Hello Folks
I missed you guys..i have been gone for a few months..moving and taking care of some personal business..My camera and the wildlife i so dearly love is all that saved my sanity.. LOL
recently i went to my favorite spot for viewing the sea otters..and was rewarded with a view of a pair that were mating..otter mating seems very violent to me..the male will bite down on the females nose and hold on..then positions her for the act..it seemed to me he was drowning her and when he did let her up for air she was crying out..I had to use my 400mm and a tripod as all this was taking place quite far out in front of my position..but it was a real reward to see it.
I hope you enjoy seeing them as much as i loved capturing them

here he is approching her

 he is putting a move on her Here he makes his move and grabs her Now he has her..Damn that has to hurt Here he has released her Here he has released her As he swims off..is that a satisified smile on his face He releases her..i wonder what that little pink thing poking up is..:o)

many yrs ago durning my photograpy travels i came on this old Oyster farm at he time i called it the "Grapes of Wrath" oyster farm due to its run down appearence..i took many pics of the farm as it was then.
Then a few yrs ago it sold to a local rancher whos goal is to restore it to original condition.. for them it is a labor of love and a work in progress..they have spent a lot of money to bring it up to all commerical health codes..ther goal is to restoe it to its original production standars..ie..the larges oyster supplier for the west coast..Kevin Lunny the current family member who is over seeing this work is the only organic rancher in the area
He gave me some old photos of the original family to scan and put on a CD for him..We will eventual put all my pics onto a Cd for showing in the new retail store..

This is the founder of the farm Farm founders wife
this is what the farm looked like many yrs ago harvesting 75 yrs ago This is the harvesting done today Shucking oysters here they are sorting oysters be size These are the old seeding shed before tear down This is the beinning of remodling process These are the old seeding shed before tear down Farm flooded durning storm surge and high tide

Some feet are dangerous..some become useless..and other become protective
mean feet..useless feet..and protecting hand and feet

Yesterday i posted shots of the Queen Mary 2 entering the SF bay..today i will post some of the escort vessels that acompanied her..the security was high..with many SF police craft and Coast Guard..the thing that struck me as strange was the fact that all boats were overloaded and nobody was wareing life vests and no where near enough life boats or dingies... I got so many shots of the event it was hard to select the ones to post..Enjoy ..
One of the coast guard craft on patrol another coast guard vessel on patrol San francisco fire boat escort This is the fire boat escorting her in British vessel welcoming the Queen Coast guard heli escort A commerical fishing boat converted to an escort The USS O-Brian getting underway to escort the Queen the big and SMALL greeted the Queen SF police on patrol in watercraft There was a bounty of coast guard vessels patroling Another SF police craft on patrol

On sunday 2/4/07 i went to SF to watch the Queen Mary 2 enter the SF bay..she is the largest liner to ever come here and was on her 27 day of an around the world 80 day cruise..im not much into "big boats" but she was much bigger than i had imagined..and quite magnificent in her own right..there was an armada of vessles out on the bay to greet her..tomarrow i will post some of the various vessles if you guys want to see them..
She came in on one tide..then had to ancore and await another tide to be docked..the crowds to welcome her were HUGE some say 50 to 60 thousand..
This is her having just passed under the Golden Gate bridge..Here she is entering SF bay
Here she is much closer the bow of the Queen Queen ancored and waiting to get docked Another shot of her waitng to be docked  
This is her as she got closer..

This is a shot of her as she passed in front of me..its a bow shot..with alcatraz island prison in the background and a US Coast Guard heli above her..
These next two shots are of her ancored in the bay at night while she waited for another tide so she could be docked..
Ok dont want to bore you guys..tomarrow will be the vessles part..

