I was out last night shooting sunset pictures from the Marin headlands with an old friend. The views from the headlands can be spectacular although it's difficult to predict whether the summer weather will be accommodating. The fog can either be nonexistent or completely overwhelming. Last night I think it was just right.




In other news...
We finally identified and purchased an armoire for the living room. I had hoped to take pictures of it with the new sectional sofa or sleeper chair but BOTH are at least two weeks overdue! This is depressing, as dinner and a movie in my old folding chairs isn't quite as relaxing and comfortable as we both feel we need at the end of a day.


It's a lovely piece and we're both quite happy with it. Still, a sofa will be nice. Meanwhile...


Tonight we just got back from Linden Lane's annual block party. As much as Elizabeth and I both dislike parties – especially those in which we don't know anyone – we made an appearance. It was a pot luck and Elizabeth made an excellent couscous salad with Israeli couscous, toasted almonds, basil, mint, olive oil and cranberries. Also lemon squares. The couscous salad was a hit, one guy even coming up to tell us that it was the best thing there. The lemon squares... well, there were only two deserts there: both lemon squares. Ours and those made by a woman who had lived on the street for 43 years. Leave it to Elizabeth to go head-to-head with the local, on her home turf. Actually, it turned out to be a push. The other woman had better lemons (Meyer) but E's recipe and execution were better.

Last in this week's news: This morning Elizabeth got a membership to 24 hr Fitness. She assures me that anyone who knows her will appreciate just how newsworthy this is...

Weekend Roundup

The week is almost over and I'm just getting around to posting the report from last weekend's antics! So not very timely, but here it is...

Friday, late afternoon, we took a hike to explore some of the trails in the Marin headlands stemming from the Tennessee Valley trail head. Those hikes begin just about 4 miles from our front door – which is one of the attractions of Marin: we're so close to nature and seemingly far from the crowded bay area and San Francisco. The views are wonderful to be sure, but the county flower could very well be Poison Oak. It's everywhere in the spring and summer out here.

For some unknown reason we embarked on the most aggressive of the hikes, heading straight up through dense poison oak and over grown foliage. As we got to the top we (mis)read a sign leading us to believe we could do a pleasant loop, down the other side and along the coast. Since darkness was fast approaching we hurried down in – what turned out to be – the wrong direction, taking us further and further from where we needed to be. Once we realized our mistake we were about as far away from the car as we could possibly get, off of a real trail and with the mountain in the way. We ended up double-timing it back up and over and to the car, getting there just about sunset. We turned a 4 mile hike into about an 8 mile one! (Needless to say, Sunday we bought a map)


Those are my iPhone pictures of the hike. I lugged my camera out there but forgot to bring a memory card – camera but no film – so it remained, useless in the car. Elizabeth went back out there later in the week and actually brought her camera and came back with some really nice shots. I'm going to try to convince her to let me post one or two of them.

Saturday, after errands, we finally got around to hanging our humming bird feeders – one on the front deck, one on the back. The feeder off of the bedroom is one that I had bought for Elizabeth for her place in L.A. It's one of those that looks fancy and attractive... but evidently not to the humming birds. It never saw any action in SoCal but we hung it anyway. Evidently the Marin birds appreciate good design – it's had several visitors. Hopefully I can get some shots.

A Work In Progress

Originally uploaded by meatyokra

I'm still trying to get closer to this guy. He's not a particularly cooperative subject – super fast and skittish – but I'm working on it...Once I get the cable I need to attach a remote trigger I won't have to stand for 45 minutes, hiding behind a curtain.

Deck View

For those who haven't been around to visit (which, I believe, includes everyone) here is a 360º view of the the deck. You should be able to click and drag within the image to look all around.

So far I've not been allowed to show pictures of the interior of the house. Understandable, of course, as we still are not quite settled in. Unfortunately our ability to fully "settle in" is hinged on a few pieces of furniture we have yet to have in place. A sofa and chair/sleeper are on order and due towards the end of the month, and an armoire and bookcase still have to be acquired.

Ok, maybe I'll cheat and post just an image of the bedroom – I really like the "feel" of the room with the door to the deck open, allowing a cross breeze through the house.


Went on a short hike with my friend Del yesterday. Really more of an excuse to lug far too much camera equipment around Northern California (around Alpine Lake and dam, on Mt. Tam). Not much in the way of good pictures – just some typical views of the area, as seen from Mount Tamalpais. I've hiked and photographed this area many times before over the years. Only now I'm starting out much closer to the views by living here in Marin county...

Weekend Update

Not much to report from the past weekend. Might have been more to report had Elizabeth not miss connected to get stuck in Denver Friday night. That ate up a significant part of our Saturday. On Sunday, though, we did manage to make it to the San Anselmo Art and Wine Festival. We honestly did look at some of the art, however here you see us appreciating the wine.

A little later we had lunch in the little bayside Marin town of Tiburon – at a Mexican restaurant right on the water called Guymas. Of course everything in Tiburon is right on the water. And expensive. Such is Marin County.


Adding to the collection of "birds visible from our porch" I have spotted what I'm fairly certain is a Downey Woodpecker.


Lastly, in preparation for Elizabeth's father's 80th birthday party one of the "props" will be a life-sized cutout of Mr. Benson in his "leather head" football days.