Annual Visitors

One of the highlights of our backyard is a small pond. It's not very large being about four feet across and being under three feet and in depth. It's a highlight due to all of the wildlife it attracts. The nearest springs are both over a half a mile away so many birds and small animals use it for a water source. The birds bathe in it on almost a daily basis. Perhaps maybe even more as I'm not watching it all of the time. Each spring we get an invasion of the Pacific Chorus Frogs along with a few Western Toads. They come to the pond to breed and they provide a chorus of noise every evening. It's surprisingly loud! They in turn are followed by an annual invasion of Garter Snakes that come to eat the pollywogs as well as the Goldfish that we keep in the pond as well. This afternoon I spotted one of the Garter Snakes sunning itself on a rock in the pond. I grabbed my camera and then crawled on my belly to the edge of the pond. I was far too close and I had to back up go back in the house and add a 12mm extension tube so that I could focus that close up. When I was finished I slowly stood up and made an image of it from up above looking down on the rock where it was resting. God's love and blessings to all, chris all of these images were created with a Canon 7D MkII camera and a Canon 100-400 IS v.1 lens with a 12mm extension tube for close focusing. #TeamCanon

Praying for the Return of the Fog

When I first moved to the Redwoods just inland from the North Coast of California in 1989 I remember the fog rolling in from the ocean at least three to four times a week. It's beautiful to behold and it provides nourishment for the Redwood trees to be healthy through the summer. The incoming marine layer hits the tall trees and ridges causing fog drip that falls like rain around the bases of the trees. Within the last five years or so I have noticed the fog rolling in less and less. Now it seems like the fog only comes in three or four times a month robbing the redwoods and the rest of the forest of the moisture that it needs to be healthy. I wondered if my empirical record keeping had any validity? Today I did a little research and there are plenty of studies that show this to be true. The lack of fog is impacting the health of the Redwoods in California in a negative way. Hopefully the last few weeks mark the beginning of a change in the fog patterns. The marine layer has been rolling in almost every night as of late. That would be a wondrous change and something good we can pray for. God's love and blessings to all, chris This image wascreated with a Canon 7D MkII camera and a Tamron 18-200mm lens, #TeamCanon, #WithMyTamron

Historic William Schwerin Photo Collection

I've really got my work cut out for me. Here is just a small sample of the prolific collection of my Grandfather William Schwerin's photos. My long term goal is to eventually digitize and post his whole collection of images. I'm starting with copying his photographs and eventually I'll move onto scanning his negatives. It's a pretty amazing collection. The pick up in the top center of this photo shows the shop truck of the Schwerin Brake Service which is still in business today in San Francisco on Bush St. This image was created with a Canon 7D MkII camera and a Canon EF-S 17-85mm lens. #TeamCanon

City Boy

In my college years I spent some time living in the city of Sacramento. Luckily I lived in an apartment right next to the levee of the American River. I spent a lot of time kayaking, fishing and swimming in the river. It was my saving grace as it helped my sanity by having nature just over the top of the levee. Over the weekend I visited relatives in the Sacramento area. I made it a point to visit where I used to live. I found that the apartments had been converted to high end senior condos for 55 and up. Just down the street in Campus Commons I found some Wild Turkeys strutting in front of an office complex. Judging by how fat this on was they weren't lacking for food! This image was created with a Canon 7D mkII camera and a Tamron 150-600mm G2 lens. Fill flash was provided by a Canon 550 EX flash, #TeamCanon, #WithMyTamron