totally fake

Today's photo assignment was "Artificial light," Day 10.

Which is perfect, 'cause I spent the day at the beach.

We have a WINNER! =) Phriday Photo Quiz answer...

Hugh nailed it. Nice work! Ding Ding Ding Ding!

And Cindy had Point Reyes among her guesses,

so she was there, too. Well done!

Both winners have tasty blogs, so I recommend clicking on those links... 

Point Reyes National Seashore is where I took my friend.

As we were driving toward the lighthouse,

through what seemed to be interminable miles of dairy farms,

I got a little nervous.

Am I the worst tour guide ever? He's seen cows before.

I didn't remember that many cows.

Then we arrived.

And the park redeemed itself. =)

Sandstone sculptures to die for.

This particular piece freaked my camera out. The above is adjusted.

Anyhow, so THAT is the answer. Point Reyes National Seashore.

And the price of admission to this amazing place?

$0.00.

It's FREE.

The beautiful coastal sage scrub, local (tiny) deer, and the Pacific.

THAT is an example of something that makes me

quite happy to pay my federal taxes. AWEsome.

So, there ya go.

Happy weekend!!

And thank you to ALL participants,

and congratulations to the glorious winners.

xoxoxoxo

bb

new photo hints for Phriday's Photo Quiz--y'all are v. close! + bonus

Still don't have a 100% clear THIS IS THE ANSWER winner for the quiz.

LAST CHANCE TO GUESS! =) And gain limitless glory.

Here's a few helpful shots. Well 1 or 2 v. helpful, 1 or 2 just for entertainment. =)

Here begins the not-helpful, but still related to that travel venture, portion.

Tho' I love San Francisco for its own sake, I was VERY excited to see this apparently

pretty healthy coastal sage scrub remnant at Twin Peaks. SWEET!

And a shot of the hood where I stayed. bb is lucky enough to have 10,000 charming, generous

cousins, & this one housed me and my visiting friend in a cool pad in SF.

AND we went to Tartine (a stupendous bakery)

and I spent a LOT of $$$ on fanTAStic pastries. =) 

*sigh*

Heaven!

Last shot from mystery location.

Now, do you know?

xoxobb

Anyone... anyone? More coastal grooviness to remedy blank stares...

=) I'm beginning to wonder if the comments field is broken.

So, to aid your efforts re: Phriday's Photo Quiz, photo phood phor you.

the biggest hint 

lichen & sandstone freakiness I love so much I could gnaw on it

I have issues re: succulents. Nestled in a lichenous lair? *happy sigh* 

Seriously. INSANELY beautiful sandstone. JEEPERS.

And this does NOT capture it.

Does that help?

The next batch of photo hints, should it prove necessary, will be closer to obv.

MORE hints:

I was there last week. I did NOT fly to get there.

The land is owned by the United States of America

(hence my ability to enjoy such a gorgeous place w/out paying a sou).

So, any guesses NOW???

=)

xoxoxobb

Phriday photo quiz--it's coastal!

 
Working again, now that my visitor is headed back to Canada, and it's a little nutty.

However, I am putting off (only by minutes) my TRIP to the GYM to post this, so you know I've been out and about (and that "I'm not dead!").

So, where's this?

This place does NOT suck.

I realize it's not an easy quiz.

I'll add more photos or hints later, if need be, so perspire not.

Any wild guesses (you know I love them)

 or are some of you SO well traveled, it's obv.?

xobb

nature in art in nature in art...

 

"Mommy, why is that lady staring at the ceiling?"

Because it's really, really pretty.

In the National Gallery of Art,
there's plenty of beauty that is not hanging on a wall,
or perched on a pedestal, protected by plexiglass.

Some of it is photosynthesizing.

I took very few photographs while in the museum;
they were expressly allowed in one particular exhibit.
Most of the images that inspired me to photograph them involved nature, the outdoors.
Mind you, I love portraits. Of people. Love.

However, two artists had captured ocean scenes so perfectly,
I had to photograph them so I could learn more about their work.

