kites...

I stopped at Ocean Beach on the way home from work yesterday. It was almost a nice day. Kind of cold due to the fierce winds but perfect for kite flying!
I have not flown a kite in quite some time. I thing there has been some breakthroughs in kite technology because the flier had a two handle contraption. Also, long tails on the kite. Perfect for doing tricks!
There were about 4 kites going. They were all moving around and it was fun to watch. I am glad I went home this way!
also, I think I want one!

Potter Mania...

Friday night bets and I headed to the Castro to procure a copy of the new deathly hallows...
First we needed some nourishment in the form of a large cup of hot chocolate.
Sweet inspirations has all you could ever want, cake, pie, gelato, and other various treats.
We realized that it was 11:15 on Bets phone so we left Sweet inspirations for the bookstore. Bets has a nice phone!
Books Inc. was having a Harry Potter Party and I was stoked because I wanted to see dorks in costumes. In SF one really doesn't need to wait for Halloween to dress up. Why anyone can dress up as any current event...
Here was dolores umbridge walking around giving detention to all the bad people in line...
luckily we were sorted into Hufflepuff house so we did not get in trouble. I was stoked to be sorted in this house because, duh, botany.
Bets was bummed. She wanted Slytherin because, evil.

We waited in line for about 45 minutes in a hot stuffy store that was totally crowded. it sucked I had to say and at times we questioned our plan to get the book on opening night. I am sure they are everywhere now and no lines! Luckily there were other books around and we passed the time.
At 12am, pandemonium hit. people went nuts, but there was no stampede! We got our books and walked home to read chapter 1! The wait was over.

I finish the book last night. So good. anyone want to talk about it?? send me an email.

magnolia!!

The other day as I was leaving the Academy after working on my thesis (yes, back on track) I came across a magnolia tree in bloom. If you have ever seen a magnolia tree you know what a treat to see the flowers are. They are large, leathery, and showy. They have numerous petals and reproductive parts. They are favored in the horticultural trade and are NOT native to CA. Magnolias are one of the oldest floral lineages. They are also well photographed!
The tree was small but there were a few flowers on them. I love how the light reflects off each petal creating different lights and darks. A perfect subject for any budding B&W photographer!
like I said these flowers are HUGE! This is my normal hand next to one for scale. Holy smokes!
I gorilla keyed this species via the Internet to Magnolia grandiflora. A total guess and I am sorry but there is no key for the ones found in California. This species is the most common so I am sticking to it! Go out and photograph one of these flowers if you get a chance!

Summer, really??

This morning (and for the past few) I would step out to this bleak scene. cold, wet fog. jackets are needed, scarves optional. Yes, it is the middle of July and you are freezing to death. Got to love summer in SF.
Most of my commute was in the fog. The peninsula gets socked in also.
but I find summer when I get to the job site! instantly warmer! Sun out! Vitamin D being produced.
South and east of the bay area have quite a different climate. I do love the fog though, especially walking around the Presidio's many hiking trails at dusk. Sure it is kind of spooky but I love it.

Ani Difranco...

It is true. I am a fan. I know this makes me, well, I don't know what it makes me. All I know is whoever I told I had tickets to the concert, they laughed. I am not an angry lesbian or anything, I just love her songs and playing style. She shreds the guitar. She plays with all 10 fingers. She can write. She started her own record company. What's not to like.
I tried to smuggle my camera into the Warfield yesterday and if I was successful this is the caliber of photos I would have taken. But security was too thorough and I had to check it. bummer.
The concert was rad! She played all her hits and entertained us with her witty banter. She is so funny. I had a great night. I don't even care if anyone laughs at me.

The Order...

yesterday was a interesting day at work. I was in the office slowly going insane (data entry), when I got a frantic call from a co-worker. She had got out of the truck to open a gate and locked herself out with the motor running! Luckily she had her phone in her pocket and called me. I got to drive the spare key out to her so she can continue with her day. Embarrassing for sure but I did not laugh at her that much and was glad for the break in monotony. Imagine being locked out of your car for 2 hours while it is running, in the middle of nowhere on a dirt road. I don't like to brag, but I was a hero...
On my way home I took this photo of a horse.

