so quiet and peaceful

Crowds eagerly gather at the ClovisFest on the Rodeo Grounds in Clovis, California.  The yearly tradition of hot air balloons gracing the skies of the central valley of California begins with onlookers such as these as they cheer Bon Voyage! to the navigation crews. 

And away they float into the great wide open.  Mike Kilcrease finds himself mesmerized by the brightly colored balloon canvases as they gently drift farther afield.  

 "They are so quiet and peaceful, just floating in the air. It reminds me of lying in a hammock."

some people just know

Some people just know from the get-go.

Angel Barajas of Woodland, California.

circa 1987/1988

perspective

Looking closely, one should surely see in the background the famous Half Dome of Yosemite National Park in Yosemite, California.  Yet at first glance, attention is drawn to the curious squirrel posing for his photo shoot.  Quirky they are, the peculiarities of this perspective.

suspended in time

Ice cream cones, cotton candy and fun under the sun.  Plunking pennies into the water glasses and screeching with joy to win one ill-fated little goldfish.  It's 1 in the afternoon and the day has just begun...What to do with the goldfish for the rest of the day?  "Daddy, will you...???"  In  a moment, attention is diverted away from the fish and drawn on to more promising prospects.  Pulling on Dad's t-shirt and begging impatiently for more ride tickets is now the principal aim...Other kids are racing and will beat you to the long lines for the main attraction if you don't get a move on.  Ahhh, the Giant Dipper.  The classic symbol of summertime thrill on the Beach Boardwalk in Santa Cruz, California.  As a child, the now-not-so-massive drop was the ultimate in colossal-sized adventure.  Facing the drop with brave hands in the air was enough to generate brag-worthy fodder on the school playground for months. 

                                        

As an adult now, I get back to the boardwalk from time to time and enjoy the chair-lift ride above the park to take in the view of the ocean and the little ones below enjoying the extravaganza like I used to.  Letting my feet dangle as I did when I was a youngster, I love floating in and out of memories while I glide from one end of the park to another.  Sometimes the chair-lift stops and leaves one suspended in place, suspended in time, for a few moments.  I imagine that now, looking down below to see a little girl tugging on her Daddy's t-shirt and begging for more ride tickets.

deal with it

No matter our persuasion, we must all agree that at certain moments, in certain situatons, it's all about shaking things up by getting to the point.

Certain moments call for eloquence and elaboration; showing diplomacy by using the vast array of words in our vocabulary as if they were individual brush strokes painting the most ornate pictures of rhetorical prose...Other times, however, we must cut to the chase, get down to the point and be real. 

At the entrance to the Gay Rodeo in San Diego, California, this sign speaks volumes despite the lack of elaborate elocution.  Life is sometimes too short to apologize and accomodate.  Come as you are, take in what is and deal with it.

playing with perception

It’s San Francisco in black and white, and yet it feels like Gotham City. Mobs of people hurry about the streets and yellow taxi cabs dart strategically, skillfully weaving in and out of traffic. The gray and shadow of the skyline grab hold of my imagination. I hear a newsboy crying the latest headline. I see coppers slowly roaming the streets with a watchful eye and a heavy baton in hand. In a moment I have forgotten reality and start to wonder when a masked hero will plunge from the building tops and descend valiantly to street level. There will be action. There will be excitement.

Playing with perception, I can see a world which isn’t really there. Is that right? Or, what else could be under my nose all along that I am just not letting myself see?