Bluebear's Photo Gallery

Lake Mildred 2011

2011-05-24T21:19:00.000-07:00

Last Year on Rin's family's yearly camping trip to Lake Mildred I set out to shoot pictures for the 2010 Lake Mildred folio. I had shot about 4 pictures when suddenly my camera would fire. I turned it off and back on, still no luck. I started to look at the settings when i noticed batteries laying on the ground at my feet. The darn battery cover had broken off of the camera.

Distraught I wasn't able to think of the easy fix - a rubber band to hold the cover on - so last year there was no folio.

This passed Christmas I was finally able to treat myself to my dream camera and passed the old Fuji rubber band model down to my daughter, so armed with my new camera i went out to shoot more pictures. This year I mostly was stuck on the beauty found in nature, much of it small things. Having forgot my bellows at home my hopes for much macro work wasn't realized, but I still spent some belly time getting down amongst the grasses.

One thing in abundance to watch out for - Poison Oak!

Itsy Bitsy Spider

A vulture circles overhead searching for dinner.


Of course the dogs had fun running, chasing and wrestling at the dog beach.

The burn scar from a fire several years ago is beginning to heal.


After a number of dry years the wet weather this winter has the spillway flowing.

Some artsy stuff...

American River Canyon

2011-04-22T22:25:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago Kaela and I grabbed Obee and headed for the hills to get a day away from the city. Our first stop was the ridge overlooking the North Fork of the American River just below Lake Clementine.

Recently I purchased an adapter ring which allows me to use my old Canon bellows on my new camera. For macro work I use my old 50MM Canon lens with a reversing ring so the lens is attached backwards on the front of the bellows. This allows me to access the levers to set the F stop for control of the depth of field. It has been several years since I shot film with my old Canon F1 and I forgot how to release the stop lever. My first attempts at macro with the new setup suffer from a narrow depth of field due to a nearly wide open aperture. I have since figured out the trick to unlock the lever so things will improve in the future.

The florets in this, the first of three macro photos, are each about the size of the head of a pin.

To give a demonstration of scale - one of the pink flowers and the leaves can be seen at the tip of my boot.

Kaela caught me getting the shot with her iPod

Another small flower shot without the bellows.

Manzanita flowers.

No photo shoot is complete without at least one old rusty thing!

Soon we find ourselves on the ridge over the Middle Fork of the American River - the river lies far below.

Looking west - downstream - through the canyon.

Looking east towards the Sierra Nevada and our destination - Placer Big Trees to sit beneath a giant Sequoia or that snow in the distance, whichever comes first.

A couple of shots of the road twisting down into the canyon.

Nearing the bottom of the canyon we get a good view of an oxbow in the river.

The bridge over the North Branch of the Middle Fork of the American River.

Downstream from the bridge.

The river washes over veins of quartz below the bridge.

Next we head up the road on the south side of the canyon, back up to the next ridge.

Along the south side.

Over the ridge and down into the next canyon we find Ralston Reservoir

and the dam at the reservoir

An eagle soars above a ridge over Ralston.

Ridgetop trees silhouetted against broken clouds.

Several years ago a fire raged through the area leaving many trees skeletons.

Finally we reach the snow and a closed road about 5 miles short of our destination.

Obee had much more fun tossing his ball into the snow then digging it back out...

than in actually bringing it back to us.

Sculpted by wind, rain and warm temperatures a snow face looks over the forest.

We get one last look of the canyon as we return at the end of the day.

New Camera!

2010-12-19T09:29:00.000-08:00

I finally was able to get my dream camera - Canon EOS T2i, 18 megapixel digital SLR with 18-55mm and 55-250mm image stabilized zoom lenses. Here are some of the first test shots along with a few artsy things derived from photos with the camera. Due to the huge 11-12MB sizes of the files I've had to reduce their sizes to facilitate uploading in a timely manner.

Renaissance Tower

Sacramento's first high-rise office building.

Lens at 28mm, building 2 blocks away

Closeup of the Renaissance Tower

Shot from the same location, lens at 250mm

Color saturation and contrast have been adjusted.

Another closeup - same specs as above.

Balconies at the Citizen's Hotel

(Hotel photos various lens settings, 1 block away)

Details of the Citizen's Hotel.

(Cables are for earthquake protection)

Fire escape at the Citizen's Hotel

(Built in 1926, at 14 stories tall this was one of the tallest buildings before the Renaissance Tower)

Railing at the new City Hall

Bridge at confluence of the North and Middle forks of the American River

Foresthill Bridge over the North Fork American River

(This bridge was built in anticipation of the Auburn Dam.

Discovery of numerous earthquake faults at the dam site stop construction of the dam.)

Mushrooms in Libby's lawn

Horns at the Santa parade

(This and the following pictures were taken from the second floor of the parking garage at 11th and I streets. The garage is reflected in the horns. Subjects were approximately 75feet away.)

Rin's new van.

650,000 Square Feet

2010-07-12T22:40:00.000-07:00

Located in in American Canyon - Near Napa - this is the 650,000 square foot wine transportation warehouse for which I designed the 55 degree cooling system. Energy saving strategies in the design yielded large savings in energy usage, substantial PG&E rebates and help earn a LEED Silver certification. LEED = Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. (Click photos to enlarge)

It all began with presentations of various designs and analysis of their up-front costs verses long term savings. Once the final approach was decided on, it was time to put it on paper.

[autocad drawing of the chiller system]

As I began drawing the system the site was being cleared for construction. Due to existing wetlands on the site the building shape and location were revised several times until it produced the least impact on the site.

[Google Earth screen capture]

In early March, 2009, I made a trip to the site:

[From the northeast corner looking to the opposite end of the floor slab 1/4 mile away]

[from the opposite end looking back towards the east end]

I found about one half of the east end wall erected.

The concrete wall slabs were manufactured in Santa Rosa and shipped to the site to save on construction time. Each slab has a number of hollow cores running through it making them much lighter than the poured in place slabs.

[A crane prepares to lift one of the slabs into position]

[As the slabs are stood in place another crew on the inside installs braces to stabilize them until the weld plates are completed]

Upon returning to the site for a meeting exactly four weeks later I was blown away to find the outside walls of the 1300' x 500' building completed.

[Looking east along the south wall]

The following five photos are a sequence of shots of the entire north wall:

[To get a feel for the scale, the dock door openings are 9 feet tall]

Not only was I shocked to find the walls up, but 2/3 of the roof was on also!

