No Dunkin' Donuts - Week 16

So it is week sixteen of the sheltering in place.  We arrived at the beach, and it was cool and cloudy, which is new for our beach visits.  I had no idea what to shoot, but then one look at the beautiful cloudy sky and I quickly set my cup of coffee on the table and started photographing.  I thought that would be my photograph, but while I was shooting this couple walked to the beach behind the table and I shot several frames.  I think having them in the photograph made the photograph more interesting.

Storm Clouds

I went out on my bike ride today, without checking the weather.  Why should I?  Well, for one, because the forecast today predicted thunderstorms in the afternoon.  But the sky looked great when I left for my ride late in the day.  It wasn't until I was on the home stretch that I noticed that the sky was REALLY dark to the north.  Uh-Oh!  So I stopped at the top of my last hill and checked the radar on my iPhone, and it looked like the storms would graze us, but not move through Sea Cliff.  As I cycled along the harbor's edge, I stopped to photograph the dark gray sky and the storm clouds to the north.  Looks like I dodged a bullet here!

Archive - Traveling - Kitt Peak, Arizona

Another beautiful photograph from my archive.  This is a "Desert spoon" or "Sotol" plant.  I spotted this one on the long road up to the peak of Kitt Peak Observatory which is on a mountain about 40 miles west of Tucson.  This plant is a spectacular thing to see.  Once mature, the plants bloom with a tall, pole-like flower spike that holds on the plant through the winter.  The flower spike can grow to a height of 15 feet or more and can be up to 3" thick!  I can't find it written anywhere, but I am sure someone told me that the main body of the plant grows most of the year looking like a bush, and then in the Fall, the spike shoots up all of a sudden.  That must be something to see!

If There is Anything New...

It was a week ago Friday that I spoke of Grace, when she was sitting under the umbrella:  "If there is anything new in the house - an empty box, some wrapping, a blanket on the floor, she is under it, or on it in a second!" Q.E.D. "quod erat demonstrandum," which, loosely translated means: "thus it has been demonstrated".   :-)   Kathy is working on small quilt squares an so got out her tiny ironing board and her tiny iron.  She put the board on the floor, and within five minutes, I kid you not, Grace was stretched out on it!  These cats crack me up!

Patterns

I went to the post office this afternoon to mail a small package and when I parked my car, I happened to look out the passenger side window.  This is what the window framed.  I stopped for a second, and then looked and what I saw was the contrasting patterns of the fence and the porch railing.  I decided it was a picture.  OK, not the world's greatest picture, but something at least for today's post!

Motorcycle Garden

Our neighbor across the street bought a motorcycle several years ago, and he loves riding it to work in the nice weather, and before coronavirus.  I have spent a lot of time talking to him about his "bike" and asking technical questions about his Harley Davidson.  Anyhow, yesterday two other riders on their bikes came to visit our neighbor.  This is how they parked their bikes.  I guess this is a safer way because the bikes can't roll downhill.  The other bike was to the left of this one.  So what grabbed my attention was the contrast of this black motorcycle and the beautiful garden.

Two Kinds of Lavender

Kathy has been growing lavender in a garden box next to the driveway for years now I guess.  I have photographed it before, I am sure.  But today I looked and realized that I hadn't noticed, or hadn't remembered that there are two colors of Lavender in the garden!  How could I not notice that?  I thought that the two colors might make an interesting photograph so I spent some time trying to find a nice composition and a nice design within the frame.  Hope this works for you.  It's better if you click on the image to see it in more detail.