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Eight cars at the gate and the ranger was late. I think instead of squeezing in front of the gate with the one or two smoggers who don't turn their cars off I might just pull into the Pantoll parking lot when I arrive on the early side. Better yet, just leave home a few minutes later.
I guess it must be spring break because there were tons of early arrivals this morning.
Everyone seemed interested in watching the rising sun, but I had a hunch the photography would be better out the other way.
I'm not sure I was right about that, but it was probably a pretty great morning no matter where you were. Way out in the distance in this view, you can just make out where my home is buried under a blanket of fog. Even in the wind, it was shorts-and-t-shirt weather in the mountain sun.
So the sky lupine are out. Among the lupine I also saw lots of individual ladybird beetles, a flower spider, and numerous plant bugs. It's kind of humorous to try to get your camera close to a flower spider or a plant bug and have them see you and run around to the other side of the stalk or flower. Like that will save them.
The wind came up very fast this morning, making it impossible to photograph most of the wildflowers around the Serpentine Power Point.
Instead of doing focus stacks I just went old school, firing off single frames.
Along with the sky lupine, the lizards are back out.
This tail-less one might already have had a run-in with a predator.
I wish I could have found a bobcat that was as cooperative with a photographer as these fence lizards.
I didn't have a lot of time to hike around, so I just poked around near a couple of pull-outs. It was kind of a random morning.
Back in San Francisco I was just a block from home when I drove past this guy smoking a cigarette. I thought his dog had gotten away from him and was cantering down Ortega Street in front of my car. It took about one second to realize the dog was actually a coyote! It headed downhill on 11th Avenue, creating a bit of excitement for me and a neighbor who was out walking his dog. The coyote headed down the sidewalk toward a small boy who was pushing his scooter up the hill, but crossed the street long before the boy even noticed. I think the coyote took a right at Noriega Street, perhaps trying to get back to the other side of Laguna Honda.
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