[This area will later become the front office]

[From the east wall looking through the building to the west end 1/4 mile away]

The chiller pad with its pumps and evaporative cooling tower begins to take shape. This is the portion of the system depicted in the Autocad drawing at the beginning of this post.

[The cooling tower. A fan on top draws air through water flowing at 1,280 gallons per minute through the air stream, evaporating up to 600 gallons per hour thus cooling the water.]

[Completed pump pad - composite of two photos yielded slight distortion at the center.]

The 500 ton centrifugal chiller. Freon is compressed in the centrifugal turbine and heated in the process due to compression. The hot freon is routed through tubes in the condenser barrel - the lower dome shaped item is the end of this barrel - where the heat is given off to the water which then circulates through the cooling tower to shed the heat. This in turn condenses the freon to a liquid still under high pressure. This liquid freon is then routed to tubes in the evaporator - the end of which is the upper dome shaped object. There it is dispersed through orifices where the resulting pressure drop causes the freon to evaporate to a gaseous state, taking on heat, thereby cooling the water in the evaporator. The chilled water is then circulated through Fan Coils within the building. The 500 ton rating means the chiller is capable of freezing 500 tons of ice in one hour's time. The system produces 1,340 gallons per hour of 35 degree water to feed the building. The first time I heard it start up I didn't know if I should run away or what - not unlike a 747 jet engine coming up to speed!

[The tank in the foreground is the oil cooler, above that to the right is the motor and to the left is the turbine]

[The fan coils. 30 inch fans throw the air out 100 feet. 48 of these in the building]

[The Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) which controls the chiller's turbine speed based on the cooling load]

[The VFD panels for the pumps and cooling tower mounted in the chiller house]

[Interior of the cooling tower VFD panel]

[VFD control panels for the Fan coils inside the warehouse. These also the front end controls to integrate the whole system as well as the controls for all of the office components - 5 rooftop air conditioning units with zone control damper systems.]

[Some of the fan coil VFDs. Due to the long wire lengths, filters were required to prevent interference and cross talk within the circuits. The capacitor assemblies are the filters]

[LCD Readout of chiller parameters as it approaches its operating setpoint.]

The completed building and site. To the upper left is the rainwater detention pond, a long narrow area surrounded by levees, only partially filled at this point. It was completed after the rainy season, but in the future will collect all of the rainwater from the site and store it for reuse in irrigating the landscaping. Plants were chosen which are native to the area and require minimal amounts of irrigation. The areas to the right, above the building, are new venal pools, established to replace several which were lost to the construction of the building. These items, along with the air conditioning systems and motion sensors on all of the warehouse lights to keep them off when not needed are what accomplished the LEED Silver Rating. (Animal tracks radiate out from a watering hole on adjacent property next to the vernal pools.)

[Google Earth screen capture]

Manipulations II

2009-10-31T12:48:00.000-07:00

[click photos to enlarge]

[all images by Bluebear2]

Sonoma Coast Revisited

2009-09-22T10:14:00.000-07:00

My daughter was excited to be able to drive herself to camp this year, where she is now a counselor. Unfortunately her car broke down just before she was to leave, so it gave me another opportunity to explore the Sonoma Coast.
Unlike last year, the marine layer was several thousand feet thick so the coast was shrouded in fog. The Humbolt Current offshore brings frigid water down from the north creating a layer of fog over the ocean. Under the right conditions this layer is pushed offshore and the beaches are sunny, other times it comes rolling in over the hills.

[click photos to enlarge]

A pair of vultures circle above the hills.

The fog filters through the trees, condensing on the leaves and providing moisture through the resulting rain off of the foliage.

Several shots along the road down to the beach at Goat Rock.

Agent 99 put her embellishment to this shot.

Colors abound in the low clinging plants overlooking the beach.

The surf was too high to do any beach combing.

After leaving the beach we move on to Pomo Canyon in hopes of finding a campsite in the Redwood Grove at the center of this shot.

We lucked out. The place was full, but someone was pulling out and we snagged their site on the hillside before anyone else could claim it.

Looking downhill from our site.

Our home for the night perched on the hillside.

The early day fog...

gave way in the late afternoon to let the sun sneak in.

Typical to the Redwoods, a family of younger trees grows from around the base of an older fallen tree.

The Bay Laurels go to extremes to access the sunlight.

Shamrocks?

The next morning after packing up we return to the beach to explore further.

A vulture glides along the air currents over the hills along the beach.

A gull poses for me.

Looking north from Goat Rock.

And to the south.

The path through the dunes opens onto an immense sand beach just south of the mouth of the Russian River.

Low tide leaves mud flats along the river below Jenner...

where well camouflaged shore birds hunt for food.

Old pipes stick out of the embankment along the river.

A lone Harbor Seal lays along the beach.
We wondered if it was ill or injured since it was isolated from the rest of the pack.

Plants along the coast are well sculpted by the wind which blows almost continuously here.

The Harbor Seal rookery at the mouth of the Russian River.

The seals lay ready to slip into the water at the slightest disturbance.
The rookery is protected and people must stay at least 50 yards away from the seals.

The tide is coming in, flowing into the mouth of the river which runs backwards until the crest of the high tide.

Looking north, the river enters along the base of the cliffs at the right of the photo. Highway 1 runs along near the top of the hills in the distance.

People on the beach silhouetted in the fog.

More wild life...

the molted shell of a crab

What is a photo shoot after all without some old rusty thing?
(The idler wheel from the track of an old bulldozer half buried in the rocks along the beach.)

It even came from my original home town!

Strawberry Valley

2009-06-16T18:23:00.001-07:00

Last weekend, my daughter's best friend was nearby to visit. She had moved to Virginia with her father about five months ago and was visiting her mother north of Marysville. Since she was only here for a couple of days I offered to take my daughter to see her.

I dropped my daughter off then headed out for a day of exploring.

My first thought was to check out Sutter Buttes, but then I remembered there is no public access except just a couple of days per year, so I headed east and north instead.

Sutter Buttes - the worlds smallest mountain range

Heading away from the Buttes...

I get my first glimpse of the foothills as I crest a hill.

The grasslands north east of Marysville seem to stretch on forever,
dotted with Heritage Oak trees.

I think Matt Dillon sat under this tree that time he got shot.

And I'm sure Hoss courted one of his few female interests under this cluster
until, as usual, she died in the next episode.

Still heading east I begin to enter the rolling foothills leading up to the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

My destination is beyond the most distant ridge - visible towards the right of this photo above the valley in the foreground range.

My first find of the day!
(Did I ever tell you I like old rusty things?)

As soon as I saw this I thought of my friend/fellow blogger/compatriot, Agent 99.
I know she will put it to good use.

