Lodi Sandhill Crane Reserve

Drove down last weekend to see if I could catch some cranes in flight or otherwise. Started late and enroute, detoured slightly to a Vallejo park where there are peacocks. Strangely enough, I was told about this park by an online friend who lives out of California now.

Didn't see any peacocks but I know these birds can hide... but there was a small pond with ducks and enjoyed snapping some pixs, plus the foliage was so colorful, it took my breath away.I will never again be able to see the autumn colors and not think of my time spent in Eugene and in Oregon in general. Oftentimes I think I should have not left Eugene but it was my destiny, and in some strange way fate took me out of Spain for this crazy whirlwind I call my Life.Continuing on toward Lodi, there were lots of gorgeous landscapes - granted, it was along a narrow state highway with a lot of roadwork in progress, so you can imagine the mess of equipment, detours and signs, but oooooh, it was a great sight. To make it even more heavenly, the clouds were huge, and almost all gray or a darker - almost black - storm gray. I could see streams of rain pouring down in the distance and this reminded me of watching as a young sailor the thunderstorms at sea, something I will never forget.

I arrived very late at the crane reserve, so late the sun would set soon. There was a huge crowd of people there which made me realize that's a good sign. If no birds were seen, nobody would be there! :) The closest birds were anywhere from about 70 feet away (the few closest) but the majority were over 200 feet away, and many more hundreds even farther in a marshland area with lots of water inlets.The loud chatter from these birds was amazing, and though I am not a bird-watcher I can imagine now why people go to watch birds. I could see cranes together with geese, ducks, and even many pelicans. Every few minutes cranes would take off, a small group at first but gradually joining up in the skies with other cranes already in flight. As the sun dipped lower in the sky, hundreds of flying cranes formed short or long lines in the golden sky, and behind these, I could see even more groups of cranes.... it was all so amazing!! The wind picked up and it got very chilly. Eventually it started to rain but I stayed there - not cold at all and enjoying this fantastic mood and scene.

sigh

Later I returned to that Vallejo park again, and saw about seven peacocks. While they ran to hide, a few others stayed and eventually was so quiet that soon a few of them passed only a few feet from me, so close I couldn't even focus on these beautiful birds so I had to quietly and slowly move away to get a picture.

View from the Bedroom Window

soooo it's raining. It rains around the world....
but sometimes from above the street, it takes on a unique perspective....
No, this image above isn't the world drain, but the corner street sewer being flooded with the surge of water from a hard downpour. Don't worry, as we speak, I am trying to figure out HOW to email 100 gallons of water to my friends in Australia.

the wind never arrived....

Big storms were forecast to hit the Bay Area over the weekend with heavy rains and even high winds last night. The winds did pick up... then died weakly. I was happy. I rather have wet stuff on my face dripping down rather than wet stuff blown into my face.

Saturday I attended the exhibit closing party of a friend's gorgeous display of flora images. Held at the Collectively GRASP environmental art gallery in North Beach just a few meters from me, I've attended quite a few of the exhibits in my short year and a half in the City, though I have no hopes of ever showing there.
Even the previous owner promised me a gallery show there, then prompted closed the gallery and moved away. This owner seems to be following the same path of not showing my work..... I don't care either way.... it's no use worrying about something beyond my control.... but still: it hurts when I see others' work hanging there and seems so easy for them, but so difficult for me. Still I am always happy when a fellow photographer has the good fortune to exhibit and even to sell some work; of course there is nobody who wishes the same good luck for me, but I am used to that.....

Now it's Sunday and I've been lazying around the house all day..... okay, I keep forgetting I am not in my house, and I actually have just one room that I live in, work in, etc. It's sad and gets me miserable, so I have been trying to stay out of the place as much as possible..... spending as much time possible on the street weather permitting when not spending my usual 29 hours on the computer working on fotos. I still cannot believe I have been living over a year in a tiny filled room instead of my roomy clean apartment back in southern Spain.

sigh....

Right now as I look out the window, it's been raining all day and in the last 45mins, has increased to a steady downpour. If the rain continues I probably won't go out at 6am tomorrow to see if I can snap Lance Armstrong zipping across the Golden Gate Bridge, with many other riders who have paid $500 each for the "honor" of riding with him..... geeesh.....

Tuesday starts my first day of jury duty - my first ever as I have been out of the country for so many decades!! I have a book I carried with me from my spanish apartment that I'll bring with me, and hopefully I won't finish it on the very first day of jury duty! I have mixed feelings about the US court system.... sometimes I don't think it first or just, and other times I think it's downright stupid. Of course, my opinions won't count as I have no experience in this area.

It's still raining..... but I can also see it's been in the high 60s or low 70s back at my apartment location.... but I know it'll be actually warmer than that.....

last night's storms

Last night it actually hailed in Rota... it was already past the sunset - there was no color at all - and the hail struck my balcony windows with such a force I actually thought someone was throwing pebbles against the glass. Accompanied by thunder and lightning, it made me wish I had brought my tripod but of course where would I set up to shoot? hahahahaa

the day after the storms, gorgeous clouds (cell cam pix)

More cleaning and packing, moving things from one box that was packed more than two and a half years ago, into other boxes to make more space. Finding things I haven't seen since... well, since I initially left Rota over two years ago.

One thing you should remember if you own property in this part of Spain and are using an agency to rent out your place: I've discovered one cannot trust the lousy Rota real estate agency I used when I left - these people don't even need to be licensed here - were the only ones who had keys to my place, along with a friend. When I told him I was returning for three weeks in January of 2008, he mentioned he would setup my bed as it was dismantled. I said sure and thanks so much!! A few weeks later he asked if I had allowed someone to come into my apartment. I didn't and told him that; it appears someone was in my apartment and used the bed! Once I got to Rota, I could see what my friend had seen and I thought the same thing: the real estate agency as they were the only others with a key. Though I complained and demanded an explanation, they didn't claim any responsibility for it. I've mentioned this to many spanish and american friends living in Spain and am told this happens quite often. Some worker in that agency knows that the owner is gone, the place is empty and just takes the keys and uses it at their convenience to have a party of two or of ten, and leave a mess. At least I didn't have a lot they could do in my apartment, as I had hardly anything but lots of boxes, but I have heard some horror stories in Sevilla and other places. So, be very careful and always have friends with an extra key to call and ask to have them check your place.

I cannot believe it's only three more days I have three remaining days in Spain and by the end of this new week I'll be back in the big City. YUCK! Now to figure out how to get my stuff to Rota!!!