DUMBELDORE!

This is a picture that I took last summer while the Fairy and I were on two week road trip. I took this shot at the 3 million year old Mono Lake. The sculptures in the water are formed through a combination of salt and minerals from the surrounding mountains. When the water starts to evaporate, the minerals leave behind these amazing sculptures. The sculptures themselves are amazing, however due to California's constant need for more water, the lake itself is deteriorating. Within a single lifetime the water has dropped over 60 feet. The funny thing is that although Mono Lake is close to Yosemite, the water from the lake is drained for use in Los Angeles.

What was great about being around these mineral deposits was that you felt as if you were standing in a fairytale or a great science fiction novel.

A Glowing Vision

For today's post I wanted to go abstract. Most of my pictures are beautiful landscapes or clear objects, but I was inspired to post this one after seeing a photographer's work in LA this weekend. His work was at a little breakfast nook in Studio City. He took shots of everyday objects/people, and through either photoshop or a trick of the lens, blurred out most of the picture.

The result of this was that he left your imagination in control. Each person can define and build sharpness into the picture. With my picture above, I feel the same thing. It is a picture of the fairy's back while she is wearing a glow necklace, but it offers many more layers that are open to interpretation.

Let's start the comments people! Let me know how you interpret this photo.

Wine Barrels

For this evening's post I found a picture that I took back in September of last year. It is from a winery up in Napa called Lancaster Vineyards. From what we are told it is a very "elite" vineyard, and you are only welcome by appointment only. I mean yes, the wine was good, but I did not leave impressed. I am more impressed when I can buy a 4 dollar bottle of wine and it tastes like one of their $80 (yes 80 dollar) bottles of wine.

The vineyard however stores their wine in a "natural cave." This way they do not need to pay for air conditioning. The temperature is constant year round.

This shot has not been enhanced, retouched, or photoshopped in any way. Look at those colors!

Make 7...... Up yours!!!!

For the first time since I have started the post I missed a day! AHHH THE PAIN!!!

The picture today was taken next to an old deli/ restaurant that was located in the now famous China Camp. It is amazing to see how this metal poster has aged over the years. If you think back to the time when it was first hanging there fresh and new, full of color.

I have to admit I have not had the Grammatical Fairy touch this post, so I am sorry if it is not up to my standards that you have seen in the past.

Car past its prime

Today's post comes to you straight from the broken down town of Bodie California. If you remember from one of my previous posts, Bodie was a true Wild West town. Toward the end of it's era, it started to see the industrial age move in.

Jacob?! That you?!

Next time you are in Northern California take a hike! No seriously. Take a hike...in the Russian Ridge Nature Preserve at the top of Page Mill Road in Palo Alto. While hiking in this area, the Fairy and I stumbled across this coyote (Jacob to all you Twilight Fans). He was about 35 yards away from us just chilling on the path that we were walking on. I was able to snap this shot before he got spooked and ran the other way.

I have yet to stumble across a coyote again this close, but you can often see them in the brush below the trail. This photo is labeled "The Wolf Pack of One"(Hangover Shout out!).

Sonoma Valley

I took this photo back in March of last year. I am astonished that this was not one of my first posts on this blog. Coming out here from New York, this is the image that I had in my head of what Wine Country was all about. The beauty, the simplicity, and the f***ing good wine.

This is a pond that sits on top of the winery itself. The winery is built into the hill. When walking up to the tasting room you feel like you are walking into a WWII bunker. If you were standing on the other side of the hill you would have no clue that a winery was inside. The great thing about building a winery like this is that it is naturally cooled by the earth. There is no need for air-conditioning, which means your wines are being created in a natural environment. Cheers!