Seafaring San Francisco

Back in August I shared some of the images I shot during my visit to San Francisco’s Maritime Museum Visitor Center. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first walked into the building, but it wasn’t long before I was wandering very happily through the numerous exhibits which included ship models, interpretive displays, historic photographs, and cherished artifacts from […]

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Salmon Falls pine forest

Standing atop the hill some half mile from the Falcon Crest parking area, I can look down toward Folsom Lake and see another path (Brown’s Ravine Trail) that meanders through a stand of pine trees. I’ve visited this spot several times over the past few years and it remains one of my favorite viewpoints; with impressive ridges rising 1200ft/365m both […]

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Sweetwater scenery

I’ve shared a lot of photos of Folsom Lake’s south fork in the past, but at the end of October I made my first trip in a couple of years out to the area of the old Salmon Falls bridge and the Monte Vista and Sweetwater trails. It took me a little while to get my bearings; and of course […]

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Sacred spaces

I found so many amazing sights during my visit to Mission Dolores in San Francisco. Although I did have some trouble finding my way to the site of this landmark in the Mission District, once I arrived all that was forgotten; I wandered through the original mission, the “new” basilica — completed in 1918 — and the attached cemetery. Although […]

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Walking in Williams

It’s not too surprising that visitors to the Historic Downtown District of Williams, Arizona, enjoy strolling the picturesque sidewalks of old Route 66. On our two visits to the town, however, we did most of our exploring in the forest behind our hotel. After a delicious dinner at the Fiesta Mexican Grill, we headed back to the Best Western Plus […]

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Ode to an oak tree

I slipped my roots round the stony soil Like rings on the hand of a bride, And my boughs took hold of the summer’s smile And grew out green and wide. I grew up in a valley rich in heritage oak trees, and they feature in some of my best childhood memories. The various species found in the Sacramento Valley […]

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Paper and brick

Every now and then a couple of my interests will happen to coincide in ways I never expected. That happened recently after my fascination for Chinese history and California history brought me to read Heather B. Moore’s novel The Paper Daughters of Chinatown (published in September 2020). Although in novel form, the story, set in San Francisco of the late […]

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