Fountain near the Californian Screamin' ride

Looking down from the 5th floor into the lobby.

Incredible ceiling structure of the 6-story lobby of the Grand Californian Hotel. Craftsman style archtecture throughout.

What, you were being stalked by a glowing tiger? While on the Jungle Cruise? Yeah, sure.

Perfect way to visit Disneyland: (1) Drive up the coast from San Diego in the rain. (2) Arrive just as the rain ends. (3) Check into the Grand Californian Hotel. (4) Enter the park-Main Street is wet but uncrowded!! All the lines are short, and we never felt a drop of rain.

Some cool homes to the north of the bird reserve. The one on the right has been featured in architcture mags.

This little flower was also at the bird reserve. (Sorry Katie, no bugs...)

This shows where my feet sank in. I got out of there.

Now that the rain is over, water levels are dropping, leaving these contours. As I was taking this picture, I realized that I was starting to sink into the seemingly dry sandbank - see next photo.

Zoomed version.

I wonder why these ducks were all in a row? Taken last Saturday at the San Elijo Bird Reserve, north of San Diego. This is a tidal flat much favored by a bewildering array of different species of birds.

Under the La Bajada bridge. The light on the underside of the bridge is reflected sunlight. This is where cars used to get stuck during high water a few years ago before the bridge went in. I knew a guy that had to pull them out with a tow truck... Amazing the places you can find something photogenic.

Another view of the Star of India on her annual sail. This photo was overexposed, so decided to goof around with it a bit in Photoshop in a bid to rescue it...

I'm digging back a ways here, but this was memorable - it's the Star of India, the world's oldest active sailing vessel, sailing under the San Diego Bay Bridge, on 11/14/04. She sails once annually, usually on her birthday, to maintain her claim of being active. My boss is one of the volunteer crewmembers.

Looking south along Swaami's beach in Encinitas, CA, about 20 miles north of San Diego. Photo taken 12/18/04

This is from a walk in the rain back on 12/31/04. I had to try out the new camera's closeup mode.... I was walking down the street in Encinitas and this rose was growing in someone's front yard. No fakey stuff, that's real rainwater...

CoolWeird

Jack Aubrey cleans up NASA:
Speaking of Patrick O'Brian and the Surprise, check out this great parody:
"Jack Aubrey's Astronaut Corps"

Here's the figurehead on the prow of the Surprise.

Due to popular demand (thanks Kim) here's more of the Surprise. This is the gun deck, which is actually has much more headroom than an authentic ship. Those cannon are made of fiberglass - when you knock on them they make a hollow sound. They're on a raised platform to simulate a real ship.

The movie was filmed locally - just south of San Diego, in Mexico, and several of the volunteers at the San Diego Maritime Museum appeared as extras, including - almost - my
boss, who missed out due to bad timing twice! Arrrrr! The books are the best, it's embarrasing to admit I've read the entire series twice... And I love the covers. Unfortunately the Surprise is in pretty poor shape - but the good news is that the museum it putting her into drydock next month.

Stern of the Surpise, the ship used in the movie "Master and Commander", now on display at the San Diego Maritime Museum. Lots of interesting displays of props, fake fiberglass cannons, etc inside. Leave comments if you'd like to see more shots, interiors, etc.

More mushrooms...

"High Water" photo of Lake Hodges. The last photo (below) was taken from somewhere in the foreground, now underwater - note that the mountain in the background shows more, because I was higher up. That rock on the opposite shore, on the right, shows how much the water rose. YESSSS!

"Low Water" Photo of Lake Hodges, near Escondido CA, taken on 8 Jan. As you can see from the partly-submerged trees, the recent storms in California had already raised the water level by perhaps 10 to 15 feet. Next posting shows the same scene a week later....

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Sunset from the Torrey Pines Glider Port, in La Jolla, CA, taken on 15 Jan 2005. Used PhotoMatix to extend dynamic range.

Escondido Creek at Elfin Forest Reserve, near Carlsbad, CA. Taken during the big storms of early Jan 2005. 1/9/05

Mushrooms - taken near Escondido Creek during the recent big storms in southern California. 9 Jan 05