January 2011

The Glory That Wasn’t Rome
Sacramento, California
2011

To my architecturally untrained eye, this scene in Old Sacramento could pass for a shot from the ruins in Roman Forum (at least if you look past the fact that these pillars are made of cast iron rather than stone).

Freeway Sediment
Sacramento, California
2011

A rare quiet, traffic-free moment on Interstate 5 as viewed from a window in the Crocker Art Museum. Since I had been studying paintings on gallery walls, my eyes tried to interpret the view out the window as yet another two-dimensional art work; so it came across as a sort of abstract representation of the layers or strata of some kind of sedimentary rock.

Jumping Jack
Sacramento, California
2011

A view through a window of a sculpture at the Crocker Art Museum.

Gridlock #12
Sacramento, California
2011

A wall on the newer part of the Crocker Art Museum.

Government Spending
Pt. Reyes, California
2011

There’s been a lot of talk about excessive government spending lately (heck, there’s always a lot of talk about excessive government spending). I suppose you could argue that the National Park Service shouldn’t even be the owner and operator of the Pt. Reyes lighthouse facility, but you be hard pressed to claim they’ve gone overboard on the furnishings and upkeep for the place.

Whale Watching
Pt. Reyes, California
2011

The California gray whales were migrating south past Pt. Reyes while we were there. Three had been spotted earlier in the day and ten the day before but we didn’t see any in the short time we were there. It was such a nice day all the whale-watchers were gathered on the deck outside the lighthouse with spotting scopes. On a more typical cold, windy day, this austere but protected spot inside with a good view out over the water would be a very popular spot.

When That Foghorn Whistle Blows
Pt. Reyes, California
2011

Not the best photo to illustrate a song called Into the Mystic, but still a reasonable excuse to post a video of one of my favorite Van Morrison tunes:

Pt. Reyes Lighthouse
Pt. Reyes, California
2011

The view looking the other way, down towards the lighthouse, on the 308 steps. You can’t see the lighthouse easily from anywhere else on land except from the steps, so every photo of it you see looks pretty much like this one, at least on the days the sun is shining.

The 308 Step Program
Pt. Reyes, California
2011

There are 308 steps, plus two long sloping ramps like this one, to get from the visitor’s center down to the Pt. Reyes lighthouse. Walk that a few times a day and you’d stay in pretty good shape I’d think. (This view is actually looking back up from the lighthouse.) Pt. Reyes is the second foggiest place on the North American continent, with something like 278 days a year fogged in, so we were lucky to see in in the sunshine–especially since Sacramento where we were staying had itself been fogged in and overcast.

The Far Shore
Pt. Reyes, California
2011

We just got back yesterday from a quick trip to California, including one day on the coast. Even though we’ve just been back a day, the blunt reality of Montana’s cold and snow make the relative warmth of the beach that day seem a far distant (and slightly unreal) memory.