Sierra Sublime Blog

The Sierra is a magical place. You can say it is sublime. To truly get the most from this magical place if you are there a lot and you meander through it slowly. I have the luxury of doing both and this blog is designed to visually share my adventures.

Operation Santa Status - A Success

Christmas Day has come and gone.  All the presents have been opened and the Christmas Ham/Turkey/Tri Tip is now just delicious leftovers.  I thought it would be appropriate to give a final status to this year's Operation Santa. 

For my first time I consider this year's Operation Santa a raging success.  It did what I expected but delivered benefits even more than I thought possible.  My expectations were simple, help some folks in need and try to bring back the joy of toy shopping like the days of old when the kids were younger.  

When you tally the results, my local Operations Santa reached "Organizational" (Arlo Guthrie Alice's Resteraunt) status by having a total of three families participating in the giving.  My thanks go out to Ralph Nunez and the Konecnys for joining in!  Together we helped six families have a better Christmas and hopefully realize that there are others out there that care about them.  

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The Joy of Christmas Trees

I love Christmas trees! I am not alone nor am I the first to feel this way. Christmas Trees have a long and interesting history. Here are some of the highlights.

The evergreen tree was an ancient symbol of life during the cold of winter. Romans decorated their houses with evergreen branches during the New Year. Ancient inhabitants of northern Europe cut evergreen trees and planted them in boxes inside their houses in wintertime.

There was a legend that when Christ was born, every tree miraculously shook off its ice and snow and produced new shoots. Christian missionaries preaching to Germanic and Slavic peoples were taking a more lenient approach to per-christian practices—such as evergreen trees. These missionaries believed that the Incarnation proclaimed Christ's lordship not only individual human beings, but cultures, symbols, and traditions could be converted.

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Don Henley was Wrong You can go Back

In Don Henley's song the “Boys of Summer” there are the lyrics:

Out on the road today I saw a Deadhead sticker on a Cadillac.
A little voice inside my head said:
"Don't look back, you can never look back."
I thought I knew what love was.
What did I know?
Those days are gone forever.
I should just let 'em go, but

Well this last weekend I successfully looked back and came away with a smile. Forgive the long winded set up to this story but it will put in perspective how I “went back this weekend.”

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Update on Operation Santa

This is so cool. One of my friends, Ralph Nunez, read my blog on Operation Santa and wrote back to me. He offered to join in with me on my Christmas quest. He wrote "He was Feeling old and need some Christmas Spirit! So now, thanks to Ralph, two families are going to get presents for Christmas! When I wrote back to tell him he is in he responded with “Feeling younger already! “ Man I am getting that Christmas Spirit.

Now according to Arlo Guthrie in his Alice's Restaurant song....

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Quests in the Owens Valley are Fun

Over the years I have had fun with quests finding the Petroglyphs that are in the Owens Valley and the Tablelands. The first quest started with some photography friends; Paul, George, Kahlee, Nate, Dave, and some others. We were at a meet up in Lone Pine when I convinced them we should try and find the Petroglyphs near Keeler. We looked near and far and came up empty. Over the course of next few summers I finally found a ranger that gave me the clues that allowed me to find them.

You see most people won't tell you exact directions to where they are. If you are nice they will give you clues. That's it clues. Giving just clues are done for good reason. The Petroglyphs are treasures, looks into the past, some 6,000 years old. Some folks don't do well in respecting how valuable they are. They either vandalize them or put their own mark next to them to try and become immortal themselves. Sorry to tell them “Betsy and Mark 1983” will only get folks extremely mad and you will be cursed at for the next 5,000 years . So to find these sites you have to do your research on the internet and talk to people to get clues. Then you weave it all together to guess where they are. Finally, you have to go out and look.

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Santa’s Letters a Way to Make a Difference

Lately, I feel myself getting old.  Not just physically but mentally old.  I notice myself being crankier.  More and more the little things that use to create “Total Awesome Wonderment” (TAW) don’t as much anymore.  I need to fight the tide. Letters to Santa may be a start!

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Awesome Austin

It all started a few months ago on Facebook. Well actually, it all started over forty years ago at Busch Gardens, when I met a couple of very friends working at Busch Gardens. Kevin and Marek converted me from rock to country rock; groups like Commander Cody, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Charlie Daniels, and Marshal Tucker. There was one, Jerry Jeff Walker, who did a cover of “Up Against the Wall Red Neck Mother” that I have listened to for years. Not my favorite song of his but one that has good memories and good friends associated with it. I like a live version of it that at the beginning Jerry says “and this song is by Ray Wylie Hubbard”.

