Concrete and Metal

No curves allowed.

It's just metal and concrete.

A utilitarian installation

hidden in the corner

of a much grander edifice

(the Anaheim Convention Center);

but the counterplay

of repeating straight lines,

light and shadow,

in neutral shades of gray,

is appealing.

It draws you in;

makes you want to explore.

Taken 13 October 2010.

Colorful Georgetown Townhouses

This cheerful little row of townhouses in Georgetown (DC)

might surprise the original residents.

Ya think?

These structures are probably at least 150 years old.

Who could have expected a Japanese Restaurant?

The one in the middle is the most eye-catching, though.

Painted with at least four colors;

and I cannot make out the name of the business;

and,

what's up with the STOP sign?

One wonders.

Taken 19 November 2010.

Bucks at the Buffet

Local bucks line up

to take advantage of

the all-you-can-eat buffet

generously provided by nature.

All natural,

100% organic.

Taken 11 January 2012.

Fabric Pattern #13

Here is a delightful, whimsical pattern

found on the cushions of some of the

chairs in the lobby of Portola Plaza.

I kept hoping to find one of the fish

swimming in the opposite direction!

Taken 7 January 2011.

Following the lights...

Here I'm sharing a little bit of experimental light-play.

Mix a foggy, damp, grey morning

with various light subjects

and you get this effect.

I like the abstract nature

(is that an oxymoron?)

of this composition.

Taken 5 December 2012.

Front Yard Mushrooms

Of all the front yards

in all the world,

these mushrooms picked mine

to show up in.

They were tiny.

Their canopies no larger than a dime.

Nestled as they were

among the pine needles,

the eucalyptus leaves,

and the mulch,

they were real

attention-getters,

practically screaming out

in their squeaky imaginary voices,

"Me! Me! Take my picture!"

So, you see,

I couldn't help it.

The voices told me to do it.

Taken 16 December 2012.

Union Hotel & Saloon

Here is the not-to-be-missed

UNION HOTEL & SALOON

in Los Alamos, California.

Check your guns at the door!

On the ceiling!

These shots taken on 29 February 2012.

Cherry's #19

Taken 27 September 2009 at Laguna Seca Raceway, Monterey, California.

IN-N-OUT

"IN-N-OUT BURGER"

A west coast favorite

for sixty-five years.

Blue skies,

sunshine,

palm trees -

and the iconic

logo-sign -

how can we resist?

Liberation: Growing On Trees

Cruising along Highway 198

on our way to Los Angeles,

we came upon

a most unusual sight.

A tree festooned

with undergarments;

mostly brassieres.

This would be

considered

rather strange

no matter where

one happened upon it.

But

displayed as it was,

out in the actual

middle of nowhere,

literally miles and miles

from any populated

settlements,

and clearly the work

- the very intentional

and somewhat time-consuming

(no doubt)

work of humans -

looking for all the world

like a fraternity prank -

this nevertheless struck me

as a kind of 

Pop Art,

seemingly utterly crass

and devoid of any socially redeemable

meaning,

yet still proclaiming

multiple levels

of interpretation

and psychosocial

commentary.

Oh.

And here's

a couple of shots

of

"the middle of nowhere,"

too;

taken while standing

right next to

"The Bra Tree."

I could go on for quite a while about this.

Is this littering?

How were these garments collected?

What time of day was this art "installed"?

How did they do it?

What prompted (inspired) it?

Why here?

As you might gather,

this was a highly

irresistible

photographic subject.

A few parting shots:

Taken 26 February 2012.

Fog on the Bay

Returning from

a whale-watching cruise

on Monterey Bay,

the harbor greeted

us with this surreal

conjunction of

sea and fog.

It was like being suspended

in a timeless bubble.

Truly, it felt like

we might emerge

from the fog

to find ourselves

arriving at a

Monterey

that was either

a hundred years ago

or a hundred years hence.

Exhilarating

and eerie.

Taken 30 December 2011.

Blue Wall #5

There is a point

just off the center off this photograph

where the lines

of the wooden slats

converge,

creating a slight optical illusion;

and all the

several shades of blue

conspire

to soothe the eye

and brighten the spirit

even while the

straight lines

enforce structure,

the shadows hint

at pending darkness,

and the peeling paint

professes decay.

The clear blue sky

promises purity,

simplicity,

and perspective.

Ripples

Often

we are able to

sustain an outward appearance

of serenity and calm -

or at least of

relatively unruffled

tolerance -

even when

our gut is

churning

with uncertainty and doubt

or

roiling

in reaction to external

disturbances.

But sometimes

the inner ripples

find their way

to the surface

and our demeanor

betrays our inner battles.