The obligatory Floral Series:

Further on, the pavement is gone, replaced by a narrow gravel road. I am now just outside of the town of Strawberry Valley.

Founded in 1851 by Captain Mock and a band of gold miners, the town was named after the wild strawberries found growing everywhere.

It's not a place to make a mistake. The base of the trees in the foreground is about 30 feet below the edge of the road on which I am standing.

As the clouds begin to build, I find myself on a narrow dirt logging road...

which leads me to a burn scar. The timber was salvaged after the fire.

Next destination is the bottom of the canyon below the burn. A sound is calling me...

a babbling brook!

But something is wrong! This is nearly 4,000 feet elevation. The stream should be clear. There is a heavy nutrient load in this stream.

This plant seems to enjoy it, sprouting from the side of a rock.

Roots protruding from the bank make an interesting subject.

Lake Mildred - 2009

2009-04-14T21:42:00.000-07:00

This year our family migration to Lake Mildred fell early in the spring. Night time temperatures were in the 30's and since our camping trailer was having problems with the mechanism that lifts the top, we were forced to revert to the tent. Having laid dormant for about 8 years, none of our ThremaRest mattresses and other inflatable sleeping devices held air. Needless to say sleep was not in abundance!

The first series of photos were taken using a 2x closeup lens on front of my cameras standard zoom lens. I recently discovered my closeup lens set from an old Contax IIIa fit my current camera. (The Contax was stolen years ago and is irreplaceable.)
In some of the photos the lens to subject distance is less than 1 inch, in others up to about one foot when zoomed out. All photos were hand held - I forgot my tripod!

As usual, click the photos to enlarge.

Look for the spider in this one.

Here are some landscapes.

Of course the dogs came along too!

Folsom Lake

2009-01-17T19:24:00.000-08:00

Currently California is entering the third year of drought. A La Nina has set up in the Pacific and an associated high pressure system has set up. The clockwise rotaion of this high pressure system is diverting the jet stream and the winter storms up into Alaska then down into the Midwest. Consequently we are under a summer type weather condition with record tying and breaking daytime temperatures for the last week or so.
The following photos were taken two weeks ago at Folsom Lake. The lake is drained enough for flood control storage in the fall and filled in the spring by snow melt runoff. Water is also drained from the lake to maintain water quality in the San Joaquin Delta and for irrigation.
In the springtime two years ago the lake never completely filled and had fallen enough that the boat docks closed and boats had to be removed shortly before the fourth of July. This year it was before Memorial Day. Normally it is in August or later.

[click photos to enlarge]

The floodgates at Folsom Dam stand high above the water. The top of the white band near the top of the earthen dam to the right is the high water mark. Currently the lake is 1/2 of its normal capacity for this time of year.

The following panoramas are from a spot about 200 yards "off shore". What is left of the lake is in the old river channel of the American River in the background.

[panoramas formed by combining individual photos]

This is from the high water shoreline. Summer shoreline is at the base of the trees in the foreground.

A detail fom one of the above panoramas.

Several views of the lake bottom. Here the earthen portion of the dam stands high and dry.

Fish habitats, created by tying together pine tree tops, lay high and dry, far from the water.

A small remnant of the lake provides enjoyment for our dogs.

Sometimes it looks vicious,

But they are actually good buddies.

We for once were able to wear them out.

Family Portrait

That about says it all!

[all photos Bluebear2]

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico Air Flights

2008-11-12T21:32:00.000-08:00

AIR FLIGHTS
Phoenix to Cabo to Phoenix

[click the photos to enlarge]

Our plane awaits at daybreak in Sacramento.

Phoenix to Cabo

An open pit mine in the desert.

Large expanses of irrigated crops grow in the desert.

At 35,000 feet you can see the curvature of the earth.

We leave land behind, heading out over the Sea of Cortez.

Cabo to Phoenix

Residential development spreads out into the wilderness near Cabo San Juan...

while condos sprawl down the beach.

These clouds gave us a few good bumps.

Isla Cerralvo, Mexico - Wiki

Copper mines at Cananea, Mexico - Wiki

In the middle of the desert, near Tucson, a golf course.

Tucson

Irrigated fields near Tucson

Other rooms in this gallery
[Click Links]

Abstracts – Shapes and Colors
Condos - The Time Share Condo craziness
Cruise Ships - Cruise ships that visited
Family Shops - Shopping away from the mall
Glass Bottom Boat - Our daytime trip around the tip of Baja
Mall at the Marina - A trip down the beach to the mall
Pueblo Bonito Blanco - Our home for the week
Scenics - Land, sky and seascapes and some seabirds
Sunset Cruise - Our sunset sail around the tip of Baja

Cabo San Lucas

2008-11-11T18:49:00.000-08:00

CABO SAN LUCAS
A collection of galleries

Follow the links below to the rooms in this gallery.

Abstracts – Shapes and Colors
Airflights – Phoenix to Cabo to Phoenix
Condos - The Time Share Condo craziness
Cruise Ships - Cruise ships that visited
Family Shops - Shopping away from the mall
Glass Bottom Boat - Our daytime trip around the tip of Baja
Mall at the Marina - A trip down the beach to the mall
Pueblo Bonito Blanco - Our home for the week
Scenics - Land, sky and seascapes and some seabirds
Sunset Cruise - Our sunset sail around the tip of Baja

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico Sunset Cruise - Developing

2008-11-11T09:47:00.000-08:00

SUNSET CRUISE
Our Sunset Sail around the tip of Baja

[click the photos to enlarge]

Other rooms in this gallery
[Click Links]

Airflights - Phoenix to Cabo to Phoenix
Abstracts – Shapes and Colors
Condos - The Time Share Condo craziness
Cruise Ships - Cruise ships that visited
Family Shops - Shopping away from the mall
Glass Bottom Boat - Our daytime trip around the tip of Baja
Mall at the Marina - A trip down the beach to the mall
Pueblo Bonito Blanco - Our home for the week
Scenics - Land, sky and seascapes and some seabirds

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico Family Shops

2008-11-10T20:15:00.000-08:00

THE FAMILY SHOPS
Shopping away from the mall

[click the photos to enlarge]

In contrast to the mall, the family run shops were far more interesting.

Here an explosion of color greets the eye.
The tiny shop on the left is where I bought my straw hat.
The proprietor drove a hard bargain as he talked himself down 30% on the price because I was his "First Costumer" of the day.

