Sacramento Holiday Lights
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Merry Christmas!
I joined Grant and Donna from the Northern California Photography Group (NCPG) Meetup Group to shoot holiday lights around town. We first went to the neighborhood at 53rd & S Streets and were wowed by the display there. I’d not been to that neighborhood before, but it’s well worth the trip–all the neighbors there get into the spirit of the season. We also drove downtown along J Street and through the Fab Forties, but nothing grabbed our eye, so we didn’t take any pics of those areas.
Yosemite - Hetch Hetchy
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The morning is foggy and it lends a quiet feel to the valley. As we head out, we stop again at the beautiful Valley View scenic spot and enjoy the river and the mountains once again. We then choose to leave Yosemite National Park via Highway 120 even though we see a sign cautioning that snow chains are required 5 miles ahead. Time to test our luck and the 4 wheel drive if need be. We head out this direction because we want to stop by the gorgeous Cascade Falls on the way out and see how they are flowing. The waterfall was flowing nicely, those storms really do wonders for the waterfalls. As we continue on, we enter a winter wonderland and find snow on the ground and in the trees–very pretty and calm. We stop for some pictures and a coyote pops up on the other side of the road. Luckily the snow didn’t get bad and we didn’t have to turn around for lack of tire chains. We take a side trip to Hetch Hetchy to view the O’Shaughnessy Dam and the reservoir. The water is still low in the reservoir, but it’s still pretty. And we’re all happy that I leave today better off then when I broke my ankle here last year… YAY!
Yosemite - Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias
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Tersha, Vic and I headed down to Yosemite National Park for the weekend, to see if there were any autumn colors left and for Tersha to get her big tree fix at the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. When we came up in the Spring last time, the road to the grove was still snowed under, so we didn’t get to visit it. We did some picture stops in the valley, checking out the last of the fall colors and the waterfalls that had just been rejuvenated by the recent storms. The weather was just lovely during the day. We did a little loop hike at the grove of the giants and was just awed by the magnificent trees. Along the trail we came across a herd of deer that were resting not far from us, it was very cool. I’ve never seen that many deer at once in one place, there must have been a dozen just laying there looking back at us. And further down the trail, a couple came bounding down the hill and crossed the trail in front of us. It starts raining as we get back down to Camp Curry for the evening. Unfortunately, the Yosemite Lounge is undergoing renovation, so we decide to try and get a spot in the Dining Pavilion to hang out in because our tent neighbor angrily blamed every sound in Camp Curry on us this morning. And the next morning he again accused us of making noise all night long and we weren’t even there last night, but according to him, it was us making the noise–some people just don’t have a clue.
Tickled Pink!
My friend Qian used one of my photos as inspiration for a watercolor painting… that’s so cool. Check it out on her Voice of Color blog! And check out all her artwork, she’s a wonderful and talented artist.
She’s donating the painting to the local PBS station (KVIE ) for their art auction in September of this year, so keep an eye out for it and place a bid!
Sacramento Zoo
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Today was a day at the Sacramento Zoo with the Northern California Photography Meetup Group. I’d never been to the zoo here before, so it was very interesting to visit. The zoo was built in 1927, so it is an old-style zoo, where the animals are mostly in concrete enclosures with a moat and a fence between us and them. I was saddened by this, as I thought most zoos had evolved to having more natural habitat type environments for the animals. Some of the others in the group informed me, that no, most zoos were still like this. I think I’ll have to visit some of the other zoos in the region and check it see how they are. Flamingos are center stage in the zoo; when you walk in there is a large pond directly immediately before you and the waterfowl all love it. The Red Pandas and Orangutans were snoozing during the nice warm day, as were most of the big cats. The giraffes were ambling around and I could sit and watch them all day. I don’t know why but I’ve always been fascinated by giraffes, so graceful and yet awkward at the same time. The last stop of the day was the Reptile House, not for those that have a fear of the slithering side of the animal kingdom. Some interesting reptiles that I’d never seen or heard of before, like a prehensile skink (totally weird looking). And just how long did that Rhinocerous Iguana have to sit still for and not move, before the spider decided to move in on his head! I ended the fun day at the zoo by grabbing a geocache right outside the grounds near a statue.
