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French Bullfighting

Yesterday we attended a form bloodless bull fighting indigenous to southern France known as Course camarguaise. Long story short, it's an elaborate form of tag played between trained athletes. The athletes are both human and bovine and if you are human you don't want to be tagged by the bull, that would be bad. I had no idea this even existed but the bulls are very well cared for and seem to enjoy chasing the raseteurs (human athletes) around the arena. All in all it was an absolute amazing spectacle, from the agility and speed of the bulls to the outstanding athletic ability of the raseteurs as they flew out of the arena to avoid the bull. Each bull spent about fifteen minutes in the arena after which he trotted back to his pen, in some cases quite proud of himself. Here is a Wikipedia if you are interested: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullfighting#French
A raseteur leaps out of the area in a bloodless form of bull fighting known as course camarguaise.                           Buy print

Yesterday we attended a form bloodless bull fighting indigenous to southern France known as course camarguaise. Long story short, it’s an elaborate form of tag played between trained athletes. The athletes are both human and bovine and if you are human you don’t want to be tagged by the bull, that would be bad. I had no idea this even existed but the bulls are very well cared for and seem to enjoy chasing the raseteurs (human athletes) around the arena. All in all it was an absolute amazing spectacle, from the agility and speed of the bulls to the outstanding athletic ability of the raseteurs as they flew out of the arena to avoid the bull. Each bull spent about fifteen minutes in the arena after which he trotted back to his pen, in some cases quite proud of himself. Here is a Wikipedia if you are interested: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullfighting#French

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Sharing an Umbrella in Old Montpellier

The other day I was walking around the streets of old Montpellier in the afternoon. Is was a fun thing to do but towards the end of the day it started to rain. For most people that poses an inconvenience but for me it increases the possibilities for photos because of the reflections on the ground and reactions of people. Here I am walking back to a parking garage behind a couple of ladies sharing an umbrella. I ended up soaked to the bone but was pretty happy with some of the images. I was also glad I had a warm jacket in the car to change into.
Rainy streets of Montpellier France                                                                       Buy

The other day I was walking around the streets of old Montpellier in the afternoon. Is was a fun thing to do but towards the end of the day it started to rain. For most people that poses an inconvenience but for me it increases the possibilities for photos because of the reflections on the ground and reactions of people. Here I am walking back to a parking garage behind a couple of ladies sharing an umbrella. I ended up soaked to the bone but was pretty happy with some of the images. I was also glad I had a warm jacket in the car to change into.

Speaking of rain, I had this photo sitting in the hopper for a while. I was testing out a little plastic bag over my camera to use in the rain. So I went out to the front of my house and took pictures of the raindrops in the gutter. Maybe not as interesting as France, but fun nonetheless. Sometimes I wonder what the neighbors must think.

Big fat rain drop in the gutter.
Big fat rain drop in the gutter.

 

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Apache Junction

This was taken at a little western mining town in Apache Junction just outside Phoenix. Set agains the superstition mountains it's everything you'd imagine including a blacksmith and saloon. I wandered into the saloon not to sure what to expect and when the bartender asked , before I knew it I blurted out, "Whisky". I don't even like whisky but I was in the moment. So I took my whiskey to the porch to work up some courage and finally slung it back like a cowboy. As the fire alarms when off in my head I managed to pull out my camera and take a few pictures of the scenery. And that folks, was my little adventure in the wild wild west.
Apache Junction is below the Superstition Mountains in Arizona

This was taken at a little western mining town in Apache Junction just outside Phoenix. Set agains the superstition mountains it’s everything you’d imagine including a blacksmith and saloon. I wandered into the saloon not to sure what to expect and when the bartender asked , before I knew it I blurted out, “Whisky”. I don’t even like whisky but I was in the moment. So I took my whiskey to the porch to work up some courage and finally slung it back like a cowboy. As the fire alarms when off in my head I managed to pull out my camera and take a few pictures of the scenery. And that folks, was my little adventure in the wild wild west.
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Carmel Beach

Just before I returned home to Florida this week I took a drive down the Pacific Coast Highway (aka Highway 1). My first stop was here at Carmel Beach which is a beautiful strip that's overlooked by the Pebble Beach golf course. Despite it being a Monday there were quite a few people enjoying the last couple days of summer. This is a combination of two images, one in which I panned my camera from left to right along the beach and another normal shot of two people walking. It's a technique that I'm developing to convey a timeless feeling of a place. I was born and raised in California and every now and then I return to rediscover my home. Inevitably there are more things to see than time. Next trip I will probably return to the northern coast above San Francisco, but this southern section is one that has no parallel and one that, at least for me, is unparalleled.
The beach at Carmel California. This is a combination of to shots, one which I panned and one of two people walking along the beach. It’s a new technique I’m developing.

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Just before I returned home to Florida this week I took a drive down the Pacific Coast Highway (aka Highway 1). My first stop was here at Carmel Beach which is a beautiful strip that’s overlooked by the Pebble Beach golf course. Despite it being a Monday there were quite a few people enjoying the last couple days of summer. This is a combination of two images, one in which I panned my camera from left to right along the beach and another normal shot of two people walking. It’s a technique that I’m developing to convey a timeless feeling of a place.