Through the opening in the background is a Flea Market. A whole world of tiny intertwined shops under one roof, covering nearly a whole city block, waiting to be explored.
Some had dirt floors and tin roof while others were in old run down buildings.

Bold colors and designs were everywhere.

Some of the shops on the exterior of the flea market.

Traffic here is amazing. It looks to be chaos, stop signs are ignored, lane changes are random, yet it flows smoothly.
Crossing a street however can be a challenge.

Other rooms in this gallery
[Click Links]

Airflights - Phoenix to Cabo to Phoenix
Abstracts – Shapes and Colors
Condos - The Time Share Condo craziness
Cruise Ships - Cruise ships that visited
Glass Bottom Boat - Our daytime trip around the tip of Baja
Mall at the Marina - A trip down the beach to the mall
Pueblo Bonito Blanco - Our home for the week
Scenics - Land, sky and seascapes and some seabirds
Sunset Cruise - Our sunset sail around the tip of Baja

Cabo San Lucas, MexicoGlass Bottom Boat

2008-11-06T17:26:00.000-08:00

GLASS BOTTOM BOAT TRIP
A trip around the point

[click the photos to enlarge]
To get somewhat away from the crowds, we took a glass bottom boat ride around the tip of the Baja Peninsula.

Heading out to sea we leave behind our resort...

and the new condo construction.

Lover's beach.
Through the gap is Divorce Beach on the Pacific Ocean side.

A piece of tortilla brings an explosion of colorful fish...

fortunate because the glass bottom is quite anticlimactic

My favorite photo of the entire trip

A hidden beach lies between the rock towers at low tide

One of the many interesting rock formations off the tip of Baja

The arch is the last piece of land connected to the Baja Peninsula.
Beyond that lie several towering rocks then open ocean

Coming around the point at the end of Baja

Seals sun themselves above the surf

Pelicans posing

A large cave on its way to becoming another arch

Various sea birds wait for a meal

There were some decent swells running

The Pacific shoreline

The arch from the Pacific side

Other rooms in this gallery
[Click Links]

Airflights - Phoenix to Cabo to Phoenix
Abstracts – Shapes and Colors
Condos - The Time Share Condo craziness
Cruise Ships - Cruise ships that visited
Family Shops - Shopping away from the mall
Mall at the Marina - A trip down the beach to the mall
Pueblo Bonito Blanco - Our home for the week
Scenics - Land, sky and seascapes and some seabirds
Sunset Cruise - Our sunset sail around the tip of Baja

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico The Time Share Condo Craze

2008-11-06T16:18:00.000-08:00

THE CONDOS
The time share condo craziness

[click the photos to enlarge]

Since the last time we were here, about eight years ago, the time share condo craze has taken hold.
Massive construction projects are under way covering the hills along the beach with condos.
There are also many new condos which are already open.

Pueblo Bonito from offshore

A massive condo complex under construction

The condos spread down the beach as far as the eye can see

They are even sprouting up on the Pacific side

To the north of Cabo as well

One of the few open pieces of land along condo row

The condos tower above the beaches...

and surrounding shops.

Other rooms in this gallery
[Click Links]

Airflights - Phoenix to Cabo to Phoenix
Abstracts – Shapes and Colors
Cruise Ships - Cruise ships that visited
Family Shops - Shopping away from the mall
Glass Bottom Boat - Our daytime trip around the tip of Baja
Mall at the Marina - A trip down the beach to the mall
Pueblo Bonito Blanco - Our home for the week
Scenics - Land, sky and seascapes and some seabirds
Sunset Cruise - Our sunset sail around the tip of Baja

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico Mall at the Marina

2008-10-31T20:29:00.000-07:00

THE MARINA & MALL
A trip down the beach to the mall

[click the photos to enlarge]

On the second day we headed out along the beach to the marina.
Some of the massive condo construction can be seen in the background.

This guy nearly walked into me as he was checking out the bikini.

And the buff guys were out strutting too.

Not even 11:00 AM and the beer chugging contests are already in high gear!

The guy in green was the tequila dude. He worked at the bar and challenged the winners of the chugging contests. He also carried a bottle of tequila in his holster, slugging a shot with his opponent before they chugged their beers.
We never saw him lose.

One of the two big hills we had to climb going and coming from downtown.

Obviously they have no OSHA here!

Coming down the second hill we arrive at the marina...

where we find Jerry Garcia.

The walk along the marina.
According to the condo agent we had breakfast with this is the richest marina in the world.

The marina is surrounded on two sides by the massive three level, indoor/outdoor, Puerto Paraiso Mall.
The mall features high end clothing and jewelry stores along with most of the American fast food giants such as Subway and Burger King.
There is also an inexpensive taco shop that can't be beat!
Shrimp Pastor tacos - yum yum!

The staircase in the center of the mall.

The pond and fountains.

Even the parking structure is massive.

Other rooms in this gallery
[Click Links]

Airflights - Phoenix to Cabo to Phoenix
Abstracts – Shapes and Colors
Condos - The Time Share Condo craziness
Cruise Ships - Cruise ships that visited
Family Shops - Shopping away from the mall
Glass Bottom Boat - Our daytime trip around the tip of Baja
Pueblo Bonito Blanco - Our home for the week
Scenics - Land, sky and seascapes and some seabirds
Sunset Cruise - Our sunset sail around the tip of Baja

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico Cruise Ships

2008-10-30T07:13:00.000-07:00

CRUISE SHIPS
The ships that visited

[click the photos to enlarge]

Every morning we awoke to a new cruise ship parked offshore. They would arrive overnight and leave again by evening.

We postulated that this ship included an indoor ski hill!
(The sloped structure running from the stern to midship.)

Other rooms in this gallery
[Click Links]

Airflights - Phoenix to Cabo to Phoenix
Abstracts – Shapes and Colors
Condos - The Time Share Condo craziness
Family Shops - Shopping away from the mall
Glass Bottom Boat - Our daytime trip around the tip of Baja
Mall at the Marina - A trip down the beach to the mall
Pueblo Bonito Blanco - Our home for the week
Scenics - Land, sky and seascapes and some seabirds
Sunset Cruise - Our sunset sail around the tip of Baja

Cabo San Lucas Pueblo Bonito Blanco

2008-10-29T18:34:00.000-07:00

THE PUEBLO BONITO BLANCO
Our home for the week

[click the photos to enlarge]

The room.

The view from our balcony.

Sunrise view the first morning.

