Long Day, Short Post
Jan. 16th, 2011 10:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
howeirdWatched the first half of the Bears trampling the Seahawks, and while my homeboys did try to come from behind, there was just too much behind to come from. It's been a bad weekend for the birds. Falcons, Ravens and Seahawks all lost to non-bird teams. AFAIK there are no more birds in line to go to the Superbowl this year.
Drove across the Bay to the Ardenwood Historic Farm to photograph the monarch butterflies. All the time I have lived in the Bay Area I have never heard of this wonderful place. It's a working demo farm with a huge fancy Victorian house at its heart, fields of clover and crops, a dovecote, chicken coop, sheep, goats, peacocks, bunnies and a pair of what look to me like brown Clydesdales (which I understand pull the horse-drawn trains in the summer).
The butterflies hang out in the eucalyptus groves not far from the house. I was using the new 70-300mm VR lens, and expected some good clear shots of the butterflies, but I didn't get much. Big heavy lens, not easy to hold still. And too slow (4.5 at 300mm). Should have brought the 24-300. Oh well, next time. Anyhow, here is a sample or two:
Solo monarch on a eucalyptus trunk.
Like colorful leaves on a dull tree
Click on the photo to see it full-sized on the Flickr site
It was okay for the farm animal close-ups, though. I'd also brought along the new 35mm f/1.8, which turns out to be a little more wide angle than I'd expected, but that's okay.
One of the local peacocks
Snowbird? Bobolink? Anyone know? He was eating the pussy willow buds.
The main farmhouse.
Moss growing on the pavement in front of the gazebo.
Another unknown bird, one of questionable literacy.
Stayed till closing time (4 pm). The drive over was eerie, the fog from HMB followed me all the way to Fremont, and it was misty all day. There was still enough fog on the return trip to erase the view of the west bay.
Home, where the three steaks were well-marinated in Sangria and minced garlic. Cooked all three on the cast iron skillet, had one for dinner but put the other two in freezer bags for later. For when I remember to buy an onion to caramelize.
Totally forgot about the Jets-Pats game, but was happy to see NY win.
Plans for tomorrow:
Work
Follow up on prescriptions
BASFA, I hope.
Drove across the Bay to the Ardenwood Historic Farm to photograph the monarch butterflies. All the time I have lived in the Bay Area I have never heard of this wonderful place. It's a working demo farm with a huge fancy Victorian house at its heart, fields of clover and crops, a dovecote, chicken coop, sheep, goats, peacocks, bunnies and a pair of what look to me like brown Clydesdales (which I understand pull the horse-drawn trains in the summer).
The butterflies hang out in the eucalyptus groves not far from the house. I was using the new 70-300mm VR lens, and expected some good clear shots of the butterflies, but I didn't get much. Big heavy lens, not easy to hold still. And too slow (4.5 at 300mm). Should have brought the 24-300. Oh well, next time. Anyhow, here is a sample or two:
Solo monarch on a eucalyptus trunk.
Like colorful leaves on a dull tree
Click on the photo to see it full-sized on the Flickr site
It was okay for the farm animal close-ups, though. I'd also brought along the new 35mm f/1.8, which turns out to be a little more wide angle than I'd expected, but that's okay.
One of the local peacocks
Snowbird? Bobolink? Anyone know? He was eating the pussy willow buds.
The main farmhouse.
Moss growing on the pavement in front of the gazebo.
Another unknown bird, one of questionable literacy.
Stayed till closing time (4 pm). The drive over was eerie, the fog from HMB followed me all the way to Fremont, and it was misty all day. There was still enough fog on the return trip to erase the view of the west bay.
Home, where the three steaks were well-marinated in Sangria and minced garlic. Cooked all three on the cast iron skillet, had one for dinner but put the other two in freezer bags for later. For when I remember to buy an onion to caramelize.
Totally forgot about the Jets-Pats game, but was happy to see NY win.
Plans for tomorrow:
Work
Follow up on prescriptions
BASFA, I hope.
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}