Ghost Marina

This dock's been a long time waiting for boats...

Blast from the Past...

Mike Gilbert at Bayside Cannery, Alviso

Alviso is a tiny neighborhood with a big history. It's just 5 minutes from our office, so we go there a lot for mexican lunches. Here, my buddy Mike poses in front of the former site of the Bayside Cannery. At one time, the Bayside Cannery was the third biggest in the world.

Pork + Tofu + Spice = Yeah!

ma po tofu at sino

My Favorite Asian Dishes

• Thai - green papaya salad
• Japanese - katsuo no tataki
• Vietnamese - spring rolls
• Singaporean - black pepper crab (Sri Lankan crab, of course)
• Korean - kimchee (any and all types)
• Indonesian - nasi goreng
• Malaysian - beef rendang
• Taiwanese - Hsinchu noodles
• Chinese - ma po tofu

Feeling Blue

A Chinatown Portrait, San Francisco

Pelican, Pelican, No one can like Peli can!

Brown Pelican on Pier, Chrissy Field, San Francisco

One of my three favorite birds (hummingbirds and kingfishers round out the list), I'm always thrilled when I get to see pelicans.

This one was very comfortable around people. He hung out on the pier with fisherman, hoping for a handout.

Egrets... I've had a few,

but then again, too few to mention...

I've been enjoying my lunch-time hikes at the Don Edwards Nature Reserve in sunny Alviso, California. Today, Mike and I got realllly close to this Great White Egret before it took flight.

All Ears

Deer at Alum Rock Park

We were about 10 feet away from this deer, along the Creek Trail at Alum Rock, when she heard something that put her on alert.

Fisheyes

A view of the tank at Monterey Aquarium

California summer leaves

Fall in Cali

For those who think California has only one season, I offer exhibit A: fallen leafs. I went for a 6 mile hike in Alum Rock Park this weekend.

I cannot express how great it is to have a nice hike so close to home.

It Might Choke Artie...

but it won't choke me!

I can never eat a famous California artichoke without recalling that line from the Little Rascals.

Monterey County, just south of us, is the artichoke capitol of the world, so we have no problem getting them fresh, and freshly grilled.

This platter is from Friday night at Los Altos Grill - one of of our favorite local restaurants.

Open Space

Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge

This is where I've been going for lunch time walks recently.

Just a five minute drive from our office, this refuge provides more than 9 miles of trails. It's on the Pacific Migration path, so there are a lot of birds.

I've been seeing pelicans, egrets, herons, swallows, and stilts.

Fern at Alum Rock

From our hike this weekend

Time Flies...

A Birthday at Sino, Santana Row

While Angie and I dined at Sino restaurant last weekend, a party gathered on the patio behind us to celebrate this young woman's birthday.

The lighted cupcakes cast a warm light as the group gathered around and sang.

I'd like to think that this blurred image - it reminds of a wong kar wai scene - captures the way they'll remember the evening.

Santa Clara Evening Light & Shadow

La Paloma Mexican Restaurant

Angie and I walked up to La Paloma for dinner tonight. I had my regular: chorizo con huevos, flan, and long island iced teas. We shared a perfect California evening for the walk home.

Peking Duck Rocks!

Angie at Trader Vic's

I love my peking duck.

It's best in Beijing, of course, but life is full of compromises.

Eating dinner at Trader Vic's with Angie (eating her seared ahi), on a beautiful California evening, is not the worst compromise a man could make.

Our waiter is preparing my duck, while I wait anxiously...

Mavericks Mural

Half Moon Bay, California

If you surf, or like surfing, or even if you're just into surfing culture - you probably have heard of Mavericks. Mavericks is to waves what Everest is to mountains: big, bold, and deadly.

Mavericks is a break off the coast of California, near Half Moon Bay.

This mural in downtown Half Moon Bay gives you a small glimpse of the awesomeness of the waves.

Graffiti Poetry: Life is a Celebrasion!

Half Moon Bay, California

Angie and I were in Half Moon Bay, California this weekend. Our wanderings took us under a highway, where we found a cool collection of graffiti.

This was my favorite bit of spray paint philosophy...

Relaxed...

