San Luis Obispo in the Dark

I’ve been wanting to photograph San Luis Obispo after dark. This evening I took a walk with my camera and a tripod and found a vantage point from which to shoot. The stars were bright and dramatic. I programmed several different long exposure settings. Here are some of the pictures.

San Luis Obispo at night.

Downtown San Luis Obispo at night (with a longer exposure than the previous picture).

This one was with a very long exposure. A light was moving slowly on the peak across the valley, which is visible in the center of the photo.

San Luis Obispo at night, with a light in the distance.

From where I was standing I could sense the ridge behind me as I was photographing the city. It was looming in the shadows, barely perceptible. But I knew it was there. So I opened the aperture all the way on my camera, set the shutter speed around 60 seconds, and shot the darkness. The picture surprised me. The ridge is very visible.

The ridge behind me, shot with about a one minute exposure.

When I looked south toward the outskirts of town a tree was in my field of vision. This area was also pretty dark. I decided to try another long exposure shot.

Southern San Luis Obispo lights in the distance.

Now I need to get back to work.

Last Moments in Avalon

Today I packed up and left Avalon after spending a glorious long weekend there with family. It was a good weekend to listen, talk, and think. After loading up my car to leave I took one last walk on the beach. The path to the beach leads through a buffer forest and sand dunes.

Walking through the dunes.

When the tide went out it left creatures behind on the sand. This weekend was prime horseshoe crab beaching season. I’ve never seen so many of the armored curiosities before. Thankfully they died a rather scentless death (I’ve been at the beach when other creatures washed up and died en mass and the smell was staggering).

A deceased horseshoe crab.

Another departed horseshoe crab.

I saw clusters of aggregated shells that made me curious. They contained many shells stuck on other shells.

The curious shells.

Seagulls on the beach watched me with concern. Their paranoia was unfounded unless they were hesitant to be photographed. I never noticed how well many seagulls blend into marked sand before.

A bird matching the landscape.

I walked to a pier. Near the pier small birds fished in exhausted waves. I watched them for a moment, then suddenly sprinted toward them. I took this picture on the dead run (I had to straighten and crop it).

Birds by the pier at low tide.

During my walk I saw some people in the distance, but I did not pass anyone in close proximity. In the fall Avalon is quiet and beautiful. I love the slight chill in the air, brightness of the sun, crashing of the waves, and feel of the sand. The beach in the fall is calming to me.

Coast to Coast

October has been crazy. Crazy in a mostly good kind of way. I’ve been very busy.

I spent part of last week on the central coast of California for a job interview. After a few days by the Pacific Ocean I flew east, arriving in Avalon, NJ to spend a long weekend at a beach house with family. It has been a weekend full of great conversations, food, and fun. Here are a few pictures I took recently by the sand dunes and buffer forest beside the ocean.

Grasses on the sand dunes.

Sassafras celebrating the fall.

Euonymus americanus capsules, mixing pink and orange.

Beautiful poison ivy.

More poison ivy, looking exceptional.

I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating. The Jersey Shore is wonderful in the fall.

Every Day is a Winding Road

I’m still in a season of waiting. I think active waiting is far more bearable than passive waiting, so I’m staying busy. Right now I’m working part time at Behmerwald Nursery, writing and editing manuscripts, preparing for interviews, and compiling job application documents. Yes, every day is a winding road.

I’ve been savoring this autumn. Today after work I photographed a few of the plants at the nursery in all their fall glory.

A Northern red oak (Quercus rubra).

A hirsute oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia).

A vibrant hybrid witchazel (Hamamelis x ‘Diane’).

A dapper Dart’s Duke viburnum (Viburnum x rhytidophylloides ‘Interduke’).

A Quickfire panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Bulk’).

A very red shasta doublefile viburnum (Viburnum plicatum f. tomentosum ‘Shasta’).

And I took a low resolution self portrait with a Japanese stewartia. The stewartia will look amazing in a few weeks; it is one of my favorite fall plants.

Green stewartia leaves–soon to be red and orange.

 

A Weekend at EvenSong Dell in Upstate New York

This weekend I took a trip to Otego, New York with my Aunt Faith and a friend to visit EvenSong Dell , which is owned by friends of hers. EvenSong Dell is a rental house in upstate New York. It sits surrounded by fields and forests. A glorious place to hike, think, and be refreshed.

The EvenSong Dell house in Otego, NY.

My room at EvenSong Dell.

The kitchen at EvenSong Dell.

On Saturday some of us went on a short hike. Albert Camus declared: “Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” And he is right. The deciduous forests in New York are entering their showiest season. The colors were spectacular even though the day was a bit dreary.

A panorama I took during the hike.

The path winds through a field of goldenrod and into the forest.

Foliage on the other side of the field.

The fields of goldenrod were impressive too. A few purple asters were mixed into the fields, being very noticeable due to their reluctance to conform to the yellow dress code.

Asters with a backdrop of goldenrod.

Many trees were in the process of changing leaf color.

A multicolored maple.

I really enjoy walking through the woods.

Bark, moss, lichen, and leaves.

An independent red maple leaf.

Two maple leaves that appear to be friends.

I stopped by one of the ponds on the property to take a few pictures.

Maple leaves in the water.

Reflections on the pond.

Moss by the pond.

A fern near the pond.

It was a very nice weekend full of conversation, stories, thinking, eating, hiking, and reading.

If you’re looking for a beautiful, quiet place to stay in upstate New York check out EvenSong Dell.