Apple Picking Time

When we first bought our home there was a lone fruit tree in the backyard, an apple tree and near it the stump of a dead fruit tree of some sort. We closed in the fall and on the tree were maybe five pitiful, tiny apples. We weren't sure if it was just a bad apple tree or if the tree suffered from a lack of water since the house had been unoccupied for a long time.

So our expectations weren't too high for future of the tree but we were curious to see what it would produce this year. I still don't think it got the consistent water it needed to really produce and that leads me to wonder if the apples would be significantly larger if it was heavily and consistently watered. Can't say. But we did get a pretty good little harvest of apples this year even though we lost quite a few to the critters and our dog who enjoys picking the low hanging fruit, playing with it and eating it we still harvested three or four grocery bags of apples on the small tree over a couple weeks time.

Based on the taste and shape I have figured out that these are cooking apples, but haven't figured out the variety. Again it would be easier if the fruit was a little larger and more distinct looking. So far I've made pie filling twice, enough for two pies and I think that's what I'll do with these apples. Maybe I'll just freeze the pie filling and save it for Thanksgiving. That sounds good to me right now. We'll give thanks for our own apples and own beautiful, home baked apple pie.

Earlier this week we cleared the tree of all the remaining apples and threw any that had worms or bites taken out of them from critters over the wall (about 10 feet away) to the deer path where the deer come down the mountain each night about sundown foraging for food. We were happy to share with them. We also have a family of about 10 quail who live under the trees right there and we often see them out eating in the mornings and afternoons. At one point there were about 15 baby quail in the group. Now there is a pack of full-grown birds.

Our neighbors have told us all year that the apple tree is dangerous because it will attract bears. It seemed too sad to cut it down just in case a bear came around but I can tell you that I've been watching closely for any sign of bears and carrying a metal pole and very high powered flashlight outside with me when I have to go out after dark. (Humor me and pretend that is going to protect me, I know it's a stretch. The flashlight is probably a better weapon than the pole since it's completely blinding.)

Part of the tree hangs over the wall of our landscaped backyard, so I have remained surprised all fall that there did not seem to be any apples picked or nibbled on from that side of the tree. This would be the prime access point for bears and deer who could easily reach these branches. All the nibbling has been taking place near the trunk in the walled yard. Still not sure what's been eating those apples but it definitely looks more like bites than bird pecks. We don't have a lot of squirrels here, but have tons of bunnies, who I can't imagine climbing trees through I could be wrong. Maybe it's bobcats? Who knows.

I took the photo above in our kitchen sink. When I walked in after Kiddo had washed and cleaned all the apples I found them in my favorite colander sitting in the stainless steel sink and the lighting was just amazing and the water droplets made it even more beautiful. I'm always surprised at those moments when it takes absolutely no effort to grab an amazing photo. The ceramic colander, by the way, I bought at the riverside flea market in Portland, in 2000 I think it was. It was fun to go back there last summer and I'm itching to go again. Would love to take the family. I keep thinking I need to sneak in a surprise trip there this fall since we have airline vouchers we need to use.

I am watching the weather a little more carefully than normal since I have a potted tomato plant outside. If I play my cards right I think I can get it inside near one of our many windows and maybe even keep it producing over the winter. We'll see. But I know it's going to be a goner if it catches the first winter frost, which could be coming any day. One thing I have greatly enjoyed is NOT battles all the little California coastal gnats and white flies this summer. In fact I did not have to do any pesticide control at all on my herbs and tomatoes. Such a delight! It was a constant and nasty battle in Los Angeles and one that I don't miss.

Have you been gardening? Dealing with critters or enjoying a lovely harvest this fall? Do you still have cutting flowers? I didn't plant any of those this year but would definitely like to next year. Sending you best and warmest wishes. Thanks for coming by!

Here's a link to my favorite apple pie filling recipe. It's easy and delicious which is the best combination of all, right? Betty Crocker's Scrumptious Apple Pie.

Is My Camera Lens Here?

You will laugh at me. It's 1:05 AM and I just ran outside in my pjs to see if I had a package on the front porch waiting for me. Darn it, it's not there. Maybe tomorrow. But I thought it was the perfect time to share with you what I'm waiting for.

image via amazon

I never did quite figure out what I wanted for my birthday. I always pick one thing I really want and buy it for myself for my birthday. Recently I mentioned to some people that I buy myself a birthday present and much to my surprise one of the folks was shocked that I would buy myself my own birthday present. Who better to buy myself the perfect gift than me? I always use my birthday and Christmas as a time to get something that I have needed and wanted.

So while I've been waiting and stewing, waiting out the end of our house hunt, I was looking at photos I have been taking of the houses we've looked at. It's practically impossible to get anything more than small glances or far away shots with a regular old basic DSLR lens or the top of the line iPhone. As The Man and I continue to talk about how we want to decorate our new home (when that happens) I have known from the start that it is going to be a fixer upper situation.