This first shot is of a small creamic fairy i brought home from the Netherlans when i was there the back drop is my creation of lamp..candles and plants..close up of a porciln fairy i brought home from the Netherlands This one is of a catus in bloom..the flower was magnificent in its yellow color..the pedals were almost transparetDelicate catus flowwer..yellow in color.. closer look at yello catus flowermore catus flowers..this one is a brilliant RED  so delicate and soft Red catus flower with polen dustthis wild Iris was founf in a grove of redwoods not much sunlite getting in..i suppose thats why the pale blue instead of the bright purple it normaly is Pale wild iris living in shade of redwoodsI spotted this little ladie gathering necture from this small sunflower..it was neat to watch her go about her business that day Bumble bee gathering on small sunflower This wonderful flower was seen in a shaded grove of redwood trees too..i dont know official name...but the orange flowers were beautifulsmall ladie set in among the redwoods
Well enough for today..i hpoe you enjoy my tour of the forest and fields..i know i did..
see ya next time

Many of you have seen and heard my story of the pair of wild jays i befriended..they have been in my life for two full years now..i cant count the chuckles and belly rolls they have given me..especially when mom would come in an pester me by landing on my shoulder and pecking my head or pulling my hair if i dint give her the attention she demanded..this year she brought her young to my door..it wasnt long before they were following her in..at times i had a "gaggle" of Jays on my bed waiting to be fed..in the end she no longer allowed them in..they would sit in the trees and wait for my to feed them..slowly but surely they stopped coming..now it just her and the male..im looking forwad to this spring..maybe i can get a repeat of the joy they have allowed me to share with them..i hope you all enjoy my captures of these wonderful  creatures
    mom leaving with her babies diner here she is feeding Here is three of four waiting on fence squabling over who is next now to try a peanut got its mealworm on it own they are older now..i said good by this day

This guy was caught in a barbed wire fence..out in the middle of nowhere..I snapped this quick shot..then freed him..he ran off a few yards and looked back and "Mooood" at me..I wasnt sure if he was "blaming me" or "thanking me"  Caught in fence

In 2002 i made a trip to Germany to visit the "Bridge at Ramagen"..after landing in Normandy my dads unit..the Ninth armored div. went across Europe..France..beligum..Holland then into Germany..in 1945 the german army made its last stand at this bridge..What follows is the pictures i got while there..
1..this pic was taken from the west side looking east.. the "hole" in the wall was where the germans placed a large howizer and took out many tanks with it..then withdrew it into the interior of the caveThe east wall of the bridge at Ramagan 2..This is a pic of the towers on the west side..the walls were thick nd had heavy guns inside..The towers on west side of bridge 3..This is all thats left of the original roadway..I went there and sat under the bridge late in the night..trying to envision what it must have been like in 1944-45..this is all thats left of the crossing..west side Here is a plaque hornoring the guys who fought here..i still have my dads metal and purple heart received from his time hereA plaque hornoring my dads division This is the hotel we stayed in..very old and had been modernized ..right on the Rhine river and about 50 yards from the bridge  old hotel we stayed innext is a very beautiful work of art that accompanies and old church..all the stones were collected from the surrounding hills and along the river..really very beautiful.. made from stones and rock from the Rhine River This is the old church..is was supposedly built in the 13th century..destroyed by the romans the first time..then agsain it was badly damaged in both world wars..!2th century church
I have some wonderful pics of the interior of the church..art work on the walls and wood work carvings that were unbelivable..
Hope you enjoy these pics..

Hello Everyone
The following is a series of shots taken one early windswept morning..I have had quite a lot of comments on the few Otter shots i have posted..some of them are not the clearest  because i was using my 400mm with the extender and tripod..but i had a lot of fun that morning..they gave me a few belly rolls with their playing..

