Incline Gallery. The Mission.
Showing posts with label City Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label City Life. Show all posts
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Monday, October 14, 2013
City Life: San Francisco Bay
Today's view from my work place. It's a beautiful day, in the high 70s.
Monday, May 06, 2013
Saturday, December 08, 2012
City Life: Flowers at the Community Garden
I took this picture today while on my way to get some coffee before settling down for more writing.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
City Life: 2012 LGBT Pride Weekend
LGBT Pride Weekend is a major deal in San Francisco as you might imagine. June is Pride month which culminates in the two day celebration Pink Saturday/Pride Parade on the last full weekend in June. The Parade takes place on Sunday morning/early afternoon.
Usually I only have time to attend Pink Saturday but this year I was able to attend both. I went with a couple of friends who moved here not too long ago. I don't think they had any idea of the scale of the festivities even though I told them it would be really crowded.
Dolores Park (that's Mission Dolores in the background)
Pink Saturday in the Castro. It's still early so the crowds really haven't begun to arrive.
I look pretty damn happy, don't I? I always feel that way when "in community."
My friends made these lovely shirts for us to wear which said "Pink Saturday" and had a rainbow on them. They also made a white shirt for Parade day. We ended up in a wine bar (to my left in the picture) for most of the evening. It was a nice way to spend the celebration though I'm usually jumping around to all the thumping DJ music and fighting my way through the vast crowds on street.
Parade Day! I managed to secure a front row vantage point at Market and Jones. A good portion of Market Street is closed off, from the Financial District to Civic Center.
The Dyke March, Pink Saturday, and the Parade allow for outstanding people watching including some scantily clad men and women and amazing costumes. Tutus on both men and women figure prominently as do wings. And bright colors, of course.
Don't ask me what contingent these guys are from. There was a long delay between contingents so these guys took a nice stroll down the entire parade route
Every local politician and many corporations and non-profits take part in the parade. From Willie Brown to our Public Defender's office and their infamous "Getting you off since 1921" t-shirts to Dykes on Bikes (who always lead the parade) to Genentech, Google, Safeway, many elementary schools, PFLAG, churches, banks (and their protestors), animal rescue groups, dance groups, and the Leather Contingent with its iconic flag, all of them have a place in the Parade line-up.
Marvelous dancing and costumes are expected.
The Glide Memorial Church float (preceded by the Rev. Cecil Williams in a separate car). Glide is one of the most prominent liberal churches in the country, considers itself "radically inclusive," and is known for its wonderful Gospel Choir. Attending a church service there can be moving experience.
I managed to get a decent shot of Celebrity Grand Marshal Sarah Silverman
It was a cool day in San Francisco which was nice if you're standing for hours in the sun. By the time I left at 2:30 pm, the parade was still going on. After the Parade everyone convenes at Civic Center for a massive festival/party. There are stages, music, booths, demonstrations, food, etc.
It was good to see the Parade after many years of not being able to go. Hopefully, I'll be able to go again next year.
Sunday, June 03, 2012
City Life: A Quick Post about Strybing Arboretum in Golden Gate Park
I got a Nikon 1 for Christmas, a sexy little white camera with small interchangeable lenses. I'm still learning how it works, definitely have to do some more shooting. The pictures below are just a sampling I did after I got the camera. The light was fading and it was a foggy afternoon. Even with these limitations, I wanted to see what the camera could do.
Strybing Arboretum is located in Golden Gate Park right near the entrance at Lincoln and 9th Avenue. It's a lovely contemplative stroll and a wonderful way to take a break. This expanse of lawn and trees is right near the Arboretum entrance.
I had to push my way through some bushes and and branches to take this shot. You can see the effects of the fading light and fog in how muted the colors are in these pictures.
"Rocky" and his friends are very friendly. They run right up to you expecting a treat. I had fun watching them run and leap around me while I tried for a decent shot.
I like the grayed edges of these leaves. In bright sunlight they would probably look like they're on fire but everything was soft and quiet that day.
Macro (or so someone told me). I was trying to get as close as possible to this plant. The water drops are from the increasing fog billowing in. It was getting to the point where I was worried there would be drops on my camera lens. I like how silvery this plant looks. So ordinary and unassuming until you get really close.
I would have stayed longer but the light was almost gone by the time I made my way back to the entrance. The camera shoots very well in low light. I didn't have to use the flash at all.