Self Portrait on a Damn Fine Day (DFD)

We went to HerpWorld today, at Santa Clara Fairgrounds. It's a big show of lizards, snakes, and taratulas. It was the start of a fine day.

The weather was amazing.

The lizard show was great.

We had a nice lunch at Dia Da Pezca - a Mexican seafood restaurant down the street.

And, oh yeah... the Yankees swept the Red Sox, while we enjoyed a pizza and a bottle of Cinnabar Pinot Noir. May all our days be this good!

Woody!!

The Acorn Woodpecker

Angie and I had an excellent hike this morning at Alum Rock Park. Saw the usual deer, squirrels, bunnies, and Steller Jays.

In addition, we saw a couple Acorn Woodpeckers.

It's not unusual to see them.

What is unusual is that this one let us get within 10 feet.

Rattler Tails and Tales

Some skeptics (you know who you are...) felt that my rattlesnake might not be a rattlesnake, because they couldn't see the the... you know... rattle.

So, in the interest of full disclosure, here is a rattlesnake rattle.

Enjoy!

Seek and ye shall find... snakes!

Up until today, I hadn't seen a rattlesnake in... oh... over 20 years, even though I hike in prime rattlesnake territory on an almost weekly basis.

Well, today, as I stepped off trail to watch a mini-landslide caused by a deer, I almost stepped right on this beautiful 20-inch guy.

He was calm about it - never even rattling. We got a bunch of photos, and then I attempted to catch him. Despite all those Jeff Corwin episodes I've watched, this guy was just too fast.

Judging by my Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians (a must have for any amateur naturalist), it's a Northern Pacific Rattlesnake, a subspecies of the "excitable and aggressive" Western Rattlesnake.

Enjoy!

Come... back.. rab... bit....

Let me pet the rabbit, George...

There's just somethig about bunnies, isn't there?

Of mice and men is one of the all-time great movies.

And watchig Bugs Bunny and the evil scientist running in slow motion, high on ether, is a priceless childhood memory.

I took this rabbits photo while he was munching and lunching near my parents house in NJ.

You've been Punk'd

Look into my eyes...

You've been punk'd by Punkin the eskipoo...

Enjoy the experience!

Punkin the wonderdog

Live from New Jersey, the artist formerly known as punkin - my parents eskipoo.

I prefer to call her 'punk'.

Jodi, lah...

Food Court, Singapore

I had lunch today with one of my favorite people in the world, Jodi Chia.

Jodi and I have known each other for many years, from my time living in Singapore.

She's in California this week, so I took her for lunch to Taco Del Oro -the best 1.00 tacos in San Jose. If you're ever in Alviso, you owe it to yourself to stop there for food.

Native American Cliff Dwelling

Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico

Flower, Color, Water

Bandalier National Monument, New Mexico

Taos Pueblo, New Mexico

Approximately 1,000 years old, this World Heritage site should be on everyones' 'must-see' list.

Yes, many of the homes are now occupied by shops, but that's actually good for us, as we get to set foot inside and look around.

The Taos people were uniformly friendly and talkative. We had some excellent conversations about the culture and history of the people and pueblo.

While there, we saw also saw sun, clouds, rain, wind, and hail - quite a day from a meteorological point of view...

Taos Pueblo Ladder

Detail of Ladder and Sky, Taos Pueblo, New Mexico

Church at Taos

Angie and St. Jerome Church

Built in 1850, St. Jerome is 'just another' beautiful church in New Mexico.

This one resides in Taos Pueblo.

Taos Pueblo Memorial:

Native American Chant in Honor of Fallen Soldiers

We visited Taos Pueblo on Memorial Day and found a simple, but powerful ceremony underway.

There were speeches, of course. There were also chants and a beautiful Native American flute solo.

New Mexico Living:

Our room at the Historic Taos Inn

We were in a full hotel, on Memorial Day weekend, on the busiest street in Taos - and we didn't hear a thing. We've never had a quieter hotel stay in our life...

That's all you need to know about an adobe structure.

As a bonus, it's pretty cool looking too, huh?

Under a Georgia O'Keefe Sky

 San Jose de Gracia, Las Trampas, New Mexico

No state in America contains more beautiful churches and missions than New Mexico.

