Sunday, May 4, 2025

Spring (springing) around town

Bird of paradise and pincushion protea in bloom

The landscaping around town is enjoying the weather, which has been quite foggy and windy of late, and yet they still know it is spring.


Collage of blooming flowers in pink, violet, green with red edges, and reds

These plants at Salesforce Transit Center's fourth floor rooftop garden are bursting with color.

Two nasturtium flowers: one yellow with orange markings, and the other orange

Here at home, nasturtiums are brightening my walkway.

 

Saturday, April 26, 2025

Lilac of the moment

Close up of a lilac in bloom

I've seen it from the stairwell, but I finally went out to look at my lilac up close. 

Unnatural colors of the fun type



Reflective plastic tiles in yellow and blue

 

Reflection with subtle blues

Complex reflection with subtle blue and brown tones

The blues and tans in this are quite satisfying...

 

Geranium showing off

Pink and white geranium

 

Violet radial

Violet flowers on a blooming succulent

 What a color!

Verticals

architectural detail of vertical slats over a UCSF parking garage

All of my plans for the weekend were dependent upon sunny weather with sharp shadows.  Luckily for me, I left the house at 9am to follow an opening in the clouds.  Unluckily for me, that opening lasted less than two hours...  But I was happy to have even that!

Here's that garage at UCSF Mission Bay that I once described as where Darth Vader would park, and I meant that as a compliment.


 

Sunday, April 20, 2025

Irresistible surface for texture fiends (Los Federales)

SF Federal Building by Morphosis

And Morphosis, the firm behind the design, made the other side of the building look COMPLETELY different...

Cherry Blossom Festival

Collage of festival dancers and flags

I love cultural festivals!  The SF Cherry Blossom festival is lively, and the grand parade is colorful and accessible.

Two floats of superb taiko drummers
The Taiko drumming groups are fun, fabulous, and can be heard from great distances!  Their energy is impressive (and it's almost impossible not to move to their beats).
Collage of festival dancers in motion
A friend is going to be in our local Carnaval parade in May, so it was fun to point out the success of this collection of dancers - how they fill the street with color, energy, and music.

Collage of the Cherry Blossom Court (Pageant Winners)
The Cherry Blossom Court, resplendent in gorgeous kimonos as always... 
 
The Taro Mikoshi (a portable shrine with large sake casks and two men, topped by a phoenix), carried by a sea of volunteers
The Taro Mikoshi!  The volunteers carrying it were so amped up!  They are a small storm of energy as they carry the portable, sake-laden shrine down the street...

It was fun, as always!

Colors for a Bay Farm Island Flag

Three images: blue giant echium, pink flowering shrub, red plum foliage

 

Self portrait (boots) with sunlight through the scaffold

Dappled sunlight comes through the floor treads of a scaffold throwing circles on the brick sidewalk below

I spent a lot of time looking at the different circles...  They are strangely satisfying. 

Narrow Building, Downtown San Francisco

Tall brick building just one room wide, New Montgomery Street, San Francisco

 

Stern Stone Head

Stone head on a wall

 

Yet another form of pink for spring

Pink blossoms with yellow centers on a blossoming shrub in Alameda

 

Bay FC

Image of still-filling Pay Pal Stadium bleachers in sun; seats are various shades of blue

I went to my first soccer match, which was Bay Football Club versus Chicago.  It was... a lackluster game, without much control over the ball.

The best scores were by #14 for Chicago - she won me over by doing a full backflip and making it look effortless after her first goal.

Saturday, April 12, 2025

Spring in the neighborhood (flowers)

Five types/colors of flowers in my neighborhood (I don't know the names of all of them)

Usually I can name all of the flowers, but most of these are not local, so... Definitely a California Poppy in the upper right, likely scabiosa in the lower left, and some succulent in yellow.  The others... 

Spring on the north side of town (flowers)

Three blossoms, near/in Presidio National Park, including double cherry and iris
The COLORS!
 

Gorgeous Day, Presidio National Park (again)

Historic buildings at Main Post, Presidio National Park
I returned to the northeastern edge of SF today.  I used up a new roll of film AND the last of my very-expired 120 film, had fabulous tacos from a truck that was generous with guacamole (El Fuego), and marveled that I get to live in this city.

East side of Presidio Visitor Center

 I usually shoot the Presidio in monochrome, but yes, the reds to call to me.

Lovely head of metal

Detail from new Ferry Plaza sculpture

This is the head of a very tall sculpture that has been installed at the head/foot of Market Street - it's at least four stories high - and now that you can't see the head up close (because: height), I want to share that it is gorgeous!  Look at the eyelashes!  Look at the hair!  It's really quite lovely.

Pale yellow ice plant flower (07 April 2025)

Three images of pale yellow Ice plant flowers
So cheerful!