Haleakala Crater

We visited Haleakala Crater and were utterly gobsmacked. [I’ve been looking for a chance to use that word.] The fog created dramatic contrasts. We saw silverswords… …and exotic birds. [Well, maybe not so very exotic. It was pecking around the parking lot, looking for handouts.] On the way down from the mountain: a perfect rainbow.

California Coastline

A whole bunch of photos from our drive down the coast. Here’s Point Reyes Lighthouse, which was surrounded by seals. I could hear the seals barking from the lighthouse! There were a lot of steps going down to the lighthouse, plus many signs warning visitors that they’d eventually have to hike back up. I’m sure […]

Wine Country

We had very little time to visit the wine country, but we did make a stop at the venerable Gundlach Bundschu, which is a very old winery, filled with memory. And Zinfandel. We  arrived in time to see the grapes being harvested. We also stopped at Etude Winery, which was far less picturesque. However, they […]

San Francisco

We went to San Francisco for a conference, and I took pictures whenever I could. Obligatory bridge photo, complete with fog. Lanterns in Chinatown, just before nightfall. At the Japanese Zen Garden, a magical beastie. A web of twisty branches. The temple at the Japanese Garden. And more lanterns. Just because.

Aspens in Color

The aspens at Bear Lake were vibrant this year. Look at the amazing yellow color! We saw a Scrub Jay, and I actually managed to photograph it in mid-flight. Mountain fog: much easier to photograph.

10,000 Waves

For years, I’ve been hearing about 10,000 Waves, a beautiful Japanese spa in Santa Fe. We stayed overnight in one of their minimalist cabins, and then we were pampered in all sorts of ridiculous ways. Decadent serenity, it was. Later: the farmer’s market in Albuquerque.

Wildlands Restoration

These photos are from a trip to Heil Valley, where we helped the Wildlands Restoration Volunteers with meadow restoration. While picking the seeds of Needle & Thread Grass and Poverty Oat Grass, we took mandatory water breaks, as it turned out to be the hottest day of the year. By the end of the day, […]