San Francisco Spirit

Feeling Christmasy one night in December, I decided to stop and photograph the lit up houses on my way home from work.  I was impressed with how many houses were decorated and how much spirit San Franciscan’s seemed to have — or maybe I was just projecting.  I love Christmas and want everyone else to love it too.  

I took all of these photos with my phone, so they’re pretty grainy or fuzzy, but you get the idea.  It’s not as if you are going to mistake that nutcracker in the first photo for a cop or somethin.’  Merry Christmas a few weeks late, everyone!  And Happy New Year!  

Jaimie’s Camera

My stepdad, Jaimie, has this incredible Canon camera that I used about 40% of the time I was at his house on the Central Coast.  It really cut down on my socializing time, but man, was it satisfying.  Here are some of my favorites from the trip.  

 

  

I’ve Got a Thing for Birds …

… and I owe it all to Pookie. (If you know me, you know Pookie).

 Here are some recent pictures I took of sea birds in Morro Bay near San Luis Obispo.

I’ve always been drawn to pelicans … as you’ll see here … 

Maui State of Mind

In Maui the air is warm and feels soft when it rolls along your skin.  The faint scent of plumeria flirts with your nose and leaves you wanting more.  I want to eat, sleep and drink its scent.  I almost fell asleep with a lei around my neck the other night, crushing the delicate flowers just to get a consistent whiff.  

Time moves slowly here, thank goodness.  The days consist of play: Wake up at 6:30ish, drink coffee and eat breakfast on the lanai, snorkel in calm waters, rest on a beach, swim in the ocean, rest again, swim again, get lunch somewhere, go to another beach, swim, rest, swim, return to lanai, drink beer, rest, drink beer again, maybe swim again, get dinner somewhere, return to lanai, rest, rest, rest and fall fast asleep.  

 

       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Garden

I wanted to show you my garden in the spring. It’s pretty beautiful (and very fleeting). Once summer arrives, most of my plants and flowers will cease to bloom and return to their comfortable shades of green. It’s like they’re slippin’ into their cozy pants at the end of a short but exhausting season.

They’re working hard to look beautiful for me. I really appreciate that and want to flaunt them. Unfortunately, I can’t invite all of my readers over (all 2 of you) to admire bloom-time, so I’ve decided to share some pictures with you right here. That’s right. Right here on Sweet Strain. Enjoy.

PS: That’s a spider tucked inside the petals of the rose below, the bird is a hummingbird, the small pink buds are geranium and the lanky stalk of small blue buds is a delphinium … in case you were wondering. And don’t be afraid of the stone face coming out of the ground in the last picture.  That’s worth another post and a lot more pictures.  

Okay, Mini gets a mention too.  Mini is my neighbor’s dog.  He used to bark viciously every time I stepped into my backyard.  Today he let me pet him.  This picture was taken right before we made peace.  His tail wagging was my cue to approach.  I tried scratching him under his chin, his eyes closed and now we’re best friends.  How many dogs do YOU know with the name “Mini?”  I actually met a dog named “Tick” the other day. I digress …   

 

Midair @ Wildflower Triathlon

While I would have loved to catch a shot of my sister’s legs, I really like this photo.  This captures the final sprint to the finish line after far too many different types of physical activity were crammed into a 4 hour period. 

San Francisco gull, Feb. 2000