I was born and raised in California and every now and then I return to rediscover my home. Inevitably there are more things to see than time. Next trip I will probably return to the northern coast above San Francisco, but this southern section is one that has no parallel and one that, at least for me, is unparalleled.

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Sunday at the Beach

While visiting San Francisco I found myself with some free time on a Sunday. I ended up here at the beach at Point Lobos on the western end of the city. With perfect weather it turned out to be a picture perfect day (pun intended). The waves are bigger and water cooler than back home on the gulf coast of Florida, nonetheless each has its own unique beauty. In fact, there was a pod of humpback whales that passed by. Everyone stood up and pointed to the spouts and flukes as they lumbered along. Later I walked along a trail and enjoyed a sunset at another remote beach not far from here. It's no wonder many consider San Francisco the most beautiful city in the USA.
Sunday at the Point Lobos beach in San Francisco.

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While visiting San Francisco I found myself with some free time on a Sunday. I ended up here at the beach at Point Lobos on the western end of the city. With perfect weather it turned out to be a picture perfect day (pun intended). The waves are bigger and water cooler than back home on the gulf coast of Florida, nonetheless each has its own unique beauty. In fact, there was a pod of humpback whales that passed by. Everyone stood up and pointed to the spouts and flukes as they lumbered along. Later I walked along a trail and enjoyed a sunset at another remote beach not far from here. It’s no wonder many consider San Francisco the most beautiful city in the USA.

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Pleasant Lake Sunset

Another sunset from earlier this year at Lake Pleasant just north of Phoenix. It's a good sized reservoir for being out in a desert. In any case, I lucked out this on this evening when the water was calm and the clouds perfect. Pleasant indeed.
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Another sunset from earlier this year at Lake Pleasant just north of Phoenix. It’s a good sized reservoir for being out in a desert. In any case, I lucked out this on this evening when the water was calm and the clouds perfect. Pleasant indeed.

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Pass-A-Grille

Pass-A-Grille is an odd name, I'm sure there's a good explanation; maybe I'll find out one day. In the meantime this is a quiet community just south of St Pete's beach in Florida. I'm standing here at the southern end on a Thursday evening. Little did I realize a WWII bomb was found here under the sand and today as I write this the beach was evacuated and the bomb squad detonated it: so much for being a quiet little community.
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Pass-A-Grille is an odd name, I’m sure there’s a good explanation; maybe I’ll find out one day. In the meantime this is a quiet community just south of St Pete’s beach in Florida. I’m standing here at the southern end on a Thursday evening. Little did I realize a WWII bomb was found here under the sand and today as I write this the beach was evacuated and the bomb squad detonated it: so much for being a quiet little community.

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Gasparilla Island Lighthouse

Today we took a little trip down the west coast of Florida to Boca Grande and Gasparilla Island. This lighthouse was built in 1932 and is long past it's prime. To be sure it's still sturdy enough to withstood hurricanes all these years. Anyway, I did my best to block out the sun with the support frame. The heat and humidity is pretty intense but within a few minutes there was a rain shower which momentarily dropped the temperature about ten degrees. Fifteen minutes later the rain passed and heat returned. A typical afternoon in Boca Grande.
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Today we took a little trip down the west coast of Florida to Boca Grande and Gasparilla Island. This lighthouse was built in 1932 and is long past it’s prime. To be sure it’s still sturdy enough to withstand hurricanes all these years. Anyway, I did my best to block out the sun with the support frame. The heat and humidity is pretty intense but within a few minutes there was a rain shower which momentarily dropped the temperature about ten degrees. Fifteen minutes later the rain passed and heat returned. A typical afternoon in Boca Grande.

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View from Jasper

Mountain lakes are peaceful first thing in the morning. On this morning I was lucky enough to get a few colors of the sunrise as well as the calm water. That's Mount Edith Cavell in the distance which has a big glacier that hangs precariously over a small lake. However there are no glaciers around this lake and so the water is clear without the typical aqua blue which is typical of glacier fed lakes.
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Mountain lakes are peaceful first thing in the morning. On this morning I was lucky enough to get a few colors of the sunrise as well as the calm water. That’s Mount Edith Cavell in the distance which has a big glacier that hangs precariously over a small lake. However there are no glaciers around this lake and so the water is clear without the typical aqua blue which is typical of glacier fed lakes.

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Coast of British Columbia

I couldn't get enough of the fog when I visited Ucluelet earlier in the year. However I doubt the mariners felt the same way, just makes everything more difficult all around. The fog horns, the buoy bells and what must be frayed nerves as the boats head to harbour. But I don't normally think about all that when I eat seafood. In any case, the cloak of mystery that is added to the landscape is unlike anything. It's no wonder they call it Super Natural British Columbia.

I couldn’t get enough of the fog when I visited Ucluelet earlier in the year. However I doubt the mariners felt the same way, just makes everything more difficult all around. The fog horns, the buoy bells and what must be frayed nerves as the boats head to harbour. But I don’t normally think about all that when I eat seafood. In any case, the cloak of mystery that is added to the landscape is unlike anything. It’s no wonder they call it Super Natural British Columbia.

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