Old Door-Calvert, TX

On a recent trip from home to Nebraska, I passed through Calvert, TX. I stopped for a quick break, glanced right, and there it was, this beautiful old steel door just a few steps away! Who could resist, not me! Love finds like this.

Foliage, what Foliage?

On our drive to Mono Lake to photograph Comet Leonard we were forced to take a detour that took us a bit South of Lake Tahoe, and on the back roads we found these Aspen trees devoid of their golden foliage. The patterns and detail in the bare trees was just too interesting to pass up, so we took a few photos to see if anything looked interesting. So, I found this one interesting, and if you don't, that's okay too. LOL

Through the Mist 1

Also, along the detour we found mountainsides covered with low hanging clouds that were constantly moving along the slopes. All we needed to do was wait a few seconds and the scene would change almost too fast to frame the shot and press the shutter!

Through the Mist 2

Another view of the ever-changing landscape as the clouds, carried by the wind, moved through the tall pines. Dramatic, to say the least!

Serenity Revealed

We started out the morning as the sun began lighting the horizon at the Sand Tufa structures near the shore of Mono Lake. Our original plan was to photograph Comet Leonard, but the sky was a bit too bright by the time we hiked the short hike to put the Sand Tufas in the foreground, so no comet! Disheartened, we trudged back to the Jeep and started driving to Highway 395 on the exit road from Navy Beach. A few words of disappointment as we drove away; then a glance to the right, and wow, we saw this scene unfolding! We stopped, set up, and began photographing............... This is my favorite image of the frames I shot.
The cold stillness of the morning was disturbed only by the sound of our shutters clicking away as the sun peaked higher and higher in the sky. Chilly cold air went without mention until we packed up and were once again headed for our next destination, Yosemite NP!

Natures Best, Yosemite Valley

We had a long drive after a fruitless attempt at photographing Comet Leonard at Mono Lake and were pleased to see that there was still some color to be photographed in the Valley. We had an hour of sunlight left, so we quickly set up and captured a few images before the light disappeared and the chilly air set in for the evening.

Last Breath of Fall Color in Yosemite Valley

The snow let up a bit, so we drove to the area we photographed the day before and caught this scene. The light was perfect, and we had just enough snow falling in the background to make the trees and rocks interesting. Love this place!

Yosemite Valley Magic

Rick and I spent the night at the Lodge, and when we headed out the next morning, we were greeted by a fairly heavy snowfall. Usually, I wouldn't photograph when it's snowing hard, but this old tree in the Valley looked worth the risk. In retrospect, I actually like the texture the falling snow created in the image. I don't do very many B&W photos, but this was the perfect subject to bring out the mood of the moment.

The Test of Time 1

Fort Cronkhite is located adjoining two other WW2 forts just North of the Golden Gate Bridge. Their mission was to guard the bay area against enemy forces during the Great War. These old doors, now rusted and weathering, once opened into munitions storage caches and provided access to the large canons placed atop the knolls within the Fort that offered unfettered views of the coast and the entrance to the bay. Thankfully, they never fired a shot in wartime, but were used daily when the troops stationed there practiced loading and unloading the large shells to remain in a state of readiness.
If they could talk, just think of the tales they could tell......

Test of Time 2

The doors are welded shut; so, I can only wonder what's behind these rusty old relics.

Test of Time 3

These three doors were by far the most interesting thing we saw today. It's obvious that, even painted, the salty air from the nearby Pacific Ocean has had a profound effect on these once new and shiny steel guardians.
There are two more Forts and many more Battery's to be explored on our next visit to this remarkable bit of history by the sea.

Test of Time 4

A wider look at the building that makes me wish I could travel back in time to see how things worked and what the troops did everyday!

December Sunset 1

We ventured just North of the Golden Gate Bridge in search of photo opportunities, and after photographing remnants of the historic Fort Cronkhite, we noticed that the sky had definite possibilities for a great sunset. We weren't wrong!

December Sunset 2

It was getting chilly as the sun dipped below the horizon, but we hardly noticed the cold as we were transfixed on the magnificent contrast of the blue sky, the setting sun and the colorful clouds that were soon the be darker shades of not so interesting, grey.

December Sunset 3

I was able to zoom into the brightest part of the sunset with my NIKKOR 28-300mm zoom lens! The color is dramatic, and you can see the Farallon Islands on the horizon, some 26 miles offshore in the lower right-hand side of the photo.

Sunrise near the Red River, Texas side

I left the hotel in Ardmore, Oklahoma about thirty minutes before sunrise, and as I approached the border, I noticed that the sky was really turning into a gorgeous orange and blue color as the sun was just below the horizon. I found an exit off of I-35, parked and scrambled to the top of a rise just in time to catch a few photos before it was gone!

Captured a Panorama that shows how huge the array of clouds was from North to South!

Once was a Door

Another interesting wall in Calvert, Texas. Love this little town.

S marks the Spot

This old building in Calvert, Texas, had a number of these large S letters bolted to the walls all around the building. Not sure what this used to be, but I suppose it could be an abandoned lair that Superman once occupied!

Secret Door

Back door to Superman's Inner Sanctum! LOL.....

Down the Hill we Flow

The Big Thompson River flowing downhill from Estes Park, Colorado, through Big Thompson Canyon.

Down the Hill we Flow 2

A bit of climbing down and up the rocks that line the riverbanks along the Big Thompson River is what it takes to photograph these cascades, or just sit and enjoy a peaceful moment,

Cascade, Yosemite NP

Happened to see this cascade near the base of a waterfall, but we couldn't get the falls due to trees and terrain.

Rick at the Office

Not much to say, except we really enjoyed the chilly day photographing on the way to Mono Lake!