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Saturday, December 31, 2011

Don't Ask Me How I Did This One!!!





Ok...so first I had a symbol show up in my f stop that I couldn't figure out...
Called Samy's and got that figured out...
But when I downloaded tonight's shots of
dinner with "the kids"...
somehow I ended up with this cool vignette!!!

But don't ask me how I did it...



Friday, December 30, 2011

Alpine Glow...






"What is life?  
It is the flash of a firefly in the night.
It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. 
It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and 
loses itself in the sunset."
Crowfoot


For more participants in Skywatch Friday, click here...

(the color is straight out of the camera!)

Thursday, December 29, 2011

All Ready for Winter...






"And finally Winter, with it's bitin', whinin' wind, and all the land
will be mantled with snow.
Roy Bean

Well...we've had the bitin' and whinin' wind...
but where's the snow???

This patch of snow was surrounded by dirt and dry road...
left over from our early snow in October...

(Having fun exploring v-e-r-y low light photography with my new camera!)

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

X Marks the Spot!!!






No...she's not proposing!!!
She was trying to take a photo while they were out on the ice on Gull Lake...
Last week a dog fell through the ice on one of Mammoth's Lakes...
and that ice is much thicker...today was warm...
the ice didn't look very thick...
but they made it back to shore ok...

Xtra glad no one fell through the ice...

For more participants in ABC Wednesday...click here!!!

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Playing with Low Light...






Using my old lens...and in v-e-r-y low light!!!

Tomorrow I'm venturing out to play...

With this one...I just had to join Ruby Tuesday...click here for more!!!

Monday, December 26, 2011

Grampa made Granma cry for Christmas...






Tears of Joy!!!
Dreams do come true!!!



A sample photo while I'm figuring it all out!!!

And my contribution to Macro Monday!!!

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Merry Christmas!






"Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind.
To cherish peace and goodwill,
to be plenteous in mercy,
is to have the real spirit of Christmas."
Calvin Coolidge


Merry Christmas to you all!!!


Saturday, December 24, 2011

Christmas Sparkles...





"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, 
and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful."
Norman Vincent Peale


On Wednesday, Petrea of Pasadena Daily Photo, asked the question 
"What part of the holidays do you revel in the most?"...

Christmas has always sparkled for me...



Friday, December 23, 2011

An Improvisation???





Do you remember a scene with Ryan and Ali playing in the snow?
Well, that was improvised."
Arthur Hiller


No snow...no clouds...just a whole lot of cold...
Had to reach back into the archives for this one!!!

For more participants in Skywatch Friday, click here...

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Is it a Jinx???


We had several early snow storms in October...



and many of us up here weren't quite ready for winter to set in...
sooooo....
did we jinx it when we said winter's coming too early???

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Comfort and Joy...





Comfort...


and Joy...


Ho, Ho, Ho!!!

Wishing you all a warm and comfy, joyful Christmas and Hannakah!!!

For more participants in ABC Wednesday...click here!

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

A Mammoth Education...





Learning how to ice skate in the new Mammoth skating rink!

Our granddaughter Kasey and darling girl Doris!!!

Monday, December 19, 2011

The Best Gosh Darn Fireworks Show Ever!!!


Mammoth Mountain Night of Lights 2011


Snow cats, snow mobiles, skiers...all lit with bright lights and 
dancing to the music...
lights dancing in the sky...


Taken with my Droid phone...


Sunday, December 18, 2011

Does a Bridge Need to be Stationary???






Bridging the way from the Zodiac to our Celebrity Xpedition...


Please visit the other participants of Sunday Bridges...

Saturday, December 17, 2011

A Dance of Light and Dark...





"Nature is so powerful, so strong. 
Capturing it's essence is not easy-
your work becomes a dance with light and the weather.
It takes you to a place within yourself."
Annie Liebovitz


Friday, December 16, 2011

Skywatch Friday in the Galapagos...





"When I admire the wonders of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, 
my soul expands in the worship of the creator."
Mohandas Gandhi





Thursday, December 15, 2011

Can't Leave the Galapagos Without Paying Tribute to....


The Iguana!!!

Marine Iguana, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

"Isn't he a handsome dude???

Land Iguana, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

The Land Iguana has a different coloring and isn't quite as prolific...

A whole heap of Marine Iguanas!!!

Group Hug!!!




Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

The Galapagos Coup de Gras!!!



Giant Tortoise, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

The coup de gras....the Galapagos Tortoise!!!
Isn't he a handsome devil (I think he's a he...)

These tortoise are the largest living species of tortoise...
some of the ones we saw were as big as 600 lbs!!! 
and can be even bigger!!!

This gives you an idea of it's size!!!

