October 27, 2013: Pumpkin Carving with Kevin!

 Fruits of our labor!  Kevin's is the big one on the left, mine is the small Modigliani inspired one on the right.  You can't tell so well from the photo, but his has 3D features. I went with a focus on line...

Note my pumpkin socks.  Sweater is from Santa Fe. Very toasty.

October 16, 2013:
Goats on the Way to Work, near Sutro Towers San Francisco
with my co-worker Marina

October 13, 2013:
Black Diamond Mine East Bay Regional Park with Kevin

Clicking for larger images is definitely recommended                                   for these detail-rich shots!

Landscape Upon Arrival

Yours Truly in the Landscape

Manzanita Trees

Windmills in the Distance

Inside the Mine

--the boss' office

Coal Car

Something was attached here...

 Kevin looking funny in a hard hat. (My turn is down the page...)

Coal Shoot

These circles are fossil evidence of sea worms that once burrowed tunnels in the sand.

These marks are from old time equipment, not a prehistoric saber tooth tiger.

The marks in the ceiling are from ocean waves.  We were standing UNDER the sea floor, or what was the sea floor in geologic days gone by...

My turn to look funny in a hard hat!

Most of the mine workers were Welsh.  So if you click for enlarged images, you will see Welsh names and place names on the tomb stones.

Slag can create such lovely forms!

Bidding farewell to the park at a time of perfect shadows...

August 31, 2013:
Rattlesnake Bar State Park 
(near Sacramento)

First we went to a persimmon farm!   --Otow Orchard: http://www.otoworchard.com/   The persimmons were not ripe yet, but we bought some very tasty tomatoes, figs, pears, and peaches.  We spent a long time talking to the husband half of the farming couple.  He was originally from Western PA, near Pittsburgh. Small world!

August 17, 2013: 
Chabot East Bay Regional Park with Kevin