The large building in the middle is City Club. It is like a Costco or Sam's Club.
We walked there the first morning and for $2.50 got a one day pass to get bread and lunch meat etc. to save on the food bill. It ends up being about a ten block walk since the condo exit is to the right about a block out of the picture and the entrance to the store is on the opposite side, right end, but you have to go around the left end to get there.
In that walk we were hit up about six times by "Condo Sharks" offering tours to sell us condos - two before we were out of the parking lot. They even came after us while we were having dinner in the restaurant the first night.

The stairs to the beach.

The view from our beach.

The beach paddlers were actually a relief after the Condo Sharks.

Pueblo Bonito Blanco from offshore.
The pink condo to the right, most of which is hidden, is the Pueblo Bonito Rose, a sister resort.

The lobby entrance.

Some of the critters on the grounds.

The pool has a slight current and you can float around in circles all day.

Cilantro's, dinner on the beach.

Upon first look I was shocked by the prices, then I realized that was Pesos. Just move the decimal one to the left.
Still we had fun pretending we were High Rollers, as if it really was dollars.

Our room is the one on the right just below the round hole - top floor.

From the lobby.

Other rooms in this gallery
[Click Links]

Airflights - Phoenix to Cabo to Phoenix
Abstracts – Shapes and Colors
Condos - The Time Share Condo craziness
Cruise Ships - Cruise ships that visited
Family Shops - Shopping away from the mall
Glass Bottom Boat - Our daytime trip around the tip of Baja
Mall at the Marina - A trip down the beach to the mall
Scenics - Land, sky and seascapes and some seabirds
Sunset Cruise - Our sunset sail around the tip of Baja

Cabo San Lucas, MexicoAbstracts

2008-10-21T19:38:00.000-07:00

ABSTRACTS
Shapes and Colors

[click the photos to enlarge]

Must have been the Tequila!

Out our back door.

Other rooms in this gallery
[Click Links]

Airflights - Phoenix to Cabo to Phoenix
Condos - The Time Share Condo craziness
Cruise Ships - Cruise ships that visited
Family Shops - Shopping away from the mall
Glass Bottom Boat - Our daytime trip around the tip of Baja
Mall at the Marina - A trip down the beach to the mall
Pueblo Bonito Blanco - Our home for the week
Scenics - Land, sky and seascapes and some seabirds
Sunset Cruise - Our sunset sail around the tip of Baja

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico SCENICS

2008-10-20T20:30:00.000-07:00

SCENICS
Land, Sky and Seascapes, Wildlife

[click the photos to enlarge]

Several sunrise views from our balcony.

At sunrise the sport fishing fleet heads out into the Sea of Cortez.

Another sunrise view from our balcony as a cruise ship sails in for the day.

The sunset can also be dramatic.

The tip of Baja at sunset.

The arch is silhouetted by the sky at dusk.

The moon our first night was spectacular, as was the moon rise.

The lights of Cabo San Lucas.

One of the myriad of birds raising a cacophony every morning, making it impossible to sleep late. (But then I would have missed those sunrises!)

Lover's Beach lies in the distance.

Lover's Beach - through the gap is the Pacific Ocean where the beach is known as Divorce Beach.

Pelicans perch on a rock with some of the condo sprawl in the distance.

This pelican blessed me by flying through the frame at just the right time.

Various seabirds perch on a rock pinnacle while watching for a fish dinner.

A beach leading into a large cave is exposed at low tide.

The tip of Baja.

We saw each of these boats on both of our boat rides.

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Old Slides

2008-09-17T21:42:00.000-07:00

The following is collection of photos from 1976 - 1982. All were scanned from the original Kodachrome 64 35mm slides. Except as noted, all photos were taken with a Canon F1 35mm SLR camera with a Canon 50-135mm zoom lens. The Contax 3A camera noted here is a split image range finder type, circa 1948. This was my first 35mm camera and one of my favorites. It was stolen in a home break-in.
Since these slides were old and difficult to scan because they were no longer perfectly flat, the image quality suffers upon enlargement, but I felt they were worth putting up anyway.

The Mission Market fire. This building was to open the following day as a huge indoor flea market. By the time the fire was done only the exterior air conditioning ducts remained standing. The concrete block walls had all collapsed.

Lighthouse at the north headlands of the Golden Gate.
[Contax 3A, Zeiss 50mm lens]

Golden Gate.
[Contax 3A, Zeiss 50mm lens]

This one's for Agent 99 - wildflowers along Hwy 20 near Clearlake, CA.

Seedling growing out of stump.
[Canon F1, 400mm lens]

In 1982 several friends and I set out across the deserts east of Bakersfield...

as I returned to the Grand Canyon.
In 1976, on our way to California, my girlfriend at the time and I spent four days hiking from the rim where this photo was taken to the opposite rim, emerging during a blizzard at the higher land to the left of center in the background. The trail winds down the cliff then out onto the flat area in the foreground. From there it winds down the wash to the right of the point and down to the river below. After crossing the Colorado River it runs up along Bright Angel Creek in the large side canyon running from near center and off into the distance angling slightly to the left. The Colorado itself runs right to left, hidden in the canyon which lies in the foreground cloud shadow.

The trail Sally and I took in '76 on the way down to the river.

Leaving the Grand Canyon, heading towards Pariah Canyon, we pass the Little Grand Canyon.

Petrified sand dunes frame the entrance to Pariah Canyon in southeast Utah.

Another view of the petrified sand dunes at the entrance of Pariah Canyon.

In the the side of one of the hills we found these foot holes forming a staircase...

leading to this wind carved feature in the cliffs.

At first glance the floor of this feature seemed only to be covered with stones until we realized the stones were all pottery shards from the Anasazi Indians. (Notice the many different colors and the patterns on the light gray piece near the bottom, just right of center, and the darker gray piece above it.)

I was taking a photo of a lizard on one of the old corral logs here when I stepped on the tail of a six foot Diamond Back Rattle Snake. Hazard of viewing the world through a view finder! A very fortunately placed bush took the strike instead of me. I'm not sure when I have ever been so terrified! (The staircase, pictured above, is on the "Glacier" looking area beyond the foreground cliffs)

One doesn't have to travel far into Pariah Canyon before you are engulfed in shear rock walls. In some places the canyon folds to one side or the other blocking the view of the sky.

Hiking companion Gregg near the foot of the above slot canyon.

I broke in those hiking boots in a hurry on that trip!

Another road trip I took found me coming down out of Kings Canyon to the shores of Lake Isabella...

then out of the mountains into the desert valleys to the east before...
[Canon F1, Vivitar 400mm lens]

heading north on Highway 395 past Mt Whitney... (Bogie made his last stand in those large granite flakes on the mountain to the right, in the closing scenes of the movie "High Sierra")

and the High Sierra...

then up over the pass west of Mono Lake...

ending in Yosemite Park.