They're also one of the longest living vertebrates...
generally 100-150 years.

Records show that in the 16th Century there were upwards of 250,000 Giant Tortoises...
in 1970 records revealed the numbers had decreased to approximately 3000...

Because of substantial conservation efforts in the 20th Century,
the numbers have risen to over 19,000...
but they are still considered to be a vulnerable species...
Unfortunately, five of the original 15 subspecies of these tortoises
no longer exist...

Much of the conservation efforts takes place or originates from 
the Charles Darwin Scientific Center...






Monday, December 12, 2011

Puppy Love in the Galapagos...Sea Lion Style!!!



Sea Lions, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Sea Lions were almost as prevalent on the Galapagos Islands as the 
Iguanas!!!
And so many babies!!!  


For more participants in Macro Monday...click here...

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Bright Reflections...



JW Mariott, Quito, Ecuador

"A reflection of an exact image is the closest thing to you-so that you can see it-
but it's far enough away so that you really understand it.
There is real life in this movie, but it hovers just an inch above reality."
Wes Bentley

Friday, December 9, 2011

A Photographic History...





The clouds were the perfect backdrop to this fascinating exhibit of
early Ecuadorian photography...



For more participants in Skywatch Friday...click here...

Thursday, December 8, 2011

How About a BABY Blue Footed Booby???






Ahhhhhh!!!  

Sharon may be right...this is obviously a pre-pubescent Baby Booby!!!
Those feet haven't turned blue yet!!!


Wednesday, December 7, 2011

The Ubiquitous Blue Footed Booby...





Blue Footed Booby, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Yep...he's for real!!!

Undoubtedly one of the most Utterly Unique birds ever...


For more participants in ABC Wednesday...click here!!!

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Iguanas...or Sea Lions???



I opted for Sea Lions!!!




Papa Sea Lion was holding school for the young 'uns!!!

When travelling through the Galapagos you are assured to find
two species...without a doubt....
Iguanas and Sea Lions!!!
When we were there we saw Sea Lions everywhere...
everywhere we didn't see Iguanas!!!  

The Sea Lions were abundant...and many had babies...some as 
young as two weeks old...
These young 'uns were a bit older...
perhaps early Sea Lion Teenagers???

Monday, December 5, 2011

Welcome to the World Addison!!!


Introducing...





Our precious new granddaughter...Addison 
(and Mom Melissa too!!!)

11-30-11




Sunday, December 4, 2011

The Land that Time Forgot...



Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

I wasn't expecting the Galapagos Islands to be so reminiscent of 
a prehistoric setting...
After all, they're located at or near the equator...
I was expecting more of a tropical 

"If every one were cast in the same mould, 
there would be no such thing as beauty."
Charles Darwin





Saturday, December 3, 2011

Glimpses of a Blue Sky...Galap



Galapagos Islands Ecuador

We did a lot of skywatching in the Galapagos...
frequently looking for a break in the clouds and a glimpse of
a Blue Sky...


For more participants in Skywatch Friday, click here...



Friday, December 2, 2011

Guarding the Presidential Palace...



Presidential Palace Guards, Quito, Ecuador


They may not be the Swiss Guards at Buckingham Palace...
but they were quite impressive!!!




Thursday, December 1, 2011

Fabio...Ecuadorian Style!!!





This gentleman was selling his handmade jewelry on the bluff across from 
one of Quito's largest cathedrals...

Ramona was quite taken with him and called him "magnificent"...
TheChief called him the Ecuadorian Fabio and figured he 
gave the guys permission to oggle the beautiful women we saw...

No...I didn't buy any jewelry...but I thought about it!!!

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Take Time for the Music...



Street Musician, Quito, Ecuador


"I think music in itself is healing.  It's an explosive expression of humanity.
It's something we are all touched by.  
No matter what culture we are from, everyone loves music."
Billy Joel


Take Time to listen to the music...

While I'm Taking Time to meet our brand new Granddaughter!!!


For more participants in ABC Wednesday, click here...

Thank you for joining me in my most recent vacation pics...
the Galapagos Islands and Quito, Ecuador

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

A Rose is a Rose.....


Is an Ecuadorian rose...



"What's in a name?  That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."
William Shakespeare


Did you know that one of Ecuador's main exports are roses???



Monday, November 28, 2011

A Portal to a Another World...





These magnificent doors were not a church or a special building in Quito...
They seemed to be doors leading to somewhere special,
set in a regular cement building in the downtown...

For more participants in Portes de Lundi (Monday Doorways), click here!!!

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Reflections of Fall...






Reflections of Fall!!!
It really wasn't all that long ago that I took this one up by Silver Lake
on the June Lake Loop...


For more participants in Weekend Reflections...click here!!!