The red clay of earth reaches from the ground towards the blue skies of heaven - that's a pretty good metaphor for the construction of any building.

Petroglyphs, New Mexico:

I'm squatting in front of a panel of petroglyphs in the Rio Grande style, in Petroglyph National Monument, New Mexico.

I'm a collector of iconic images, and these certainly qualify.

Millepede in the Desert:

Before I picked this up, I had to remember - are millipedes poisonous? or is it centipedes that are poisonous?

Well, I found out that is isn't millipedes, when I picked up this one.

Unless of course it's a delayed effect.... arghhh... ackkk.... 

Cactus Flowers:

In front of San Felipe Church, in Old Town Albuquerque, these flowers bloom on a prickly pear cactus.

As I was taking this photo, a woman surprised me. I spun to answer her question and ran my hand through the cactus, filling my fingers with tiny thorns that I spent the rest of the afternoon picking out (with my teeth).

Such is the pleasure and pain of desert beauty...

Native American Dancer:

This dancer was performing at the Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The contrast between the red dress and turquoise jewelry is particularly striking.

After the Rain:

It rained for our first few days in New Mexico. 

As a result, I got to hang out with this guy in the courtyard of Los Poblanos Inn.

It might be odd, but I kinda like these guys. 

The eyes of a snail fascinate me.

Kiss The Lizard

Angie and a Horned Lizard

While we were hiking in Petroglyph National Monument, New Mexico, Angie spotted this Horned Lizard. 

I caught him so we could become acquainted.

He was quite docile and very cool. One of the highlights of our trip...

Flowers Bloom in the Eastern Hills

- Another day in California

From the crest of the South Rim Trail in Alum Rock Park, this is the view.

It was a day full of sun, breezes, deer, squirrels, and alligator lizards.

Sunset, Dear

- Photography = Light Writing

The better the light, the better the writing.

This is a photo of a deer at sunset in Alum Rock Park in San Jose, California.

Boiling Over -

 Aerial View of Kilauea Eruption

I'm not sure what it is about volcanoes that captures my imagination.

Sometimes, it's the thought of witnessing the continuous birth of our planet.

Sometimes, it's the danger involved in walking on unstable earth.

Sometimes, it's the romantic notion that the goddess Pele might actually exist.

Sometimes, it's just the fun of poking around and playing with lava.

Whatever it is - I love the idea that there are volcanoes...

A Boat with Character:

 Fishing Boat, Bali, Indonesia

Found this boat along the beach in Sanur, on the south coast of Bali.

It just looks like a boat I would trust. How about you?

Staredown with a Gray Fox:

 Hello Mr. Fox

I went for a hike at Alum Rock Park in the hills of East San Jose today.

On my way down the hillside, I heard a rustling in the bushes.

It took me about 5 minutes to pick out the tips of two furry ears - backlit by the sun - poking up over the tall grass.

I moved down the trail and found a clear view. 

At first, I thought the ears belonged to a bobcat, but I quickly saw that it was a fox.

We had a staring contest for about 10 minutes, then he turned his head.

I closed in for this shot. He then went under a bush, so I moved on.

A ranger confirmed it was a gray fox. They are present in the area, but seen infrequently.

Laughing in the Face of Death (Valley) X:

Death Valley Sand Dunes

Laughing in the Face of Death (Valley) IX:

 Devil's Golf Course

Standing at 200 feet below sea level while looking at an 11,000 foot snow-capped mountain.

Only in Death Valley...

Laughing in the Face of Death (Valley) VIII:

 Natural Bridge Canyon

Laughing in the Face of Death (Valley) VII:

 Bighorn Sheep Petroglyph

We found this petroglyph pecked into a large boulder in Titus Canyon.

Laughing in the Face of Death (Valley) VI:

 An Artists Palette

Angie hikes through the geological wonderland that is known as Artists Palette.

Thinking about the Trona Pinnacles

Wait... I'm thinking...

On our way back from Death Valley, we stopped off to look at the Trona Pinnacles.

The pinnacle on the right reminded me of 'Thinking Man', which is kind of cool.