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Veteran's Day

A few years ago, after posting an image of a military grave site for Veterans Day in a post I got lectured by a friend who was a Vet.  He said Memorial Day is the day we honor those who gave everything in the defense of our freedom.  Veteran’s Day is the day we honor those who were demanded and willing to make the sacrifice but never had to. There is a difference between the tow and don’t mix them.  Veterans are passionate in what they endured and accomplished and we owe it to them to understand and respect the difference.

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Dia de los Muertos 2016

Over the last several years I have become big fan of Dia de los Muertos. I look forward to it every year. The celebration at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery is the reason this celebration of the Dead has won me over. At the Hollywood Forever Dia de los Muertos; the alters are awesome, the stories of the particpants are heartfelt, the costumes are off the chart. If that is not enough they have great food, beer and margaritas! Hell one year one of the alters had a full Mariachi Band! What a great way to spend a day.

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Of Frequency and Luck

Many have described the scenes in my images as incredible. They make the assumption that I planned out what I wanted to capture and hiked for miles to be at the right place and time to capture the scene. While partially correct, there are other factors that come into play. After per-planning the other top two factors I have found are:

Frequency – how often are you there. The more you are at a place the better your odds are to capture that special moment.

Dumb Luck – sometimes it comes down to just plain dumb luck (and always having your camera). You are doing something else and suddenly an incredible scene jumps up and bites you.

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Show ‘Em That Flat Penny

You see one of the cool things about Refugio is that there is an active rail road track just above the campground.  For years we would go up and put pennies on the track. We would come back later to find our flattened pennies.  You had to smile when you found that penny.  

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Fall Colors in the Sierra

I get depressed on the summer solstice. While it will still be warm for a few months the days start getting short. I keep fighting the coming of Fall as it is the harbinger of a time that I start work in the dark and finish work in the dark. Then comes the Fall colors in the Eastern Sierra and I fall in love with the season.

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Tom's Place

When we are in the Sierra we really enjoy visiting Toms Place.  The bar is a perfect local rustic dive bar you would find in small towns back east.  The bartenders we have come to be friends with, Jo Jo and Donna, are the best.  Great Margaritas and Bloody Mary. The food in the restaurant is delicious comfort food.

On Labor Day Toms Place has a Car Show and BBQ.  It makes for a fun visit and this year there were over twenty pretty "sweet" cars at the show.  The images below are just a sampling of the cars that were "in attendance."

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Lake Havasu Balloon Festival

Night Glow during Civil Twilight

Night Glow during Civil Twilight

We attended my first ever balloon festival.  Now we have ridden in a balloon before but never been to a balloon festival. People I know who have attended these events have all raved about them.  I have seen pictures from other folks and the scenes they captured were stunning.  Some friends invited us to go and we were excited when the date finally came around.  Heading to the event I had high expectations and a little bit of uncertainty on how well I would capture the scenes with my photography.  

The Havasu Balloon Festival event was both organized and chaotic at the same time. Weather dictates a lot on the "if" and "where" the event unfolds.  

  • Too windy and the balloons don't fly. That is what happened Friday morning and Saturday afternoon
  • Wind direction determines if the balloons launch from the balloon staging area or from someplace else.  This happened Sunday morning as the balloons took off from all over the place.

The event itself was also very laid back.  I had purchased our tickets and parking pass online and was going to pick them up at Will Call.  You reach the place you pay for parking before you can reach Will Call.  So in parking line we were wondering how that would play out.  In the end it was very laid back and trusting.  We got to the gentleman who was collecting the parking fee and we asked how we could get the pass we bought online.   He said just go ahead and park, go to will call, and put the tag on your car and waived us on.   Asking an additional question if we would get towed while at Will Call he said maybe but he had not seen a tow truck so far at the event.  Just for precaution my wife stayed in the car while I got the parking pass.

The event is very laid back in another way.  I have heard other balloon festivals restrict how close you can get to the balloons while they are inflating.  Makes sense as it gives the teams room to work.  Here there were no restrictions.  You could walk up right next to the balloons.  In fact, many of teams asked folks to come closer and see what they were doing.  That was very cool.

From a photographic angle trying a balloon festival is challenging.  You have scenes where the balloons are far away and you want a telephoto and the next moment they are right next to you and pushing the limits of your wide angle lens.  Trying to us HDR is challenging as the balloons were moving a rapid clip.  But overall I was pleased with the images I captured and have a better understanding when I go again.  Take a look below at some of the images I captured.  Let me know what you think.

The flame lit up the bystanders and you could feel the heat from a distance!

The flame lit up the bystanders and you could feel the heat from a distance!