1..this guy spotted me as i set up the camera gearchecking me out 2..they soon ignored me and began playingSplashing and playing3..These two appeared to be discussing the rules of the game Social Interaction 4..The sun came out for a while ..this guy decided it was time to nap..Tired of playing..he naps 5..Planning his next moveJust visiting Now he has two friends inturpting his nap..No nap for this guy Just chattingSaying hello When nobody would play with him..he went to mess with the pelicansPelicans are fair game too This set is a little long..sorry for that..i just wanted to get them all in with one set..
thanks for viewing

Hello my friends..
Here is a few more shots of the things i have come across durning my hikes and outings..It seems i never set out to find any one thing to shoot..i just start out and things that catch my eye are what i capture for the day..very random at best

1..I found this old corn husker left under a grove of trees.. husker from another era 2..Remember the old church i posted..this shot was taken in the cematary behind it..i stood there wondering what had happened to family..lost with time 3..This little catus beauty was set down in the middle of her gurardians..an army of very sharp thorns..beauty awash in sea of thorns 4..Here i had been standing on a high rock trying to shoot some waves ..when i looked down is when i saw the two cute little faces..i call it .."the watcher being watched"..the watcher being watched 5..This old truck was found abandoned at the foot of a crumbling bluff..from the placement of the bullet holes in the windshield i didnt know if i should look in the front seat..truck found abandoned 6..Another small beauty found basking in the morning sunlite..another wild beauty
Enough for this time..hope you enjoy ..see you next time

Hello my friends
I have been going thru my files looking for something to post that would interest you..its hard to know what will tweak someones interestbut here are my selections for today..ENJOY
1..I call this shot the "time warp"..can anyone tell me what is is..?Time portal 2..This one is of  Blue heron on the bank of a frozen pondHeron on frozen pond 3..Here is a shot of  Blue Heron landing at a nesting site..Blue Heron landing at nesting site 4..Some of you have seen the shot of my friend on my knee..this one is of her when she is sitting on my bed..waiting for her hand outMy friend in for his daily hand-out 5..A grathering place for the Pelicans..i call it pelican rock..and yes the white stuff is pelican s***..it fun to watch them skid and slip on the goo as they landPelican rock..gathering area 6.. this is a piece of art work seen at the beginning of a road leading to a couples retreat..i call it "big Brother"..its made from and old world globe..broken mirror pieces..The all seeing eye
Ok..again enough for today..hope i dont bore you

1..This old chruch was built the first time in early 1800,s..the story goes that on the night it was finished and durning a celebration..they csaught it o fire and burnt it to the ground..turn of the century church 2..I came upon this old barn..abandoned long ago and left to the elements out lived its time 3..This is an old migrants home..it looks like when it was freshly built it might have been comfortable..migrants home 4..In one of my trips into Mexio i saw this old adobe..the walls were very thick..i suppose to keep out summer heatI came across this old adobe in Mexico 5..This old lady was so grand in her early days..now she sits abondoned and lonelybuilt in 1880 the land owner told me 6..Here is the most modern out house of its time..no family should have gone without oneno splinters in yer butt here
Well thats it for today..hope you enjoy viewing

Interesting challenge ..i searched my files and this is some of what i came up with

1. .while out hiking near an old cow pond..someone had left their line and hook laying on the bank..this turtle had grabed it..i picked him up and freed him of the hook..then set it free..
   
2. .Even the common "weed" has beauty of its own..how many times i have trampled it down by "not looking down"
   
3. .Durning a very low tide that had exposed a bag of cultured oyster this little pink starfish became exposed too..
   
4. .A preying Mantis i distrubed..the shot isnt that good cuz i had to hurry to get this shot..i pissed him off and he was on the move..
   
5. .Wild Iris..there are times in the spring when a field will be purple with these wild flowers...
   

Ok..this is my contribution for this challenge..i hope you all enjoy them.. hooked turtle Even common weeds have beauty star fish clinging to bag of oysters almost stepted on this little guy Very small wild Iris

Hello Again
I enjoy suferguy's captures so much..so i decided to search my files for a few shots of the surf along the california coast..these were either taken from beach level or from high on the bluffs were i find some of my wildlife shots..as you can see the beaches are deserted because they are on a national seashore and as such protected..as i have said before..the total isolation is what i seek..so this land is perfect for me..generaly just me and the various wildlife and the views like this..
Enjoy Surferguy...and all others also..
another view of the remote beach looking south The power of these waves are amazing looking down at deserted beaches breaking 10ft wave