That 70s Guy

 

BB King, Norfolk, Virginia, ca. 1978

I waxed nostalgic last night after watching a couple of short documentaries on the photographer, Harry Callahan, whose initial interest in nature photography expanded over the years as he explored other subjects. So I thought I'd share some of my own humble beginnings in photography when I was in the navy back in the 1970s, and later in the '80s when I was a reporter and photographer at a couple of small-town daily papers, the Davis Enterprise and Sonora Union-Democrat.

Chicago Street Musician in the Winter

My friend Jo-Jo at Frank-N-Furter, Norfolk, Virginia

I came across this group of young soldiers as I was wandering around Haifa, Israel, while on liberty from my ship, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, which had only recently been commissioned, and which is currently operating in the Red Sea. 

Blacksmith, Naples, Italy

Bicycle with revolutionary graffiti in Naples, Italy.

A couple happy guys after a special Halloween meal at the Santa Barbara Rescue Mission on Stearns Wharf.

Truckers

Wood Cutter

Guy in asbestos abatement suit.

Working in the Cold and Wet

Underwater Adventure

Jump Shot

Sports Choreography

Snowboarder Travis Yamada at Dodge Ridge, Sonora, California

Recumbent Bicyclist

Expressions of Magic

This young man could turn on the brightest smile at the drop of a hat. This was at a Fiddle and Bango Contest. And no, "Bango" is not misspelled.

Mandolin Merriment

I got the shot when he did this, and when I asked him if it was okay to print it in the paper, he insisted on it.

That '70s guy with his dad in Chicago, ca. 1976.

* * *

Waxies & Friends

 

Western Tanager at South Lake, Golden Gate Park

I pulled my bike off the road near South Lake to check out a boisterous bunch of cedar waxwings, hoping they would come down from the highest branches of the eucalyptus they seemed to be feeding in, when I spotted a western tanager on the sidelines. It's a rare pleasure for me to see such a beautiful songbird. 

As I watched the waxwings flutter high and low, always managing to keep a tangle of branches between us, the immediate area was bustling with hummingbirds, robins, sparrows, and even a pair of Pacific wrens. The waxies eventually massed together in their dozens and swirled off toward Middle Lake.

A huddle of waxies.

Cedar Waxwing

Three little babies wait for mom or dad to bring home the gopher bacon at Blue Heron Lake. Earlier on my bike ride I'd stopped where several people were staring at an adult GBH. Once I came to a stop I noticed it had blood on its beak and a lump in its throat. A pair of tourists confirmed that I'd just missed seeing it nab a gopher.

Family Time

I heard on KALW radio this morning that today, May 15, is Bring Flowers to Someone Day, so I took a couple of phone snaps while out for a walk.

There were lots of rhodies in bloom along the way.

Fog view on a windy and chilly morning at Golden Gate Heights Park.

* * *

Wind's Up!

 

Swell Time at Ocean Beach

I noticed the wind had picked up and shifted during my walk this morning, and I looked forward to checking out the relatively rare offshore conditions at Ocean Beach during my bike ride. There were fewer surfers than I expected to find on such an apparently fun day to be in the water. For us folks on the beach it was another matter, with sand blowing into eyes and mouths. Kudos to the beach-cleaning crew that went to work in the midst of it all.

Full house with terns, pelicans, dogs, and human.

Wind conditions at Ocean Beach around noon today.

I told myself I wouldn't photograph every great blue heron I saw, but I couldn't resist stopping on the way to the beach when this one strolled into a field of yellow flowers.

* * *

Great Blue Herons

 

GBH at Metson Lake

The great blue herons of Golden Gate Park seem to be out more than usual lately. I recently passed one hunting gophers in the thin grassy strip between the pedestrian path and the road, seemingly without a care about all the human activity around it. I didn't have time to stop and watch, but yesterday I was primed to stop at the first one I saw -- a beauty who flew out of one tree, sailed across the intersection of JFK and Transverse Drive, and landed in another tree.

They are definitely nesting at Blue Heron Lake, but I can't tell if any young have hatched yet. There are nests in the island trees near the boat docks, and also on the little island east of Strawberry Hill.

As I passed Metson Lake two days ago I didn't see any bird activity, but yesterday there were two great blue herons, a cormorant, a black-crowned night heron, and several turtles on the branches of the fallen tree.

Beautiful GBH in breeding plumage.

Two pairs of red-tails in flight eluded my camera's autofocus, but this youngster was placidly on lookout on one of the Murphy Windmill blades.

The California poppies, as well as the bees who visit them, are loving all the sunshine.

I think this was a first for me -- a western fence lizard in Golden Gate Park. This one was basking in the road on MLK not far from the windmill.

I don't know what all the ruffled feathers are about, but while the other GBH rested nearby, this one was constantly on the move and occasionally raised its head up and croaked, or pointed it down and clapped its beak.

A couple of turtles basking on the Metson Lake windfall.

Antsy GBH on the move...

...and striking a pose.

* * *

Pier 39 Sea Lions

 

Sittin' by the dock of the bay, wastin' time.

One of my nephews is graduating from law school on Friday, so my sister and her husband are in town, staying at Fisherman's Wharf (which apparently has the most reasonably priced -- i.e., not $800/night -- hotels). I wish we had a guest room at our place, but even if we did it would probably be filled with art stuff. 

Anyway, despite being surrounded by chowder bowls and fried seafood we managed to find pretty good veggie sandwiches for lunch at the Boudin Bakery, then mosied on down to Pier 39 to visit one of the biggest crowds of sea lions I've ever seen hauled out on the floating docks there. Apparently they've been drawn in by huge numbers of anchovies. On the way to the pier we watched a lone sea lion who'd caught a crab as he chewed it up while gulls hovered overhead hoping for scraps.

Even though I'm home now, I can still hear the barking and belching of all those huge animals, and the smell.... You know how the smell of cigarettes gets in your clothes if you've been around smokers? It's kinda like that. And the wind was blowing it right onto us with enough force to create whitecaps on the bay.

Full House at Pier 39

Ah, the life.

Still wet and gleaming.

Territorial Tussle

Statuesque Sea Lion

Scritchin' and Scratchin'

Brown pelicans at rest on the edge of the bay.

King of the Docks

Snoozing with a belly full of anchovies.

A brief clip of the bunch.

* * *