The balloon named Outlaw drifts by overhead

The balloon named Outlaw drifts by overhead

Aurora Borealis stands out in a big sky!

Aurora Borealis stands out in a big sky!

Perfect splash down!

Perfect splash down!

A Flicker is where all the balloons light up simultaneously! It is quite a sight...

A Flicker is where all the balloons light up simultaneously! It is quite a sight...

Can't keep my eyes from the circling skyTongue-tied and twisted, just an earth-bound misfit, I - Pink Floyd perfect description for these tethered balloons! 

Can't keep my eyes from the circling sky
Tongue-tied and twisted, just an earth-bound misfit, I - Pink Floyd perfect description for these tethered balloons! 

The flame of the Spirit of St Louis entertains the crowd

The flame of the Spirit of St Louis entertains the crowd

Elevation II is the center of attention as it lifts off from a splash down

Elevation II is the center of attention as it lifts off from a splash down

Flame blast into the air as a balloon is being launched!

Flame blast into the air as a balloon is being launched!

The sky and balloon are competing to see who can produce the best colors!

The sky and balloon are competing to see who can produce the best colors!

The Elevation II performing for the crowd and making a colorful reflection

The Elevation II performing for the crowd and making a colorful reflection

Hope you enjoyed the images and maybe we see you next year at the event!

2016 Calendars

Last year I published calendars for Los Angeles and Italy.  I had so much success I am publishing three calendars this year:

  • Sierra - The Mountains are calling and I must go!
  • California
  • Lighthouses

All have wonderful color images that will provide enjoyment throughout the year.  They make great gifts. Especially if you have kids far away you can give them a taste of home.

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See Less Enjoy More

Vicki and I have the benefit of being up in the Sierra a fair bit.  That has taught us a lesson that many do not understand. There is great benefit and joy by taking the time to really know and enjoy one place instead of trying to see twenty.  We see so many vacationers jump out of their cars, take a quick look around, take a selfie, jump back into the car, and move on.  These are the folks Jimmy Buffett sings about in his song “Cowboy in the Jungle”:

The're tryin' to drink all the punches
They all may lose their lunches
Tryin' to cram lost years into five or six days
Seems that blind ambition erased their intuition

I believe that you can get way more out of a trip if you actually do less and soak in more of what you do see.  We went to Italy with some friends, we purposely did not try to see all of Italy.  We picked two cities and really got to experience them at an intimate level.  We took the time to wander the streets, shop at the local supermarket, and talk to the locals.  It made our trip so much richer.

My wife and I enjoy doing this when we go to the Sierra.  A lot of times we will bring a picnic and a bottle of wine and just sit by a stream or a lake and just soak it all in.  On our last trip, over the 4th of July, fate played its hand and “forced” us to stay in one place longer than we normally would.  We are so glad it did.  This day will remain special in our memory for years and years.

We were having a picnic at Lake Tenaya in Yosemite late afternoon.   It was gorgeous as the afternoon thunderstorm clouds in the distance were incredible.  

The puppies had gone in the lake and we went to get a towel out of the car to dry them off.  Without thinking we locked both sets of keys in the car. Oh and by the way there was no cell service so no AAA.  A lot of people would have been so stressed out they would have stopped noticing the beauty that was occurring around them.  Now don’t get me wrong, there was stress that afternoon.  Especially when it was after 7, getting dark, and the ranger gate on Highway 120 was closed.  Deep down though we knew we were in Yosemite; the rangers are great and it was the 4th of July weekend so there was probably a zillion people in the park. Eventually, just as it was getting dark,  a couple off duty employees who had been working the gate drove 15 miles out of their way to tell us they had gotten our message and a ranger would be by in a bit.    

In the midst of this crisis Mother Nature gave us an incredible multi-act play she calls a sunset.  The clouds and the lake completely changed their appearance every twenty minutes.  Everyone who stopped was stunned by the beauty, but we were the only ones that got to see the whole play.  Take a look and see if you agree with me that hanging around was worth every minute! 

Act I - Storm Clouds and Wind

Act II - Golden Hour

Act III - Still Waters

Act IV - The Encore

 

I think you will find this is not an isolated incident.  So remember Jimmy Buffett was right; cram less and enjoy more!

Roll with the punches
Play all of your hunches
Make the best of whatever came your way

What you lack in ambition
You make up with intuition

Plowing straight ahead come what may

One note that will make my fellow photographers smile and their significant others roll their eyes.  More than one these images were taken with the camera on a tripod by the lake with me triggering the camera with my remote while I was standing on Highway 120 trying to flag a ranger down.   When I thought the clouds or the color had changed I would snap another series.