rainbow.

Tangential thought: there used to be dozens of Double Rainbow ice cream stores all over San Francisco and the Bay Area. Now Double Rainbow ice cream is only available in a limited number of grocery stores. The ice cream has become as elusive as its name.

Avert your eyes!

2010-04-02T19:44:00.000-07:00

Or suffer the consequences, all who look upon here. Trees so overly pruned and topped that they're no longer trees, but scary monsters! With spindly growths that desperately try to become tree-shaped again, only to be cruelly lopped off each year, like a kid getting buzzed with dad's clippers. Why don't these homeowners just rip out these stumps-that-used-to-be-trees, and plant some shrubs instead? Then shape them into perfect rectangles, spheres and cubes to their heart's content.

Oh, the humanity.

Oh yes, it's Spring

2010-03-25T10:28:00.000-07:00

Some blossoms and an egret at Heather Farm Park.

Indian Creek - Shell Ridge

2010-03-01T21:50:00.000-08:00

Can't stop visiting Shell Ridge. This time we took a short walk down to Indian Creek. After this week's rainstorm, she's a-rising. Not really, but the pond was definitely higher than when I last visited two weeks ago. That's the kind of thing you notice out here in the hills -- ponds, creeks, the sounds of frogs...

My shadow looks like a cast member from Family Guy.

Oakland Art Tree

2010-02-23T22:36:00.000-08:00

Spotted last November in downtown Oakland, in a store window across the street from the fabulous Fox Theatre. Always meant to post but just kept putting it off. Made of discarded items, which is a big thing in Oakland.

Shell Ridge Open Space Revisited

2010-02-19T17:44:00.000-08:00

No rain today. Maybe in a couple more days. No seagulls so I figured it was on hold. Lots of sparrow hawks, regular hawks, ground squirrels. And millions of shell fragments from millions of years ago.

Tree growing out of rocks.

Lots of mushroom activity.

Ancient artifact discovery.

Mt. Diablo, Contra Costa County

2010-02-09T12:56:00.000-08:00

There's a one-man movement afoot to try and rename Mt. Diablo after Ronald Reagan. I and close to 75,000 Facebook users are not moved by the argument that Devil Mountain constitutes a force diabolical. In my view, Ronald Reagan Mountain conjures up much more of an image of selfishness, greed and sociopathic tendencies. In contrast Diablo is earthy, majestic, daunting and mysterious--as our natural world tends to be.

From our hike on Sunday. A beautiful day on Devil Mountain.

Shell Ridge, Walnut Creek, CA

2010-02-02T15:58:00.000-08:00

I hiked all around Shell Ridge open space today and finally figured out how it got its name. At the top of the ridge is an area embedded with seashell fragments from millions of years ago when the entire valley was covered by ocean. I think you'll agree, that is super cool.

I saw hundreds of ground squirrels, many gliding raptors and what I think was a sparrow hawk, posing vertically in the sky while flapping its wings before diving down for probably a would-be ground-squirrel lunch. Didn't happen though. It's like Watership Down with ground squirrels up there. I had never seen a bird do that--pause in flight a few times to "stand up" in the sky while flapping. Maybe there needs to be some perching areas...? The ground squirrels are rampant and are eating all the native-plant seedlings, including the Oaks. That's why the baby oaks are enclosed in tubes, to keep the squirrels from rooting them out.

Also followed a trio of deer while trying to find my way down to the parking lot again. That was not the best plan, but the deer kept looking back at me like, "C'mon! We know where some delicious gooseberries are planted!" They were not afraid of me at all--just keeping a distance of about 15 feet ahead all the time and checking me out, but that's it. They were like lawn ornaments that eventually took off for better pastures with less enclosures to thwart them. A kindly home owner eventually helped me navigate the twisty streets back to my car.

Late Fall Fruit

2009-12-13T21:58:00.001-08:00

November in Heather Farm Park--some kind of colorful fruit--not for eating.

Mayan Drum Tree

2009-11-05T09:08:00.001-08:00

My friend Tuckers sent me these photos from his trip to Mexico last week. His words:
It’s called a Maya Drum Tree. I couldn’t find much about it online, but the trunk is hollow. And they planted them in the square at the pyramid and beat them to communicate with the town. When you hit it it does make a fairly loud "tonk."

Note the banged-up trunk, used for Mayan long-distance communication.

If you have a tree to share, send it my way: captiveww (at) yahoo (dot) com.

End of Summer

2009-09-07T22:20:00.000-07:00

This will be the last post (until further notice, or until I get my hands on a digital camera, rather than a camera phone). I started "Your Daily Tree" one year ago and it was always meant to be a four-seasons thing.

When we first moved to the Northwest, I was amazed by the gigantic fauna all around us, particularly the evergreens, which literally surrounded our property like a mini-forest. The sound they made in the wind was whispery and mysterious. They added much greenery during our gray, wet winters. Birds used them year round and provided me with a lot of viewing pleasure while I worked in our upstairs office (with its large picture window). Walking around our neighborhood, I noticed a tree fantasia. I thought it would be worthwhile to record it all here to see the change of seasons and to add a bit of nature to the Internet.

Now we're back in Northern California (it's a recession thing) and it's also beautiful but in a different way, of course. It's sunny nearly every day at the moment and the trees are less varied in this part of the country. We're just as surrounded, but I don't have the awe factor needed for the blog. Though I marvel at the California Oaks and their gnarly, twisted brand arms, reaching out in huge canopies all around us. I can only take so many photos of an oak (while sweeping up the acorns that the squirrels chuck onto our deck every day).

Here's a few from the park near our house. I'll leave the blog up so I can look back and remember...

Funnel Cloud

2009-08-26T22:19:00.001-07:00

Or something to that effect.

Tree by the lake, Heather Farm Park

2009-08-20T22:56:00.000-07:00

This is where I go to do some bird watching when I have a few moments to myself. I'm hoping to start hiking more when Jackson gets in school.

Snowy Egret - Heather Farm Park

2009-08-17T19:50:00.000-07:00

I think this is a snowy egret. Could be an immature blue heron without the blue yet. There's a very large blue heron hanging out here as well, all within a five-minute walk from our new abode.

The Creeping Fog

2009-07-27T10:50:00.000-07:00

Driving toward the Caldecott Tunnel on 24--wall of fog up ahead, stopping just short of Orinda.