This is Pepper. I got her as a puppy from the dog pound. She was the most mellow of all the puppies they had, a terrier mix I was told, eight weeks old.
When I got her home I found she couldn't eat yet - almost drown in a bowl of water. I had to bottle feed her for three more weeks, by which time she was bigger than any terrier I had ever seen. She topped out at 135 lbs - I called her a Horse-Terrier. A Great Dane - Yellow Lab mix is the closest guess of her true liniage. What a great dog she was.

Until it became overrun with people, this was our favorite camping spot on Crooked Lake, about 20 miles west of Truckee in the Sierras. This photo was taken on our Honeymoon. 45 minute exposure.

I spent a chilly night on top of Twin Peaks to get this photo of the sunrise over San Francisco.
[Contax 3A, Zeiss 50mm lens]

Another of my favorite subjects - old rusty things!
[Contax 3A, Zeiss 135mm Lens on extension tube]

Molokoff Diggin's - an old Hydrolic Mine site in the Sierra Foothills. These mines were eventually shut down since the gravels were washed down into the Sacramento river, filling the natural riverbed thus causing flooding in the Sacramento Valley.
[Contax 3A, Zeiss 50mm lens]

Self Portrait in an old ramshackle house near Molokoff. My knee is up in the air and I have a pensive look on my face because as I stood there I had a board nailed to the bottom of my foot. I stepped on it getting into position - anything for the pose!
[Contax 3A, Zeiss 50mm lens]

Grass Blades.
[Canon F1, Canon 50mm lens - reversed, on bellows - image on slide 1.5x life size]

A tiny wasp on a grass stalk.
[Contax 3A camera with Zeiss 135mm lens and extention tube]

New Years weekend, Dec 31, 1976, a friend and I went camping at the middle fork of the Feather River just upstream of Bald Rock. We ended up trapped in a blizzard for five days. Upon making it back to Sacramento I found I had been fired for not calling in. As if there were pay phones or something there in the canyon three miles from the nearest road. This photo is from near the top of the canyon.
[Contax 3A, Zeiss 135mm lens]

Having no job, I returned to the canyon and lived the next six months in this old mining cabin at American Bar.
[Contax 3A, Zeiss 28mm lens]

A partial rainbow in the mist at Lake Clementine Dam. This dam was built to collect sediments washing down the north fork of the American River upstream of what was once to become Auburn Dam. Seismic concerns put an end to construction.
[Contax 3A, Zeiss 50mm lens]

A storm breaks up over the middle fork of the American River.
[Contax 3A, Zeiss 50mm lens]

The sun sets over the Sacramento Valley.
[Canon F1, Vivitar 400mm lens]

To Jenner and Beyond

2008-07-07T20:00:00.000-07:00

Leaving the big city and bustle of Interstate 80 behind, my elder daughter and I head out to take her for the training session at church camp where she will be volunteering for the rest of the summer.
The camp is nestled in a valley of the coastal range in a beautiful grove of Redwood trees.
As we head down Highway 12 into the Napa Valley the Marine Layer of cold moist air encases the hilltops in a shroud of low clouds. Entering the valley is like taking a step back in time. Life seems simpler, less hectic, troubles seem to melt away.

[click photos to enlarge]

The giant wine press guy works diligently, oblivious to the traffic, at the entrance to Napa Valley Wine Country.

This detail and the following one are from a previous trip to Napa last March.

Descending from the Highway 12 Napa River bridge, a left turn at the gap in the Eucalyptus trees heads us toward the coast.

The vineyards cover the hills to the horizon and beyond.

A vintner's estate - one of several along the way.

One of many scenic spots along the way.

An old farmstead along the way.

Some times the road seems to launch into space...

Or into the clouds.

The rolling hills southeast of Petaluma.
That yellow directional sign between the three power poles is also on our road.

A beautiful pastoral setting enhanced by the fog.

Heading north on Highway 101 it's a short hop from Petaluma to our turnoff at Cotati.

One last hill to climb before we leave the highway for the steep winding roads through the coastal mountains and valleys. We're getting close and the anticipation is growing.

In the town of Graton migrant workers line up for day work at the vineyards and other agricultural endeavors in the area.

The Bohemian Highway winds through dense forests as it follows Dutch Bill Creek.
My daughter's camp is just ahead.

Having dropped her off I now have eight hours to myself - time to explore. My first stop will be Monte Rio on the Russian River.

The the Russian River bridge at Monte Rio.

Although it appears to be a lazy little river, the Russian river can in fact turn into a monster in a matter of hours when heavy winter rains fall over the coastal mountains and valleys.
[Photo Credit: Russian River Historical Society]

A few artsy-fartsy things.

A plant grows from a crack in the bridge footing.

A hotel, tucked into the hillside, overlooks the river.

I want this yellow house!

A lone kayaker enjoys the early morning tranquility.

Canoes and kayaks await the crowds.

The Russian river widens...

As it winds to the ocean just beyond the distant hills

At last, the Pacific Ocean...

And the Sonoma Coast.

Goat Rock. My wife's brothers once challenged each other to climb to the top.
Coming back down was another matter. They had to be rescued.

The hillsides rise abruptly from the ocean along the Sonoma Coast.

The restroom building at Goat Rock is dwarfed by a rock outcropping.

Looking over one of those precipitous cliffs. That bump on the edge of the cliff's shadow - just to the left of the high point in the middle - is my shadow.

Wildflowers abound. To survive the driving winds they grow low to the ground in a tightly matted community of various plant species.

Bees were also in abundance.

If cars could fly!

Some other views of the Sonoma Coast near Jenner.

The river - visible on the far right at the foot of the hills - is blocked by a sand bar at low tide.

The town of Jenner hangs on the hillside above the Russian River near its mouth.

Jenner

A fog bank rolls in adding an air of mystery.

The weather couldn't have been better. Seventy-three degrees with a light wind and gentle surf. I've been here before when it was about sixty-two with fifty mile per hour winds and thirty foot swells which is more typical of summer time when the interior valley is in the one hundreds.

Like so many logs, sea lions line the beach of the Russian River where it meets the sea.

Bring a helicopter if you want to collect driftwood here. (For size reference click to enlarge and you will find a person sitting on the rock just to the right of farthest log.

A gull waits for a morsel to wash up on the surf.

Does it bite?

Many interesting shapes, colors and textures can be found in the flotsam left at low tide.

