Carnaval Parade

A few sample photos from the 15th annual Carnaval Parade in San Francisco over the weekend. After waiting for many years, I finally had to opportunity to attend for the first time this year.
Over 70 groups participated in this diverse and colorful cultural event filled with music and dance.

Hundreds of women in skimpy costumes paraded by making it look like a nice summer-like day.
If the truth be told, participants on the sidelines, including me, complained about the cold weather. After standing for over 2 hours, my fingers and toes became numb from the bone-chilling breeze.
At that point, I wished I was at home in a warm bed.

Yes, there were men in the parade like these in equally colorful costumes.

In all the pictures, you might have noticed people in the background standing on the outside ledge of their 2nd story window. I don't think I would stand there or just below them.

- Karen

The Vault

Where am I?
It looks a little like a prison or a reminder of a horror movie.
A long, deserted, and dimly-lit corridor.

Is this a cell or fortress to keep one in?

It is San Francisco's Old Mint which opened in 1854 to turn gold into coins. In less than 20 years, its operations outgrew the building and it moved into another location a few miles away.
To date, there are only three United States Mint buildings. One in Philadelphia, another in Denver, and the "new" Mint in San Francisco.

On this day, the Old Mint was open to the public and I heard eventually turned into a museum. The 2nd photo was actually a vault where the gold or coins were stored, but today like all the other vaults in the corridor, stand empty.

- Karen

Wordless Wednesday

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- Karen

Pet Parade

Attended the 10th Annual Redwood City Pet Parade this past weekend and saw a variety of costumed dogs. Like this little one dyed in pink.

And, this one in green.

Even this angel with or without the halo.

Busy pugs engaged in a sniffing frenzy.

I can't quite figure out what this getup is suppose to be.

Of course, a parade isn't complete without chickens. Surprisingly, no drooling dogs were following this float.

"Klepto the Cat" was the parade's grand marshal. Klepto made it onto the local news recently and even onto Animal Planet TV when he was unmasked as the cat burglar who foraged into neighbor's yards on a nightly basis to steal their belongings.
See Klepto in action on this video http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=7997043

Side Note: Thank you for coming back to read my blog. It has been a busy May and I took a longer break than anticipated.

- Karen

Seeing Double

Taken with my cell phone, I moved as the shutter was closing and I got this interesting result, a ghost image of each of the goose and all looking in the same direction.

I will be off for a few days and look forward to reading your posts when I return.

- Karen

Is He Real?

A few weeks back, I visited the Cantor Arts Center on the Stanford University campus. Inside the museum, I spotted this motionless man in the distance.
I thought he must be very tired or talking on his cell phone although I heard no sound uttered in his direction.

After I few minutes, I slowly approached him from the side for a closer look.
Is he real?

No, "David" is not a living, breathing human being, but he is a realistic life-size sculpture called "Slab Man" by Duane Hanson.
I wonder if the museum has a camera trained on "David" to get a good laugh of all those who come about cautiously.

Click on this photo to read the placard on the wall that is next to the sculpture.

- Karen

Wordless Wednesday

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- Karen