Travel and hikes

August 15, 2011October 18, 2013

Summer Fog, Naked Ladies and Big Birds

Fog — Bernalwood from Twin Peaks hiding in the fog

It is summer in San Francisco, meaning lots of fog and cool temperatures. We returned to Twin Peaks to check out the view and this is what we saw.

Later, we went to McLaren Park to visit the duck pond. That’s when I saw the naked ladies. No, not the porn variety. The flower variety. 🙂 They are popping up all over the city and providing a wonderful splash of color against the summer browns and golds that prevail at this time of year.

Also at the duck pond…

I don’t want to forget the big birds. I could hear the hawk having a conversation of sorts with another one that I couldn’t locate. The crow was just being a crow and posed nicely for me.

August 4, 2011October 18, 2013

Lastech: The Conservatory of Flowers

I have posted my photos of the Conservatory of Flowers and now it’s time for some of Lastech’s photos. Follow along for a few really nice pics.

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August 3, 2011October 18, 2013

Lastech’s Clouds

As I mentioned before, I have been sorting Lastech’s photos and uploading them to Flickr. I came across these. It’s usually sunny or rainy. Clouds like this are not as common. It’s beautiful when it happens though.

Lastech’s clouds need a bit of music. I found this piano piece and I think it goes very well with the clouds. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

July 28, 2011October 18, 2013

Texture in Nature

Lastech came home with a new batch of photos. I was amazed that low tide could lead to such a variety of texture and lines. These were taken at a bird sanctuary on the San Francisco Bay.

July 26, 2011October 18, 2013

Hill Hopping and a Sunrise

As most people know, San Francisco has a lot of hills. Many of those hills have parks and open space at the top. They make wonderful places to catch a sunrise or sunset, depending on location.

We started our morning on Bernal Heights. The area is nicknamed Bernalwood and is topped by a pretty grassy hill with a few trees and a microwave tower. It provides a beautiful vantage point for watching the sun rise over the bay. It also provides a great view of downtown and the Bay Bridge.

After the attack by the killer skeeters, we decided to hop to another hill and visit McLaren Park.

Looking back at Bernalwood from McLaren Park, I couldn’t resist another pic. It looks rather pretty in the morning light.

The pond below the blue water tower was as smooth as glass.

July 18, 2011October 18, 2013

San Francisco wildlife and a some flowers

The other day, we wandered up to the nearby park. We just felt the need to get out for a bit. I found myself chasing a butterfly called the Pale Swallowtail.

I also saw a beautiful Red-shouldered Hawk.

July 14, 2011October 18, 2013

Sunrise on the Peninsula Part 2: A Study in Orange

Yesterday I posted photos of the birds at the sanctuary. Today, I’m posting the photos from the wonderful sunrise. I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoyed taking them.

Shoreline at Mtn. View — Sunrise at the bird sanctuary

July 13, 2011October 18, 2013

Sunrise on the Peninsula Part One: Birds

Last week, Lastech and I went off to watch a sunrise. He took me to the area where he took his last group of pics. It’s called Shoreline at Mountain View. It is home to a lot of birds. It’s full of birds during the migration season. We plan to go back to take advantage of it.

July 7, 2011October 18, 2013

Shoreline at Mountain View

South of San Francisco is the town of Mountain View. In 1956 the first company to develop silicon semiconductor devices was located there. The area is now known as Silicon Valley. Shoreline Park is built on an old landfill. It features an artificial lake and golf course. It has many trails and is adjacent to the bird sanctuary.

Here are a few photos taken by Lastech at sunrise.

June 30, 2011October 18, 2013

Tennessee Valley, a Cove and a Shipwreck

Last week we took a lovely hike through Tennessee Valley. It is located North of San Francisco in Marin County. The valley and cove are named after the Steamship Tennessee who ran aground there in 1853. Remnants of the ship can still be seen at low tide.

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