It struck me like lightening that there was no way we would ever truly capture the excitement and progress of creating a new home in photos without the right camera lens. So i jumped right on the internet and started doing my research and within just a few minutes, like five max, I came across a bunch of great referrals for the Canon EF-S 10-18mm lens that would be just perfect for my Canon camera. The recommendations repeatedly said this was the perfect camera for anyone who needs ot take real estate photos. Perfection.

The recommendations all said while you could go with the Canon EF-S 10-22 which has a fantastic reputation as a great wide angle lens, the newer 10-18 was about half the price and could do just about anything one needed. SOLD!

I ordered it immediately and it should be arriving any minute now via Amazon Prime. I am so excited because now we'll be able to document a fantastic journey for our family and what will be one of the most exciting art projects of our life. Such a worthwhile investment.

I am seriously so excited to get this camera lens and hoping in the next few days we have more information on where our house hunt will end.

PS: A little house hunt update. Well, it's with mixed emotions that I share that we've already seen a bit of the light about the house we lost out on a few weeks ago. Gosh it's already been six weeks I think. Anyway, heard that there have been a lot of problems with the inspections on that house and that with quite a bit of "delayed maintenance" that house might've been a real disaster for us -- and it was already at the very top of what we were willing to spend. Plus it had absolutely no landscaping which would've been very costly and there were some potentially very disruptive dogs yard right behind the backyard.

So even though we're not totally ready to accept saying goodbye to the beautiful rooms we loved so much there, it does seem like maybe it was a blessing rather than a curse. I'm pretty convinced of that and The Man even said he thinks maybe someone upstairs was watching out for us. I'm thinking yes, even though that person upstairs knew it would absolutely and completely break out hearts. I like life lessons that unravel to explain themselves in short order!

I happened by the house last night and was SO sad to see that it seems the new owners have taken down the beautiful vintage 70s light fixture that was such a part of the charm of the high ceiling front entryway. Disastrous. I thought I saw a soulless ceiling fan thrown up in the space. The horror.

I have more to share with you about that house and my opportunity to revisit it recently  -- and even take a part of it for us to keep. It was a pretty intense experience. Thanks for popping by. Have so much to share with you. Lists of blog posts I need to write up all over the place. -- And I'm so excited that I will have a new lens soon to be able to share with you a much broader view of all that's going on in the kalanicut world. Yay!

Now This Is What Summer Should To Be Like

As much as I loved living in coastal California, I have to say that I always missed having real summers, like I grew up with. Summer in SoCal is often cool and overcast and you would never leave for the evening in June and July without a sweater, sweatshirt or sometimes even a coat. That means 4th of July fireworks with a coat on.  It does eventually get hot in August, September and October but it always seemed a little sad not to be enjoying summer during the actual summer season. So experiencing a real, Intermountain West summer this year if filling me with glee!

The days are hot and dry, which means you need a lot of lotion and moisturizer, but your hair looks fantastic all the time and keeps it's style all day. No frizzies here! And you might even get a second day out of a blowout if you don't sleep on it too hard. It's fun to get warm enough to really enjoy an icy cold beverage or a shave ice without having to wear a jacket or sweater.

 I like the warm evenings with no need for a sweater and all the outdoor patio dining spots.I love coming home from work to a real nightfall rather than just clouds rolling in and obscuring the sun at night. We have the most amazing sunsets everyday here. Every afternoon big billowy clouds roll in from the west desert and make for the most amazing sunsets. With a view so big it's also amazing to enjoy lighting and thunderstorms too. I love watching the lightning light up the valley and then hearing the thunder roll through the skies.

The past two times it has rained the air has been filled with a smell of summer rain that is just intoxicating. Such an unique scent and one I have missed. In the evenings, wonderful, cool breezes come across the valley on one side of the house and on the other cool mountain breezes come down the hills. In the evenings it is so pleasurable to sit and enjoy the fresh cool air.

It's nice to have daylight after work. I cam home and got started on my patio container garden last night. I bought a couple of giant planters for some decorative outdoor plants that I will share with you soon.

It was so lovely to outside with so much nature around and be so close to the mountains.One morning I woke up and there was a big deer behind the back fence. Another morning there was a bobcat in the tree next door trying to get birds for breakfast. Every night there are little bunnies running around the neighborhood. As cute at they are, their presence will require having any garden covered with netting or cages. There are an amazing array of birds outside every morning.

It's very dark in this part of town after dark - a little scary at times but such a great place to look at stars! Plus looking down the hills there is a wonderful view of the city lights. It's quite a delightful spot to live. So grateful for this opportunity. Now if we can just find a house in this neighborhood. Fingers crossed. Prayers said.

How about these sunsets? I'm telling you they happen every night...every night. Such an amazing gift from Mother Nature! This summer stuff is making me feel a lot of happiness every night. I just want to make sure I enjoy every moment I can. Hopefully before the summer is over we'll have a pretty patio to entertain on and enjoy time with new friends and family.

images by kalanicut

Instagram Life Lessons

see all these images & more here

So I finally joined Instagram a few weeks ago and I've learned a few things. At first I was a little clueless about what I wanted to put there other than DIY projects I might be working on for the blog. So I felt it out for a while, read some articles on how to be a good Instagram-mer and watched what others did.

