Casa de Fruta Pick-up

This old red pick-up truck

makes for an appealing display

inside one of the shops

at Casa de Fruta,

a popular way-station

on the west side of Pacheco Pass

between I-5 and Hwy 101

along California's Central Coast.

What I didn't notice

when I took the picture

was that unknown lady's

bare leg

in the bottom left corner...

Taken 28 August 2011.

A Study in Light and Shadow

Looking a lot like

angry eyes, nose, furrowed brow,

this abstract photograph,

stark with geometric simplicity

and subtly shaded perspective

is a relatively ordinary shot

of a hyper-ordinary subject -

the portico of a building

past which dozens of workers

rush every day to make a living.

In the fuller original photo below

you can see the converging lines

of the post and headers;

and beyond the portico to the left

the amazing blue tone of reflected moonlight

on white stucco.

The optical illusions caused by the

play of light and shadow

with the straight lines

drawn to a central focal point -

that's what caught my eye.

Taken 14 January 2011.

Blue Wall #4

Something about

the condition

of the paint

draws the eye.

And

the shades of blue,

with a wedge of clear blue sky

rakishly adorning an upper corner;

then

the lines and the shadows,

especially all of those

straight, parallel lines

crowned by the single

curving line of the roof,

foreshadowed in miniature

by the vent-cap

just below the roof line...

plus

the three louvered vents

leaning into the frame

at opposing angles...

and the corner

formed by the two walls

coming together -

a focal point

that calls attention to itself.

Pleasing.

Taken 7 October 2011.

Deer on Break

I briefly,

very, very briefly,

considered titling this post

"Splen-deer in the Grass."

Clearly,

the restraint that kept me from 

typing that into the title field

was not sufficient

to keep that silliness

confined to my brain-pan.

While this is not

NatGeo-level

wildlife photography,

I was very pleased to capture it.

It is a restful, beautiful,

natural scene.

It makes me smile

and sigh.

Taken 11 January 2011.

Outcropping

This is what is commonly called

a rock outcropping.

Funny word - outcropping.

This photo takes my imagination 

in many directions.

I can almost see some kind of primitive face on this rock;

or it is a huge petrified shark fin;

or a finger...

an index finger pointing to the sky -

the "One Way" sign;

or the upturned rudder of an ancient ship...

Whatever.

It is the central focus of this photo,

but there are many other elements

lending interest to this composition:

the seagull in flight,

the purple iceplant blooming on the far bank,

the stunning blue sky,

the congregation of stone around the central monolith,

the green iceplant in the foreground,

waves crashing on the distant shoreline.

Overall,

a scene that beckons

with an offering of serenity

and peace.

Like holding a conch shell to your ear,

you can hear the sound of the ocean waves.

Taken 13 May 2011,

Pacific Grove, California.

Real Books!

A receding commodity

relegated to dusty back corners,

thrift stores, flea markets, yard sales;

an archaic oddity,

practically museum-worthy,

antiquarian,

quaint,

precious.

There is nothing like

shelves lined with books,

literary pathways

to every imaginable

time and place;

characters

to delight,

frighten,

enthrall,

tickle,

and

most of all,

to remember.

Imaginary friends

that become a part of you

for a lifetime.

Taken 12 January 2011,

Monterey, California.

Chair #8

Hand-set stone

beneath my feet

as I rest...

my weary bones,

my troubled mind,

my cornered soul.

Close my eyes

and breathe in deeply,

the scents of springtime blossoms

washed in morning dew,

and beneath,

an earthy base of soil

and rotting autumn leaves;

around the edges,

pungent sea air;

the persistent cries of seagulls

and the tattling sea lions

punctuating,

pulsating.

The sounds and smells

compose a sensory tapestry

that wraps me in a healing cloak

of creative Life.

A smile.

A nod.

And for these moments,

all is well.

Monterey Custom House Plaza,

taken 31 December 2010.