I'll do another post about the camera after I've played with it some more.
Saturday, October 08, 2011
Saturday, September 10, 2011
City Life: The Inside of the Pink Church on my Blog Header!
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Wednesday, September 07, 2011
City Life: The San Francisco Bay
So this is interesting. I took the photos below of the San Francisco Bay at high tide along the Embarcadero not too long ago.
This was was taken the my phone camera. It turned out all right though it's a little dark. The dark blue of the water works very well here even if it's not accurate.
This one was taken about two minutes earlier with my regular camera in the same spot. It's a very accurate view of the color of the water. I was lucky with the cormorant. It had just surfaced when I took the shot. A moment later it dove back down into the water.
Some pilings in the water. I think that's what they're called. The tan in the water is a reflection from one of the pillars of the Bay Bridge. The light and reflection on the water was just right at that moment. Less than a minute later the tan in the water was gone.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
City Life: Stow Lake and Strawberry Hill in Golden Gate Park
Stow Lake is a donut shaped man-made lake. It's located up the hill from the Japanese Tea Garden. Strawberry Hill is a small island in the center.
I spent some time there last Saturday. It was cold and quiet. Usually the boathouse is open and there are plenty of people in paddle boats and row boats but the day I was there, no one was on the water.
Stow Lake is a lovely little walk. You can walk all the way around the lake, cross the footbridges, and walk up the hill. I used to bring my dog here. I live about five blocks from this section of Golden Gate Park.
The photos highlight one of the realities of San Francisco: its cold, foggy summers. I'll never understand why people don't check the weather before they travel somewhere. San Francisco is located in the Sunshine state, it's true, but our overcast, cold summers are legendary. Not to say there aren't any nice, sunny days in the summer but they are few and far between and tend to be cool and breezy. As soon as you leave the City, however, and cross a bridge or go just a bit south, you leave the fog behind and temperature is in the 70s and 80s.
The best time to visit San Francisco is in the Fall. It's the warmest, loveliest time of year, usually (check the weather first!)
As I mentioned Stow Lake is located behind the Japanese Tea Garden. This is a picture of the front entrance of the Tea Garden just to give you some orientation.
This is the back exit of the Tea Garden and...
...directly behind the tea garden exit are these stairs. Take the stairs up to Stow Lake.
Ah yes, an idyllic scene. The quiet was nice but I have to say I missed seeing folks on the lake attempting to get their paddle boats to move faster. And watching people in a row boat on the lake is a nice romantic image. You can see the Peace Pavilion on the far right.
You know, I'm pretty good at identifying birds, water fowl in particular, but I can't find anything that tells me what this goose-like bird is. Either way, he's particularly splendid (I'm assuming it's a he because of the lovely plumage and red around his face).
If I'd been thinking about it, I would have brought my sketchbook and done some drawings. I'll have to go back there with my notepad soon. I also saw a Canada Goose, the usual assortment of Mallards, and a Red-eared Slider Turtle. The lake has quite of few formerly domestic turtles that have been "set free" by owners who don't want them anymore. There's also Koi in the lake. I wasn't looking very hard but there are plenty of other animals around here.
I made my way along the footpath and crossed the first footbridge I found. I went directly to the man-made waterfall. There was a fashion photo shoot going on.
The lovely couple. I love how her yellow dress provided a "pop" of color for the gray day.
The waterfall.
There's a staircase along side the waterfall. It's a nice climb.
A shot of the fashion photo shoot from above.
Strawberry Hill. You can see the waterfall.
I didn't go to the Pagoda but it's a nice place to linger and take photos.
I spent some time there last Saturday. It was cold and quiet. Usually the boathouse is open and there are plenty of people in paddle boats and row boats but the day I was there, no one was on the water.
Stow Lake is a lovely little walk. You can walk all the way around the lake, cross the footbridges, and walk up the hill. I used to bring my dog here. I live about five blocks from this section of Golden Gate Park.
The photos highlight one of the realities of San Francisco: its cold, foggy summers. I'll never understand why people don't check the weather before they travel somewhere. San Francisco is located in the Sunshine state, it's true, but our overcast, cold summers are legendary. Not to say there aren't any nice, sunny days in the summer but they are few and far between and tend to be cool and breezy. As soon as you leave the City, however, and cross a bridge or go just a bit south, you leave the fog behind and temperature is in the 70s and 80s.