This gull waited patiently for me to slip and slide over the seaweed covered rocks to take his picture. In fact he gave me several poses with this the best.

Leaving the ocean behind I head back inland several miles to Pomo Canyon.
At the bottom of the canyon is Willow Creek, one of the last tributaries to the Russian River before it reaches the ocean.

Upstream Willow Creek disappears into the distant hills.

A thin veil of smoke hangs in the air, encroaching from the fires near Big Sur, some 150 miles to the south.

Downstream the hills taper off until they drop to the Russian River.

An old barn along the road yields a number of possibilities.

Standing strong against the ravages of time.

Most likely it was majestic in its day, with many head of cattle lined up at the feed trough.

One of my favorite subjects - old rusty things.

I can't imagine what this was for.

A door, still in its frame, angles as in a whimsical playhouse.

Other sheds on the property were too overgrown to access.

Next my journey took me to the Armstrong Redwoods 2 miles north of Guerneville.
Here, with the forest canopy reflected in its glass cover, is a brief history of the Redwoods with a plea to help preserve them.

Relatively young Redwoods dwarf the ranger station and cars in the parking lot.

Several photos with hikers to give an idea of scale.

A car squeezes between several trees.

Nighttime fog condenses on the trees and drips to the floor providing for lush growths of moss and ferns.

With the lowest branches 100 feet or more above the forest floor the Redwoods soar to dizzying heights.

Several spots along the trail amidst some of the larger trees.

A wheelchair path wraps around the trunk of a large Redwood.
This particular trail features a guide rope along one side and plaques in braille for the visually impaired.

A dry creek bed turns into a salmon breeding habitat in the spring.

A couple walks amidst a young grove of Redwoods.

One survival scheme of the Redwood tree is to produce multiple trunks from the same root stock. The younger shoots eventually replacing the older trunks.

A young shoot sprouts at the base of a large tree.

Here is an example of the Redwood's ability to survive fires. A large burn scar is in the process of being healed.

If only we could find a commercial use this plant we could solve the California fiscal crisis. Prolific throughout the lower elevations Poison Oak flourishes in most environments. Contact with the plant can causes blistering, itching rashes which can become significant in sensitive people. It is however quite photogenic.

Poison Oak can take on many forms, from a low ground cover to tree-like shrubs. Here in its vine form it climbs to 60 feet or more up the trunk of a Redwood.

The tallest tree in the grove is the Colonel Armstrong. This sign gives the details.

Colonel Armstrong tree - this photo took 3 seperate images merged together to capture the whole tree.

Leaving the coast and forest behind we get several last looks at the vineyards stretching to the horizon.

A vintner's estate glows in the blush of the late day sun.

Shadows from the setting sun accentuate the textures of the rolling hills.

The Hwy 12 bridge over the Napa River return's us to a more hectic world.

With the setting sun behind us, one of Sacramento's high rises glows pink in the distance. (Bumpy road blurring.)

The Sacramento skyline signals an end to the journey.
[All photos by Bluebear2 except where noted]

Smoked Out

2008-06-28T12:22:00.000-07:00

The fires all around northern California this past week have left a pall of smoke hanging in the valley making it difficult to breath. Burning eyes and throats have been the norm.

The smoke obscures the ridge outside my office window.

Thursday afternoon outside my house.

The sun at noon on Thursday.

Sunset Thursday.

Maui 2004

2008-05-25T21:20:00.000-07:00

[click photos to enlarge]

The grounds of our hotel.

One of the interesting palm trees on the hotel grounds.

A detail of the palm tree.

A lizard looks for his next meal.

On the road to the summit of Haleakala Volcano.

Socked in by clouds Haleakala Volcano was mysterious, as only small bits of the crater floor could be seen through the clouds.

A portion of the opposite rim juts through the clouds which fill the crater.

The observatory atop Haleakala Volcano

BB2 and Mrs. BB2 atop Haleakala.

Flowers everywhere!

One of many flowers - this photo is the base from which I created "The Thing" which can be found in the Manipulations post here at the gallery.

A Calla Lilly after a light rain.

A Protea flower - these only grow in certain locations about halfway up the side of the Haleakala Volcano. The size of a softball they are truly amazing.

Another Protea

Maui where the hills rise steeply from the ocean.

A cruise ship which moored offshore.

The Banyan Tree in Lahaina. A single specimen with multiple trunks, it covers an entire city block.

The main trunk of the tree.

Beneath the Banyan Tree - The orange tentacles are root structures which will produce new trunks.

One of the trees many trunks.

Lahaina street scene - a portion of the Banyan Tree is on the left.

Heavy surf kept us out ot the water.

The full moon sinks in the west as sunrise is imminent.

Early morning clouds hang over Lanai.

Daybreak from our balcony.

5:00AM pastel sky.

The setting sun paints the sky with vivid colors.

Distant thunderheads glow in the light of the setting sun.

A freighter heads into port at dusk.

Our plane waits to take us back home.

All photos BB2

Manipulations

2008-04-26T15:02:00.000-07:00

[click photos to enlarge]

All photos BB2

Lake Mildred - Oregon House, CA.

2008-04-04T21:43:00.000-07:00

[click photos to enlarge]

All photos BB2

Happy Vernal Equinox

2008-03-23T16:59:00.000-07:00

[click photos to enlarge]

All Photos: BB2

Marking the 5th Anniversary of Shock & Awe

2008-03-20T09:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I attended a protest against the Iraq War held on the fifth anniversary of George Bush's escapades in the region. What began as "Shock and Awe" has proven to be just plain awful. Based on lies and doctored evidence we were dragged into this quagmire by Bush's personal vendetta against Saddam Husein as well as a desire to control the worlds second largest oil field. In the process nearly 4,000 American Soldiers have died, thousands upon thousands have been wounded. Of those wounded many are dealing with a life of physical and emotional scars which will never heal.

Blogging about it for a year and a half somehow soothed me enough so as to feel I was doing something. While I was always on the front lines of the protest movement against the Vietnam war it had now become easy to let others stand on the corners with their placards, while I drove by honking and waving a peace sign in support.

Recently I have been moved more towards direct action. Email solicitations from Moveon.org asked me to sign up to attend the candle light vigil being held at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Sacramento preceded by an anti-war demonstration.
The thought of attending kept bouncing around in my head until yesterday morning as I was looking at the piece of foam board sitting in the corner of my room.
Suddenly it occurred to me it would be perfect for a protest sign.

I was off and running, digging through all the downloaded photos on my computer, printing them out, cutting them up and pasting them onto the foam board. A grape stake and some duct tape to attach it completed the sign. After a couple of slivers the handle was also wrapped with duct tape.

