hwy 50 to tahoe

March 11, 07
Hwy 50 before Tahoe
sunny clear warm
snow on the ground but no jackets required


(before Sierra at Tahoe, big S curve in 50)
Lover's Leap

Decided to take a day trip up to Tahoe - try to get a bit of snow in before its all gone. So little has fallen this year, there's only about sixy percent of normal snow pack. And now it's forecast to be quite warm this next full week.


Driving along the lake - kids stop & throw snowballs - near Cascade Creek -

Highs in the valley are supposed to be nearly eighty today - Tahoe is predicted to be low sixty's - certainly feels spring like.

We've brought all our cold weather gear, but all we really need are boots for tromping in the snow.


Bayview Ridge
between Emerald Bay & Cascade Lake

We stop in a pull out on 89 on Bayview Ridge - overlooking both Cascade Lake to the south and Emerald Bay to the north. The road really has no extra space, making it an excercise in trusting passing drivers - but the views are spectacular & the weather amazing -


Cascade Lake & Maggies Peaks

(I was standing on that rock to take the first shot)


Emerald Point

Hiking along the ridge is not too strenuous but causes my heart & lungs to work a bit harder, reminding me that I'm at about 6500 feet.


Emerald Bay with Fannette Island

Kids play in the snow, sled a bit along the road, Deidre makes a tiny snowman before we go on...


Meeks Creek

Farther up the west shore, Meeks Creek catches my eye - this place is packed in summer but pretty much deserted now, except for the firemen at the station here. Deidre builds another tiny snowman.


Kaspian Cove?

Farther up again, just north of McKinney Bay - I have to climb up on top of the snow drift - occasionally stepping/falling into knee deep snow -


Coming back toward the car I see the snow comes nearly to the edge of the lake. Getting there I step/fall through a few more times, a little worried that I could catch my leg between rocks along the shoreline -

Again, nearly empty now when summer brings so many.




We continue our trek along the western shore til we get to Tahoe City, then follow the Truckee River north for awhile - Deidre buils a couple more tiny snowmen - I actually hear a bird singing, not sure what sort of songbird would spend all winter in the Sierra.



Getting a bit later - nearly 4 p.m. now - wading through a patch of ankle deep snow makes me breathe a little hard - the sun keeps me plenty warm. I've never even wanted my sweat jacket today, in fact, been pushing my long sleeves up -



River winds around both sides of an island.

Just about time to head home now...

Mar 7.07

Mar 7.07
another afternoon at home - trying to catch the perfect cloud shot as another fron moves through. Easy to overexpose while shooting into the sun -


The heavens declare...
(I think this is the one.)

between storms

Feb 28, 07
afternoon at home

storm after storm has been passing through, trying to make up for our lack of precipitation in January. In between beautiful clouds fly through sunny skies - working on the Heaven project, I find the need for the perfect cloud image -

Antelope Community Park

Jan 30, 2007
almost 2 p.m. - Antelope Community Park
warm sunny
hasn't rained in far too long (sort of like me)

meant to bring film in the Mio for shots of what I'm doing with slides but somehow didn't. Birds twittering in the big oaks but not too many. Sound of construction from the adjacent field - new high school is well underway.

Finding old tree friends, shot a slide of a naked woodepecker oak for new winter oak series -



Here's the "tree along fence" looking taller than before -


Back home again later - loaded up the Mio with Fuji film I got off eBay - seems to work fine -



Phillip's bonsai in the studio.

thanksgiving day

Nov 23, 06
Thanksgiving Day
midday walk, sunny, windy



Much to be thankful for this day - good weather to start - a family that waits patiently or then finally leaves me to my own devices but knows I'm quite content to be left to myself at times -


Oak grove catches my eye, my heart. I wave to the family - I'll catch up later.



