Because the weather forecast for Yosemite included scattered thunderstorms and sub-40 degree weather, I decided that trip will have to wait for another day. Instead, I "roughed it" all weekend at Camp Far West Lake with my good buddies Brett, Jordon, and Brianna. Roughing it entailed boating, swimming in the lake, playing ladder golf, barbecuing, listening to music, and telling stories around the camp fire. It was a terribly difficult few days in terms of survival. Bear Grylls could learn a thing or two from us. For sure.
We drove up Friday evening and stayed 'til Monday morning. During that span, I got some nice landscape shots and portraits. Lincoln, CA might not be as photogenic as Yosemite, but it was majestic just the same. Some of the pics are courtesy of my friend Brett.
My cat, Tony, was not happy that I decided to go camping without him for a couple days. After he got about a half hour's worth of meowing out when I got home, though, he was fine. While Tony might not have liked that I went on the trip, hopefully, you'll at least enjoy some pictures of the lake along with this cool synth tune: The Pass- Out of Hand
Camp Far West Lake. Our tents were set up right next to it.
Brianna's dog, Minnie
Jordon, Me, and Brett
Gotcha!
Illuminated by the firelight
No new pictures to add just yet, but I did want to start posting some galleries of my favorites from different places. I'm planning a trip to Yosemite this weekend, so I hope to bring back some good photos from there. It'll be my first time visiting the park. I'm excited.
Not much to say at the moment. Below are some of my favorites from San Francisco. Also, enjoy a tribute to the West Coast courtesy of my friend Elizabeth: Coconut Records- West Coast
The Travis Marina at sunset
Alcatraz
The Embarcadero
Golden Gate Bridge at sunset
Pelican in front of the city
Seagull in front of Alcatraz
Boats in the bay
Golden Gate Bridge at sunset
Pier 39
Golden Gate Bridge covered in fog
Alcatraz
Lots of cool architecture in San Francisco
Downtown San Francisco
So I was just surfing the internet yesterday afternoon around 2:30 PM, and I came across an article about the Annular Eclipse. I had heard some people mention it earlier in the week, but hadn't really paid attention to the details. Well, as I'm reading, I learn that there is a very specific geographic path that the eclipse is going to follow. If you happen to be in the direct path, you'll be able to see the "Ring of Fire" aka the coolest thing ever (or so the article suggested). Thanks to a handy time/location table, I discover that Reno, NV is right in that path, and the eclipse is supposed to be at its peak at 6:30 PM.
I'll be damned! How can I pass up an opportunity to go see this once in a lifetime wonder when Reno is merely a 2 1/2 hour drive away?! And I couldn't. I couldn't pass up the opportunity. So being the impulsive maniac that I am, I decided to grab my camera and start driving up to the biggest little city in the world.
Because I felt like kind of a loser for heading on such a lame expedition by myself, I called up my friend Brett who lives on the way in Sacramento. Using my persuasive charm, I convince him to join me on this sure to be incredible experience. At about 6:10, we decide to pull off the highway about 20 minutes outside of Reno. There was a good view of the sun, and a few people were already set up with folding chairs ready to view the eclipse.
As the time draws nearer to 6:30, we're both thinking WTF! There's no visible sign of the sun being obstructed, and my attempts to take pictures with my camera to see if it'll show anything different are blinding me. Thankfully, a nearby hippie interrupted me from destroying my eyesight to let me borrow her nifty eclipse glasses (basically like cheap 3-D glasses but meant for viewing an eclipse). And wouldn't you know it, I could see the moon passing over the sun. I passed the glasses over to Brett as she explained that at as the eclipse peaked, "The roosters will crow and the cows will moo!"
Hearing this news, my excitement starts to return. I might not be able to get a picture right now, but come 6:30, I'll have my time! So we wait until the moment of truth, and guess what. No roosters crowed. No cows mooed. In fact, the most noticeable thing was that the shadow of a nearby telephone got a little bit blurry. That's pretty sweet!
In any case, the trip wasn't a total waste. Driving up through the mountains is always fun. It's beautiful near Lake Tahoe. I've posted a picture from one of the vistas along with a photo that captures the isolation of the lookout point 20 miles outside of Reno.
This entry's song is a haunting tune that is truly beautiful. Hope you take the time to listen: Passenger - Feather on the Clyde
Lookout point in the mountains near Lake Tahoe
Cloud casting a shadow over rundown store