First I headed downtown to another protest I had heard about, but upon arriving I found that the rechargeable batteries for my camera had gone bad. In the time it took to make the preliminary settings on the camera the freshly charged batteries had already died. Fortunately I have a charger that works in my car, so wishing to take pictures later, I decided to forgo the demonstration at the Capital and instead get new batteries and get them charging for later.

That was the first battery snafu. The second occurred when I arrived at the later protest, parked and walked six blocks to the event only to discover the dang batteries were still in the charger in my car. Not only did I exercise my rights, but my legs as well!

The Sacramento protest was held at the intersection of Howe Avenue and Fair Oaks Boulevard during the afternoon rush hour from 4:30 to 6:30PM. This is one of the top 2 intersections for traffic volume in the Sacramento region.

Early arrivals set up at the North East corner on the Grassy Knoll.

These folks are occupying the South West corner. No one seemed to stay there long. Mostly folks rotated through it to keep it occupied. Perhaps it was the EMF from the high tension power lines overhead driving them away.

Set up on the South East corner, these folks were...

...lost in a sea of cars.

Another view of the SE corner.

The crowd has grown at the Grassy Knoll.

Another view of the Grassy Knoll. The long horizontal sign holds the image of a coffin for every American Soldier killed "in action" in Iraq.

Military Families Speak Out.

Early arrivals take position at the North West corner on the Un-grassy Knoll...

...the crowd grew as the afternoon progressed.

A flowery peace sign fits the season well.

This gentleman took to directing traffic down the right path to peace.

We even had our own band, although they were often drowned out by the honking horns.
We had a very good reception in those regards. A few one-finger salutes were thrown at us but there was a definite predominance of people honking their horns and waving peace signs at us. We even had folks driving up asking where to park so they could join us.

What it's all about...

...the flip side of that sign.

Upon arriving at the church after the protest we were greeted by this huge luminary peace sign.

Foreign Exchange student from Kabul Afghanistan, Wafa Sultani, along with Teach Peace and Encina High School created the luminary peace sign, using over 700 luminaries, one for each five US soldiers killed in Iraq.

A number of organizations were set up on the patio with various hand outs and petitions to sign.

More of the hand outs.

One of the signs at the hand out displays.

Military Families Speak Out were represented at the vigil...

... as was the Spiritual Progressive Movement.

I've been saying this for over 40 years now!

The Reverend Doug Kraft, pastor of the church, spoke of the costs of the war. He compared what a month's worth, a weeks worth and a days worth of the war cost could do if used domestically.

Music and songs were a part of the ceremonies.

A portion of the standing room only crowd which filled the church.

More of the crowd.

This lady spoke of the rigged elections, referring to Beverly Harris and recommending Black Box Voting to everyone as a resource to investigate the issue.

This Veteran spoke of the wrongness of the Iraq war.

Murial Strand who is running for Mayor of Sacramento also spoke against the war.

This gentleman spoke with a fiery passion, asking the questions "Why are these people still in power?". "Why have they not been hung as traitors to our country and Constitution?". And "Why have they not been brought before the Hague as war criminals?".

This Vietnam Veteran spoke directly to Congresswoman Doris Matsui (who was not in attendance) and chastised her for not being there. He also lit into her for not following the will of her constituency by ignoring the issue of the war and voting with the status quo.

This lady spoke of her son lost in the Marines. She spoke of the dreams she had for him. Dreams that were taken when, unable to decide what he wanted to pursue in life, he became easy prey for the recruiters on his high school campus.

She finally broke down, unable to finish her statement.

Samira Al-Qazzaz was born and raised in Iraq. She moved from Baghdad to the US in 1963. Having just returned from a trip to Iraq she spoke of her peaceful childhood in contrast of the daily terror the people there now live under. The real terror of bombs and missiles, not the phony terror of alerts based on "unsubstantiated intelligence reports" and conveniently released Osama Videos. (Ever notice how those reports always seem to coincide with some Bush administration screw-up that needs to be buried?)

Bill Durston, also a Vietnam Veteran is running in California's Third Congressional District against rubber-stamp Republican Dan Lungren. Bill spoke of the war and his call for immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq.
I spoke with Bill at a fourth of July event two years ago and found him very receptive and easy to talk to. Unlike other politicians I have talked with over the years he gave direct answers to questions and seemed to be quite honest. He was very interested in my discussion at that time about the rigged voting machines and the privatization of our elections. I only wish I lived in his district so I could give him my vote.

This young lady spoke of her 18th birthday and how she was enlightened by the people in attendance, then sang several folk songs with her guitarist.

Due to a light rain the candle light vigil was held indoors.

Upon leaving we were greeted by the luminary peace sign...

...as the full moon shines above.

A short video - see if you can find the blue bear - hint: 60's.
The first person to properly Identify BB2 - what I'm wearing or time stamp - wins an Obama Bobble-Head Doll and a Hillary Clinton Whoopie-Cusion! (Unfortunately the author of the video has seen fit to remove it from YouTube.)

SPONSORS:
Unitarian Universalist Society of Sacramento
UUSS Ted's Web Group
Sacramento Area Peace Action
Peace in Precincts
Teach Peace Foundation
Sacramento Progressive Alliance
Progressive Student Alliance - California State University Sacramento
Faculty for Peace and Justice - California State University Sacramento
Children's Hope
School of American Watch - Sacramento
Coalition for Democracy in Haiti
Sacramento for Democracy
Grandmothers for Peace
Because People Matter
Physicians for Social Responsibility
Good Shepard Independent Catholic Community
Brahma Kumaris Meditation Center
Sacramento Spiritual Progressives
United Nations Association - Sacramento Chapter
Move On - Sacramento Council
Operation Democracy - Sacramento
Amnesty International - Sacramento Chapter
ANSWER Coalition
United for Peace and Justice

Plus a special thanks to the Sacramento Bee newspaper for filling their front page with a photo of Wafa Sultani setting up the luminaries and giving me his name as well as that of Samira Al-Qazzaz the Iraqi lady who spoke at the vigil. (Next time I'll remember to bring a pen and paper for such purposes.)

A note about the photos:
All photos were taken with a Fuji Finepix S5000 digital camera. All shots were hand held. The outdoor photos were shot at ISO 400 and 3 mega-pixel resolution. The indoor and night shots were done at 1 mega-pixel resolution to allow an ISO of 800. Even at that speed the exposure times ranged between 1/4 and 1/8 second, hence some blurring is apparent.

All Photos: BB2