The best time to visit San Francisco is in the Fall. It's the warmest, loveliest time of year, usually (check the weather first!)
As I mentioned Stow Lake is located behind the Japanese Tea Garden. This is a picture of the front entrance of the Tea Garden just to give you some orientation.
This is the back exit of the Tea Garden and...
...directly behind the tea garden exit are these stairs. Take the stairs up to Stow Lake.
Ah yes, an idyllic scene. The quiet was nice but I have to say I missed seeing folks on the lake attempting to get their paddle boats to move faster. And watching people in a row boat on the lake is a nice romantic image. You can see the Peace Pavilion on the far right.
You know, I'm pretty good at identifying birds, water fowl in particular, but I can't find anything that tells me what this goose-like bird is. Either way, he's particularly splendid (I'm assuming it's a he because of the lovely plumage and red around his face).
If I'd been thinking about it, I would have brought my sketchbook and done some drawings. I'll have to go back there with my notepad soon. I also saw a Canada Goose, the usual assortment of Mallards, and a Red-eared Slider Turtle. The lake has quite of few formerly domestic turtles that have been "set free" by owners who don't want them anymore. There's also Koi in the lake. I wasn't looking very hard but there are plenty of other animals around here.
I made my way along the footpath and crossed the first footbridge I found. I went directly to the man-made waterfall. There was a fashion photo shoot going on.
The lovely couple. I love how her yellow dress provided a "pop" of color for the gray day.
The waterfall.
There's a staircase along side the waterfall. It's a nice climb.
A shot of the fashion photo shoot from above.
A view from the top of the waterfall.
As you can see, there are places to stop and sit on the way up.
The top of the Hill. There's a view but it's partly obscured by trees.
The view from Strawberry Hill looking west.
That's the Pacific Ocean and our legendary fog rolling in.
A pop of color from the various flowers planted around the top of the Hill.
As you can see, there are places to stop and sit on the way up.
The top of the Hill. There's a view but it's partly obscured by trees.
The view from Strawberry Hill looking west.
That's the Pacific Ocean and our legendary fog rolling in.
A pop of color from the various flowers planted around the top of the Hill.
There were a few people here and there. Locals with their dogs, solitary folks who regularly walk the hill as part of their day-to-day routine, tourists, and young couples. There are appeared to be quite a few young couples on getting-to-know-you dates. Having them around gave the atmosphere a kind of sweetness. It was rather ingenious. The young men were able to give their jackets to the young women because of the chill, a chivalrous gesture.
I made my way down the west side of the Hill. Because of the wind and fog, I could smell the sea and the nasturtiums that dot the path. I kept inhaling deeply. The scents in the air were almost therapeutic.
A view of the west side and one of the footbridges. In addition to boats, you can also rent a bicycle. A bicycle ride around the Lake and through the Park in general is a wonderful way to spend your time.
The forest and the trees. I'm almost at the bottom of the Hill at this point.
Yet another footbridge. A young couple were biking around the Lake on a date.
I offered to take a picture of them sitting on the bridge. They were adorable.
More water, more waterfowl.
I've come full circle. The Peace Pagoda from the other direction.
That's Strawberry Hill on the left.
A view of the west side and one of the footbridges. In addition to boats, you can also rent a bicycle. A bicycle ride around the Lake and through the Park in general is a wonderful way to spend your time.
The forest and the trees. I'm almost at the bottom of the Hill at this point.
Yet another footbridge. A young couple were biking around the Lake on a date.
I offered to take a picture of them sitting on the bridge. They were adorable.
More water, more waterfowl.
I've come full circle. The Peace Pagoda from the other direction.
That's Strawberry Hill on the left.
Strawberry Hill. You can see the waterfall.
I didn't go to the Pagoda but it's a nice place to linger and take photos.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
City life: The Castro
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City Life: An Upcoming Mini Pedro Almodovar Film Fest at Castro Theatre
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Wednesday, June 22, 2011
City Life: Positive messages on a chainlink fence in the Mission.
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City Life: A reproduction of Posada's Calaveras in a sidewalk grating on Valencia in the Mission
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Wednesday, June 01, 2011
City Life: Marquee for the Roxie Theatre
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