This* is "A Quiet Day in Manchester" by Alfred Thompson Bricher (1837-1908)**

I read about Mr. Bricher, and he lived much of his life by the ocean; not surprising.

This next one is "The Stranded Ship" by Asher Brown Durand (1796-1886).

The green in these waves? So true and real. Awesome. I just stare at it.


The pull of the Pacific

When in the NPS, one of my jobs, and its associated walking commute,
allowed me to see the Pacific Ocean four hours a day, five days a week.

The first birds I had to identify as a professional biologist were shorebirds.

The first natural resource monitoring I did was of the rocky intertidal community.

I was born in a beach town.

I still remember walking on the beach with my dad when I was four,
plastic baggy in hand to store all the shells I'd collect.

So, I feel bonded to that big, cold, powerful thing.

Which might explain why, when these painters really captured the ocean,
it stopped me in my tracks.


Love at first sight

Back at the gallery, I turn a corner and BAM,
there is one of my favorite paintings of all time.
I was instantly smitten the moment I saw it (in a book in high school).
And it's never diminished.

I had no idea it was at the NGA.

To direct you to it (since it's still under copyright, via another site),
I had to look up its name (just now, after writing about the Pacific),
which I had not known at all.

"Wind from the sea."

uh...


that's freaky.

You can see it here (and click on it to see it larger).


Art is everywhere

Then, leaving the NGA, stepping out the doorway, I see this:

The beauty doesn't stop when you leave the gallery, and step into nature.

=)

It just keeps going.

Hence my giddy, swoony, continuing love for nature.

It's fairly magical, always inspiring,

and, like so many of the amazing DC museums, it's free.

xo

bb


*I did not straighten this photograph (via post-processing) because that'd reduce the clarity a lot.
**Public domain = 100 years after artist's death (says Wiki),
so these seascapes sail in that marvelous legal sharing space. =)

water pretty

 

=) bb

no blues, but saw plenny humpback whale action

So, went looking for whales this last weekend.

Cruised into and around Monterey Bay.

Saw humpback whales.

No blue, but this was lovely,

and a first for me.

And with wildlife, you'd be wise

to gratefully accept that which you receive.

'Cause it really is not under your control.

Hence wildlife.

All of these picture are big, so please click on them for a better look.

I only cropped the one above a TINY bit,

so you can see how close they got to us.

(I don't have a powerful lens, yet...)

At this point, we're in neutral, 

bobbing on the glassy water, whales crusing around us,

zig-zagging in their pursuit of krill.

 There were 3. Mama, baby, and someone else.

Possibly a suitor??

 You can just see the pectoral fin underwater,

the white edged thing, in the photo above.

I also took some freaky water photos,

leaning over the edge of the boat.

So, bb is STILL strangely quiet,

but since a picture is worth a thousand words,

this post is long enough, already.

=)

xoxobb

retro Mumday

 

bb

(p.s. if anyone remembers this photo, i.e. I've posted this before, please squeak and I'll replace it)

more beach + Phriday photo quiz

 

And the Phriday photo quiz picture is....

Who are we?

And the bonus Phriday photo quiz is....

Who are we, and what specific physiological feature is unique to us from among all other birds?

=) bb

one place it turned up...

 
Oil on the beach in Alabama:

This is from National Geographic; you can download this image for your wallpaper for free.

bb

the Pacific

Got to see the sea yesterday. Mostly cloudy, deserted beach with 10 million gulls on the north end at the mouth of the river, and along the river was a fuzzy, quiet row of harbor seals warming themselves.

The recent storms kicked up a lot of shells, barnacles, and other goodies from the sea, so the beach was littered with varied beauties. I remember my grandmother used to take us to the beach after a storm, because she said that was the best time to find shells. I think she was onto something. Only now I photograph, versus gather, them.

Also, the beach south of where we went has the most amazing rolled rocks--I'll look for photos I took last time I was there and will share them. SO colorful and smooth and shiny. Color and texture heaven.

In the meantime, reporting from the road...

biobabbler