Memories of the Red and White in my Past

When I lived in San Francisco as a kid, I didn't have any money at all. I used to go down to Fisherman's Wharf to shine shoes in those days when tennis shoes still were a new item. It was also different back then at Pier 43-1/2. The little office of the tour boat company had a ramp and still is there, but back then during the very few days I went to school, I'd be out there at Fisherman's Wharf and run up that ramp which lead to a observation area where I could look out over the piers and boats, toward Alcatraz Island and beyond.....

Those were indeed the Days!

I never had money to ride those tour boats, and eventually, I had moved out of the City I called home. The very few days when I was in my City by the Bay as an adult, one of the very first things I did each and every special time I returned to my City, I'd go down to Fisherman's Wharf to buy a steamed crab, ask them to crack it so I wouldn't cut my fingers bloody later. Then I'd jump on a Cable Car and head to my parents' home which was quite a distance away. 

That poor steamed crab didn't even last 10mins on the cable car ride home!

I didn't return to my City till the late 2000s to live permanently, and what a surprise! Most buildings and streets I remembered well. I felt I never lived my youth in those early days of hippie of the City, and I was busy doing stuff. I was a lost soul and never quite content with my Life....

The City had changed but in reality, like any other place I had lived since departing my City, everything is different but in reality, it hasn't changed at all. Many of the buildings were the same. Now able to drive around, the one way streets with synched traffic lights were still one way and synched. But I really wanted to see the one place that was special to me, and I immediately went to Fisherman's Wharf...

There it was at Pier 43-1/2: The little ticket office of the Red and White Fleet. The huge boat was still above spinning around, and the ramp was still there but now roped off.

At least now I was able to afford a ride on their Red and White tour boats, and finally could get pictures of my City from a viewpoint I couldn't even think of getting when I was that young kid before.

I've heard the company CEO has retired. I'll miss him....  and wish him and his Family well.

If I ever get back to the City, of course I'll stop by. It's something of my childhood that I miss immensely and will never forget!

 

Reflecting Street & Walkway Ponds

When I'm on the street I am always looking all around me. No matter if it's up toward the sky, down to the pathway and sidewalks below my feet, or left and right to windows, cars and what-not! I love reflections, don't you? One needs to think, have I missed something unique just because I didn't look?

Tour Helicopter Flying UNDER the Golden Gate Bridge!

One day while out and about during my past routines while still on the West Coast, I happened to sight a lone SF tour helo flying near the bridge. To my amazement, it flew UNDER the bridge!! It was incredible to think that an aircraft would and could and DID exactly that!

Is that crazy or what? Then the SF FAA Safety office says "well, they have to make a living too". So that justifies breaking the rules and allowing an unsafe flight under the bridge? 

What is happening to the "civilized world" when stuff like that is not only allowed, but turning the eyes in the other direction to basically allow that?

Crazy!!

 

busy busy busy as a lost film can...

...on a bumpy and windy road. The last few days I've been running all over the place. Had a foto shoot-out in Fremont and drove there in the pouring rain with my bad night vision.... the rain was so pouring-down hard that I couldn't see a thang but apparently better than other drivers who kept drifting between lanes with invisible land-markers in the wet mess, or whose cars just simply straddled two lanes. I just would find a car with very bright taillights and stay a safe distance behind them. The drive over the bay bridge and continuiing to Fremont is over an hour - I must confess it was the first time I've ever driven on the bay bridge and seen the cars driving less than 50mph!!

Upon arriving, my GPS unit didnt have the street number, so I hunted around in a very dark industrial area till I saw someone outside the side of one building, then saw the number sought as I turned into the parking lot. There I stayed with other photographers for over three hours. Three models were in attendance and most of us just took turns shooting; the big shadow-box to the right of a solid-white background created the studio effect which I don't like. Eventually, I started shooting without the benefit of a flash nor the synched studio-lights there... which startled quite a few.
It poured when we departed and this time drove south to the San Mateo bridge, and through the rain made my way back up to the City. It was a longer trip but faster I thought not having to pass over the Bay Bridge and the bottleneck that is created by going through Oakland.... of course it was pouring-down buckets of rain again!

The next week I had a photography club meeting close to the Ferry Building at the Crossroads cafe. It's my third time meeting with the various photographers and others interested in the magic of imagery.... I enjoy discussing photography with others but rarely get the chance... this is a great way to meet others. Many brought their cameras, others brought their prints and/or portfolios, and there were quite a few very impressive images!

The next day I drove for my latest follow-up in San Jose with my eye clinic. The drive was pleasant enough and even this journey was a test for my eyes as each time I've done this hour and ten minutes drive, my eyes has changed. Easily remembering the first loooong drive, made even longer by the simple fact that I couldn't see a thang on the highway!! To top it off I wore some cheapo glasses ~ so cheapo that it actually lessened my vision - or, what I could see! I later threw those away. My last checkup in September rated my vision at 20/40. This day it had increased to an approving 20/25 and with time I am hoping it'll be even better than that! I hated driving during the late hours as my vision is noticeably worse in dim lighting; for the past few weeks I've been driving at night with better vision, and I know that will improve also. The halo effect everyone talks about for me is minimal and as my eyes are moistened, it's even less apparent. My next follow-up will be in January just before I leave for a long-awaited month in Europe and at least 20 days in Rota where my apartment has been sitting empty for the last few months. I am also planning to spend at least 10 days in France to shoot with a model there.

I've only had my plane tickets for over five months! :-)

Returning from the clinic, I stopped by the Baylands Preserve in Palo Alto hoping to get some great shots of masses of migrating birds flying or feeding.
I did get some birds but not en masse as I had hoped for.... the mass must have departed on a train to a restaurant to dine out.

I then went straight to a wine bar in the downtown area of San Francisco - only over an hour early - as I arrived back in the City during the peak of a early rush-hour. Not wanting to get into the mess of traffic again, I just stayed there waiting first in my car, then going inside to wait till my group eventually showed up on time, but not before I had time to discover the rustic brown interior and even grab some shots!
It was very pricey with a white house wine priced at $12 {wow} but hey, this is San Francisco! In my little place in southern Spain, for that price for just one glass, I could've purchased in a local market four to six bottles of reds or white, of better or similar taste and body.

my wine glasses and plate of fried squid
yummmmy!

I was shocked at the amount of people who were there drinking and eating!! The least expensive glass of wine was priced at $9 - perhaps I'm in the wrong business!

While in San Jose I went to a big chain-store electronics store to buy a PCI card for my newest external hard drive which has SATA capability but unfortunately the card is crashing my system. So right now am copying files over from the older external drive to the newer at a slower rate ~ only 1gig per second ~ but at least it's moving faster than a few megabytes as previous!

Fast is so relative!!

So, here I have been for the past 20 hours again, copying image files..... my life is a circle!!!