The top photo

was cropped from the one

immediately above,

which is a picture of the water

and part of a pier

at Fisherman's Wharf

in Monterey, CA.

Taken 30 December 2011.

Monterey Sunrise

It's just water vapor

in the sky

reflecting sunlight

as our side of the earth

turns again toward

our local star;

and stately oaks

greeting the sun's "arrival"

cast in two-dimensional

silhouette

against the lightening

cyclorama

of the morning skyscape.

That's all it is.

But the bruised hues

of this daily performance

are never tiresome.

They are always

beautiful,

breath-taking,

heart-swelling,

peace-inducing.

Taken 10 November 2011, from my front yard.

Chair #9

OK.

Technically, this is not a 'chair.'

It is what is generally referred to as a 

'love seat.'

Not a lot left to love

about this particular seat, though.

I have to say,

even at the height of

what might have been some

kind of fringe definition of

popularity

for this fabric pattern,

I would have found it difficult

to build a well-decorated room

around this piece,

which, by the way,

was probably accompanied by at least one

larger 'sofa'

and possibly an armchair and

an ottoman

...

with pillows.

Um.

Yeah.

Look closer.

Perhaps this 'chair'

has finally found a suitable home

in the WILD.

Taken 8 October 2010.

Liz, Andy, Monterey

This pre-dawn shot

captures a striking banner

of Andy Warhol's "Liz" (1964)

gazing out across Fremont Avenue

toward El Estero Park...

from the outer wall of

the Monterey Museum of Art,

La Mirada gallery.

Taken 3 November 2011.

Fishhopper, Cannery Row

Tough to devise

a string of poetic verbiage

that could do this scene justice.

Let's just say

I'm blessed to live

in a wonderful place

where natural beauty

and talented people

have conspired to present

endless attraction and enjoyment. 

Taken 2 November 2011.

Abandoned #1

This is not a beautiful,

heart-warming photograph.

It might be soul-stirring, though.

And...

interesting

in terms of 

composition,

lines, texture;

even color.

It is post-modern

assemblage art.

But it was accidentally assembled

by anonymous hands

and the unpredictable forces

of nature.

Taken 7 October 2011.

Street Art #20: Custom House Angel

Here is one of several

hand-crafted angels

who preside over the streets of Monterey, CA,

every year during the

Thanksgiving to New Year

holiday season.

This one is solemnly playing

a cello overlooking the

Custom House Plaza.

The Custom House itself

is California State Historical Landmark #1;

the oldest government building in California.

This year maybe I'll get out there

and snap a pic of ALL

of the street angels.

By the way,

the vacero on the balcony

is a permanent resident of the

Custom House Museum.

Taken 31 December 2010.

Old School

A desolate training room

in an abandoned building.

Who knows

how many young people

spent time learning new things

in this room

before it was relegated

to its new age of artistic expression?

Taken 7 October 2011.

Hi-Tech Trash

Our technology has advanced so rapidly

that we now consider these types of circuit boards

to be mostly outmoded,

almost "vintage."

Disposable effluvia

of an era

that came and went

so fast

it cannot even properly be called an era.

Taken 7 October 2011.

Fabric Pattern #12

This is a deceptively simple pattern of repeating rectangles.

It manages to be soothing and unagressive,

but yet eye-catching and interesting at the same time.

The alternating shades of gray and brown

are presented in complementary tones

that are only a couple of degrees away

from blending seamlessly into each other.

The tweed-like texture

lends an atmosphere of classic, all-business integrity

while simultaneously hinting at the comfort and style

of one of grandma's handmade quilts.

It is both formal and familiar.

Taken 16 November 2010, Washington, DC.

It's A Sign

It's just a simple sign;

the only adornment on 

a big white stucco wall.

Who knows how many people

drive past it every day

and don't invest the tiniest

slice of time or ounce of energy

in taking notice, much less truly appreciating

the artistry and craftsmanship

that went into creating it

and installing it?

Like the people in our lives;

how often do we take a moment

to consider the factors,

the circumstances,

the successes and failures

and near-hits,

the dreams, hopes, ambitions,

that have made a person

who they are?

Affirm someone today

with a smile, a helping hand,

a word of encouragement.

Taken 7 October 2011.

Harbor Illusion

This cluster of boats at anchor

in the Monterey Harbor

makes an appealing composition

in itself,

and they disguise the fact

that the Coast Guard Pier

cuts a horizontal line

through the middle of the photo.

But almost dead center in the frame

is a transport vehicle

that at first glance 

seems out of place.

Taken 30 September 2011.

Stunning 'Shroom!

Can't put a name to this amazing

hunk of mushroom,

but it is truly remarkable

and eye-catching.

Taken 30 September 2011.