After work I met up with a few friends to see this...
The last bit of the movie was in 3-D which is neat. Bets and Nate couldn't wait or contain their excitement!
We saw the movie on the IMAX screen. Holy smokes! it is a big screen.

The movie was good! I liked the Professor Umbridge character. She was creepy and mean and you really hate her. They cut out a bunch of stuff from the book but I guess they didn't want to make a 4.5 hour movie!
I am soooo excited about the release of the last book even though I did not pre-order. I hope I can find one...

7.2 MEGAPIXELS!!!!

Wow what a difference 4 megapixels makes! First off larger (more megabites) pictures. I am going to need a larger hard drive. Second, I love this new camera, the larger view screen, the smaller size, etc. I really have to size my photos down for the blog!

So the first photo I took was of a flower (of course) to test the macro lens. I believe this is an ornamental member of the Malvaceae family. I like the close up function but did not get to play around because I was pressed for time to get to Radio Shack to get a memory card. WOW! these things get cheaper and cheaper!
When I got back I went on the girls roof and took some photos. Here is a normal magnification photo...
5x zoom photo...
10x zoom... all from the same vantage point. Got to love that. This feature will be helpful in tracking movements of snakes or birds without getting close.

here is the SUNSET setting. it kind of washes out the colors. It might work out better if I was at the beach.
I can't wait to figure out what all the buttons and modes do. Yeah!!

back in the game...

I bought this beauty today. I lost my digital camera sometime around my birthday, I am not sure where or when. Lame. I loved that camera. We went to New Zealand together. We took sooo many pictures of plants. I documented my life for the past 3 years with that camera. Then I lost it. I looked everywhere for the thing, even rearranging my room to find it but to no avail. I hope he has a good home and wasn't traded for crack or anything lame like that.

I am excited about this new camera! It has 4 more mega pixels than my previous model and it is a bit less bulky even with the 10x optical zoom. There is a huge 3" screen on the back! Tons of other features that I don't know what they do yet! So excited!

My Plants of the Week feature is going to look sooo sweet now! I do not have to steal photos off the Internet!

Calochortus!!!

The other day I was in the field walking in front of a tractor making sure they don't run over snakes when I saw this yellow Calochortus in the distance. I did not have my camera with me and I unfortunately I could not collect it. From memory I think the species was Calochortus clavatus var. pallidus.

The above photos are other varieties of this species. Calochortus is one of my all time favorite flowers. They have 3 petals which are often speckled, hairy or brightly colored. They grow from bulbs and do not flower for long. Since they are so pretty and hard to grow horticulturaly, many are protected. I wish I would have had a permit to collect some from this patch so I can get a positive id but this guerrilla id will have to do.

Thank you Cindy

yet another online quiz I got from Cindy's blog! This time we came up with different results. I love wasting time on the internet and finding out stuff about myself.
This makes me sound like a bit of a slut...

Your Score: The Liberated Lover

72% partner focus, 52% aggressiveness, 65% adventurousness

Based on the results of this test, it is highly likely that:

You prefer your romance and love to wild and daring rather than typical or boring, you would rather pursue than be pursued and, when it comes to physical love, your satisfaction comes more from providing a wonderful time to your partner than simply seeking your own.

This places you in the Lover Style of: The Liberated Lover.

The Liberated Lover is a wonderful Lover Style, and forms the kind of free-thinking, sexually-exciting, self-confident lover that society once condemned but that a liberal-mind cherishes and exults. The Liberated Lover is a treasure to find, though it can sometimes be difficult to do so because they are often already engaged in relationships or are in high-demand if "in the market."

In terms of physical love, the Liberated Lover is possibly the most thrilling and demanding of all, with the one potential drawback being that it is possible to feel 'overmatched' at times by their prowess and selfless giving. Given trust and understanding, and the right lover, the Liberated Lover can be a delight in bed.

Best Compatibility can probably be found with: The Exotic Lover (most of all) or the Carnal Lover, or the Suave Lover.
Congratulations!
Thanks Again! -- THE LOVER STYLE PROFILE TEST