To another year with the Love of my life

For our 37th!!!!!! anniversary, we decided this year instead of going out to dinner and dressing up, to pack a picnic and go to the beach. 
After work, we headed home, changed clothes, threw blankets, cooler, camera and thermos into the Miata and headed to DePalo's Deli in Shell Beach.

http://www.depaloandsons.com/

Yum & Yum

Picked up a couple of crab cakes, garlic spiced shrimp, chicken breast parmesan, one meat ball, a baguette, a pluot and an apple.  Must go back and get some of Dr. Tedone's fresh mozarella cheese.

Then we headed to Avila Beach, as Pismo and Shell Beach were already fogged in.  Avila was still sunny.  Picked the beach north of the pier.  Perfect!

The pelicans were out in force and you could see pods? of seals out in the water.

We ate and just enjoyed being at the beach with no agenda.  Slowly the fog took over and it got a bit chilly, packed up, cruised around a bit then home.

A perfect way to spend our special day......

2009 Scott Kelby Worldwide Photo Walk

This past Saturday, the 18th, my sis & I took part in a really cool thing. Scott Kelby held a 2nd Annnual Worldwide Photowalk in which over 30,000 people participated and I believe held in over 900 cities world wide.

http://worldwidephotowalk.com/

We chose 1 of the 4 San Diego locations. Liberty Station, NTC.

http://wikimapia.org/5569888/Liberty-Station-Former-Naval-Training-Center-San-Diego

A short history on the base. Did not find much, but know there is so much to this historic area. Mom recalls going to the exchange and the commissary there while dad was stationed in SD at MCRD next door.

With our family's history in the military, we jumped at the chance to learn more.

We met great people along the way. So here are some of the shots of the 2 hour walk. You had to really look for shots, but it was well worth it.

I was trying out my aperature settings, then converted to b&w

This anchor chain is from the ship below.

USS Recruit, the only commissioned ship that was never in the water.

Magnolia Leaves

We were across from the SD Airport and I kept trying to get a "great picture" of a plane taking off, but this is about it....

Holy Cow!

Trying out different angles and playing around

Looking at some of the new through the old

Pavers by supporters of the base renovation

Base Commander's Office

Reviewing the days shots, while being shot

Where I sat while waiting for the illusive plane take off, supposed to be every 90 seconds? Don't think so

The final hour and our shadows on the wall

What a great day!

Black & White

 

This picture made it into a Black & White exhibit at the Morro Bay Art Association

It will be on display through July 4th

http://www.morrobayartassociation.org/index.html 

My first tries with digital black & whites

This is a roof top in the town of Modica, Sicilia

 

Hume Lake in Kings Canyon

"Dare to Knock"

A door knocker on a church in Enna, Sicilia

Girasole Sunrise

Taken across from our home

These sprouted from seeds dropped by the birds

Sorti to the Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks

 

Riding through these Giant Sequoia's is a humbling experience.....

 

We stopped along the river in Kings Canyon and these blue buttterflies were grouped at the water's edge, when they flew, they showed a gorgeous blue on the inside of their wings.

 

Terry by the waters edge

 

Out on the rock with a bit of help, motorcycle boots are not climbing shoes...

 

  

Grizzly Falls

A quick ride, but worth it every time....

on a Thursday, genovedi, evening

A deviation from my Sicilian adventures, to my everyday reality.  

After fixing and cleaning up dinner, I decided to set up my camera on the tripod in the kitchen window to catch the Orioles and Hummers at dusk.  They always become more active at that time.  

I have had 2-3 pairs of Orioles coming the last few years in the Spring.  With 2 varieties and their mates.  They are such a gorgeous yellow and black.

Here are a few pictures from this evening....

If you look closely, there are 3 hummers, the one in the back is comical through the liquid of the feeder.

more of day 2, 3/14

From the farm, we left our friend, who had some business to tend to and we would meet up with later to head to Modica.....chocolate, here we come.
The citta (city) was founded either 1360bc or 1031bc, there are conflicting dates. And while well known for many things, we were after the famous Chocolate of Modica, from an ancient Aztec recipe.

 

  

This is reminiscent of Ponte Vecchio in Florence.  Lover's Locks.   There were many locks on the fence overlooking the city.

 The Church in Modica.

 

chocolate, chocolate, chocolate

 

 We also went to Rogusa Ibla, and now that it has been a month already, I can't keep the cities straight, so much for my memory.

The city suffered a major earthquake in 1693 and many structures were damaged.  The patron saint in St. George.  San Giorgio Vecchio has a re-entrant facade with notable Gothic-Catalan portal and high relief on the lunetta portraying St. George slaying the dragon. One of the few pieces left standing.

http://www.bestofsicily.com/ragusa.htm

You can read more at this website and understand it better than I am relaying.

 

Les & Ang in the park

 

la tazza necessaria di caffè

  

I just loved these two perched up on top of a building.

Mi due

Uomini  Mafioso 

And that is it for another day, the way I am going, I just might have this done by the next time I return, which isn't even planned yet......

 

 

Day 2, out and about March 14 Sabado

Our 2nd day of adventure began with leaving early to meet a local friend of the kids. He was born in Sicilia, grew up in New Jersey, married a local Sicilian girl and migrated back to his home town of Scoglitti. More about that later.
He had us follow him to a local farm that produces cheese that they send world wide. Which is amazing, because the cheese making room is not bigger than one of our bedrooms. They have special cows, which for the life of me now escapes their origin, that produces their outstanding cheese.
For breakfast we were treated with fresh, warm, out of the barrel, Riccotta cheese with fresh baked bread, oh my goodness, nothing like it!

 

But of course, I did not get a picture of breakfast, but here are a few pictures of the cheese room.

 

  

The kids did buy some of this and we ate off it for the next week, soooo good!

 

This region had rock perimeters, sheds, houses, walls everywhere.  Unlike any other place I had seen.  The capstones were so uniform.

 

This is Terry, Tony and Les with the farmhouse in the background.

 

And my friend, he was so sweet, but only spoke Italian.

Only time for this entry, and so much more to tell you......domani

sogni di oro