Candy Art

Here a candy sculptor entertained us with her creativity and skillful hands.

She took requests from the audience and in minutes was able to sculpt a different animal or creature out of a block of molten corn syrup.

She showed off her masterpieces after her demonstration.

- Karen

Wordless Wednesday

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- Karen

Banana Slugs

An abundant of active banana slugs were foraging through the forest during my hike.
They are native to California and the Pacific Northwest for the foggy and moist weather.
They look like a banana, but I can guess they do not taste like one although people have known to eat them cooked.

- Karen

Bench in the Sky

Encountering this tree, one has many questions...
Who decided to put a bench up a tree?
Why would someone put a bench up a tree?
How does one get up there?
What does one see from that angle?
Or, is it simply considered art for passers-by to ponder from below?

- Karen

Wordless Wednesday

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I saw this tureen at a museum, but would you use it to hold your food?

- Karen

The Constant Gardener

The seasons change, but this gardener does not.
He stands and toils away 24 hours a day, 7 days a week without saying a word, without a complaint, just reflecting on his environment.

- Karen

Faded Memories

Only a month ago, these trees served an important purpose in someone's household.
Now, with the gifts gone and decorations removed, it is ready to be recycled.
Or, it can be re-used as a street corner display.

- Karen

Wordless Wednesday

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Knock, Knock

No one was home on this particular morning at the garden.
Where could they have been?
The weather was cold and overcast. I would have stayed home.

- Karen

Wordless Wednesday

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Other participants can be found here.

- Karen

Show Me the Way

Do you have a good sense of direction?
Both hummingbird and compass says the wind is blowing towards the north during a cold and overcast day in San Francisco.

- Karen

Dining in a Far Away Land

A restaurant in the middle of the exotic Mayan ruins?
No, but a restaurant with ambience as if you were there.
Happily, minus the mosquitoes which would not leave me alone when I was at the actual ruins.

- Karen

Wordless Wednesday

The first Wordless Wednesday of the year!
Hope 2011 is starting out well for you!

- Karen

Happy New Year!

Hope your new year is filled with
love, laughter, good health, more wealth, and photographic adventures!
Happy New Year!

An interesting article found on PC World: New Year's Resolutions for Photographers.

- Karen

Wordless Wednesday

It's Wordless Wednesday again. Where has the year gone?
Happy New Year to you!

Merry Christmas

Saw this decorated cardboard standup outside someone's home.
I guess he can wave "Happy Holidays" to everyone who passes by.

Merry Christmas to each and every one of you who drop by and read my blog regularly! Without you, blogging would not be as fun!

- Karen

Wordless Wednesday

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Candy, Candy, Candy

That is tens of thousands of jelly beans sculpted into the Statue of Liberty including the pedestal.
Have you seen anything this sweet?

- Karen

Veggie Art

As a child, some of us might have been told by our parents to eat our vegetables or not to play with our food. I guess these produce artists did not listen.



- Karen

Wordless Wednesday

For those really big mistakes.
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Dinner With A View

Dinner at 80 feet in the air.
This pricey Mastro's Restaurant in a Las Vegas mall is modeled after a tree house.

Empty during the time I visited, it is only open during dinner hours.
Come back when it is open and enjoy your candlelight dinner with a view.

- Karen

Light House

This is a model of the historical Placer County Courthouse in Auburn, California. The city came into height of popularity during the gold rush era of the 1850's. Today, the building is a museum and open to the public where you can see this beautiful replica and learn about the history of the area.

P.S. I will be out of town for a week and will respond to you upon my return. Thank you for visiting.

- Karen

Half a Dozen To-Go

I felt sorry for the unhappy man who was pushing the 6-passenger Bye Bye Buggy uphill.
The woman next to him seemed to be helping, but who knows how much effort she was exerting.

- Karen

Wordless Wednesday

It's Wordless Wednesday again.

- Karen

Legion of Honor

One of the more unique buildings in San Francisco is the Legion of Honor fine art museum. It is a three-quarter scale model of the Palais de la Légion d'Honneur in Paris, except with a striking view of the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance.

You have seen a picture of its interior in my previous post and here is the museum's spacious courtyard with a replica of Rodin's The Thinker.

Many wedding parties use it as a backdrop for their photo memories like this happy couple and their entourage on the day I visited.

- Karen

Wordless Wednesday

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- Karen

Fore!

I don't play golf, but if I did, I think I want to play here at the Lincoln Park Golf Course in San Francisco.
With such a nice view, I don't know if I can concentrate on the ball.

Night Lights

Photography in low light is different as night and day, literally. Our camera club visited the local miniature golf course and I composed this shot. I would not have been able to capture the concentric circles if I photographed this same spinning windmill blade during the day.

Here is the same object closer and from a different angle.
Both of these shots required long exposures (13-15 seconds in both of these cases), a tripod, and some patience.

- Karen

Wordless Wednesday

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- Karen

Secret Entrance

Walking through the forest, this building with an open door comes into view.
How to access this discreet entrance? Where does it lead?
Curiosity and bravery will be the guide.

- Karen

Veterans Day

November 11th was declared "Armistice Day" in 1919 by U.S. President Wilson to remember the end of World War I a year before. In 1954, U.S. President Eisenhower renamed the holiday to "Veterans Day" to honor American military veterans of all wars.
Today was no exception.
Local firefighters draped a flag in the middle of downtown before the start of the parade.

As I doubt anyone from the American Revolutionary War is still with us, these representatives remind us of the sacrifices those soldiers made from centuries ago.

Same here with representatives from the American Civil War.

Most importantly it is a day to remember those veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice on the battlefield.

- Karen

Wordless Wednesday

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- Karen

Rows & Columns

All columns and rows standing perfectly apart since 1924. They meet on the floor and they meet on the ceiling, but they never touch.

- Karen

A Dog's Duty

Whether chasing squirrels, burying bones, or battling fountains, a dog's work is never done!

- Karen

Wordless Wednesday

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