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.

Cherry's # 18

Just... a very cool-looking

old Ford concrete-mixer truck.

Great colors.

Love the shape of the hood, fenders, grill.

Taken at Laguna Seca during Cherry's Jubilee

27 September 2009.

Hidden

Nature

playing shadow puppets:

gnarly oak branches,

clusters of leaves,

and breeze-touched spanish moss

cast against the gray cyclorama

of a foggy mid-morning.

You can see faces, animals, birds,

angels and demons

in these natural

lines and shapes.

Taken 13 September 2011.

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.