Flocks of turkeys wander all around, some bigger, some smaller - try to capture some on film with the Izone but bad film keeps me from it -

tahoe exploring

Nov 20, 06

Tahoe - west shore - early afternoon
chilly, weather threatening
up with Karen, exploring

Tahoe Hills, overlooking Rubicon Bay


Heavenly in the distance - hiding in the dense negative -




Sunlight hitting Heavenly -
but sometimes things aren't meant to be, like certain photos -

Later -
Carnelian Bay
Wind picking up
waves crashing
storm coming over the Sierra

salmon running

10-27-06
noon

Nimbus Fish Hatchery
Right before Nimbus Dam on the American River
warm, sunny, clear, calm

Came looking for a view of the bluffs - I had forgotten it's salmon running time. Not too many fish this year, but still several breaking the water here before the ladder, which happens to be closed at the moment.



the fish jump so quickly, it's hard to get a glimpse of them, much less a decent sketch - their color stands out - very reddish in the dark blue-green water




little pattern of color & light on the water



Fishermen aren't allowed too close to the ladder but a few fishing birds aren't so restrained - altogether, thought, not as much action as there could be here - I've read of warm late waters as a possible cause - maybe as it cools off more, more salmon will come to spawn -



Driving across Hazel Avenue put me upriver to the fish ladder and in the company of plenty of fishermen - and provids some better views of the golden bluffs.

crazy woman

10-20-06
1:30 p.m.

El Dorado Hills - warm clear

Another crazy woman by the side of the road day - found this odd little wetland spot in from of the golden hills - Some others stop to check out fishing, I think - the sound of tractors moving earth in the background - so much being built here!



Shooting slides for transfers later - then the Izone for instant gratification.



Wetlands like this are often protected in California - to bad our golden hills aren't protected, too - but then where would all the people live? No easy choices, I guess.

Very warm for this time of year - our overnight lows have been in the 40's but highs have been in the 80's -



Finally, a black & white to paint and layer.

peaceful along the river

10-9-06

morning at the American River near Watt Ave
sunny & warm, no clouds or wind

the sound of water rushing over rocks nearby, birds chirping, a grasshopper, a fly buzzes by and the ebb & flow of traffic over the bridge - playing with all three cameras at hand -


This little patch of open grass along the opposite bank seems so inviting. At first there was someone (a man, I think) resting, sitting over there, who I happened to catch on film with the 35mm, but when I brought out the big 180 Polaroid, he left - coincidence? maybe...


a triptych with the Izone, I decided to try again with the 35 slides


Peaceful here along the river - a good place for forgetting.

put on the orange filter and got other problems - taking another shot, hope it was just and odd glitch -

white rock road

Oct 6, 06

White Rock Rd - South of Folsom
parked at a wide spot on the side of this two lane highway where cars & trucks fly by at freeway speeds - I've caught a few strange stares, no doubt those busy to get somewhere wonder what sort of lunatic stops to photograph or scribble by the side of the road...

between meetings

9.21.06
12:40 p.m.
McKinley Park - sunny clear warm
quick stop between meetings - few minutes to kill
testing the pinhole - 60 sec exposure w/ whatever was in the camera, I think 669 -


Funny - I know we had gotten the black lip out of the frame before - now it seems to have moved back -


Sure enough, juggled & pushed & got it back out of the way -

sacramento river

Sept 12, 2006
Sacramento River near Jiboom street
Sacramento River Water Intake

10:30 a.m. very warm already -
a thick layer of smoke has settled down into the valley, having come down from the big fire raging in the foothills near Forest Hill, where Scott works. He told me that he woke up last night (at work) to find the smoke outside so thick that he wouldn't have been able to take off in the helicopter if he had been called.



It's been too long since I've been out - I've been too focused on business and not creating, not feeding my soul -




Boat launch on the west bank.

Fishermen coming out to check on river conditions tell us that in a couple weeks the river here will be thick with boats - salmon will be running - there are a couple out on boats now but not much activity. I wander down to the river's edge to get another view of the old tower - while I stare at the tower, a huge fish leaps out of the water in front of me - wow - another fisherman on the shore looks up and asks if I saw it - oh yeah, I say, huge!





More boats trolling around, looking for fish. When none are near, a couple more fish leap out of the water in front of me...

Sitting under huge old cottonwoods, grass holding the sandy shore together, dead leaves scattered on the grassy carpet.


The light falls just so through the trees and stirs something deep within me - I catch it on the film - a little glimpse of heaven, just to feed my soul.


Looking at the water intake facility