During one of our brainstorm/barnstorm sessions I asked EverKelly's advice on Instagram. Always ready with just the right words somehow, she told me I would find a niche that felt comfortable to me and suggested I set aside a few minutes each day to think about things I would like to photograph and post.

In the weeks that have followed I've learned some good life lessons from ol' Instagram. First, I've learned to slow down and start seeing the world around me. It's amazing the beauty of nature that I've enjoyed as I've challenged myself to lift my head up from my walking, riding and driving to see what is going on with plants and animals on the ground and the skies above me. There are so many beautiful flowers and trees putting on a beautiful show of color. In just a couple of weeks Jacaranda season will come to L.A. and our streets will be full of beautiful trees covered in purple blossoms.

I have noticed more beautiful things in the streets I walk daily than I've seen in years. I look at the flowers in front of our building every day now and the flowers in our neighbor's yards too. When I walked to the grade school there is a lot to see. I've been missing it by hurrying and scurrying. I always have my phone with me so now I'm trying to remember to look for things I can take photos of and to look up and see more than the sidewalks.

Wherever I go now, I am more thoughtful to see what there is to see, rather than multi-tasking in my head, just going through the motions of getting to where I need to go or getting home. I feel like I appreciate much more where I live and the little things of beauty all over in our world. What a gift and a blessing.

Second, I've learned to enjoy more the things I have in my home. Harkening back to Ever Kelly's words, I felt a draw to photograph treasures in my home. They may not mean much to someone else, but their beauty and history mean something to me and so reflect me and who I am. The things I've brought into my home I have put heart and thought into but it's easy to plop them somewhere and forget about them completely. I realized that I have treasures all over in my home that I don't even see. My eyes go right past them.

Now I like to take time to look around my home and see the treasures that I love and to photograph them in a way that reminds me why I chose them in the first place and why I find them meaningful and beautiful. I can tell you that looking past the laundry basket, bed to be made and kitchen floor that needs to be mopped I like my home lot more.

Beyond the mess of a little family, it reflects me, it reflects us and I love that. Sometimes it's easy to forget the beauty of the family too when one can only see the messes. A double-fold lesson there. Photographing bits of my home reminds me to love this place of beauty, love, safety and refuge - and to love and appreciate even more the people here.

Third, I've been reminded how very blessed I am and that the life I dream of is not as far as it sometimes seems from the reality that I live. This lesson reminds me of another life lesson I learned that I shared at re:Find Joy a few years ago about how my dream life was already in my life, I just wasn't seeing it.

There are so many little daily pleasures available to us all the time that we can forget to take advantage of: a walk, a sit in the sunshine, a few moments to laugh, time to read a book, cook a nice meal, phone a friend or family member or write a note...the options really are endless and they are just waiting for us.

Happiness, joy, peace and laughter are all just waiting for us, sitting right next to us waiting, waiting, waiting. Whether we lean over and take a moment to pick these beautiful flowers of life is our decision and only ours. What are we waiting for? Let's pick more, shall we?

Spring is a season full of simple pleasures. What simple pleasures are you enjoying this year? I'd love to hear from you and learn from what you know.

Inspiration: Pottery Barn Black & White Surf Prints

I had a few minutes to sit down and look through the latest Pottery Barn catalogs a few days ago and of course I loved PB Teen best. I don't know what that says about me, but I always see things there that really catch my eye. The entire ensembles are a little too much for me, but of course they are trying to fit in as many items as possible into one bedroom shot to sell products. I get that. But I would rarely want everything put together just as I see it in the catalog. That said there is so much in this room that I love: the metal bins, the shelving, framed art, light fixture, baskets, etc.

I seem to often gravitate more to the boys bedrooms than the pinky girl stuff, again not a big surprise. When I saw the photography in this room it got me thinking about the collection of really great photos I have from years of trips to Hawaii and living in Southern California. It gave me some good ideas for some DIY projects.

 

Here are close-ups of some of the black and white framed surf art available in the catalog. I love the simple chocolate brown frames with the black and white photos. I also started thinking about blowing up some of my photos to hang in the living room. While my brain is percolating, I thought I'd share this inspiration with  you.

One could do equally fun stuff with snow sport photos for a cabin or house in a more wintry climate. Black and white photos stay so classic that they can carry and keep their style for years. Photos really do become almost ageless in black and white. It's time for me to start playing with my photo collection and editing tools to see what I can come up with. I'd love to do something big with the two photos I used in this project.

I have so many fun beach photos I've taken over the years that I could probably come up with art to fill an entire house. I'd definitely love to update some of our walls with black and white photos from our favorite beaches. It would bring instant calm I think and play up the ocean breezes we get each afternoon.

Image 1 via PB Teen
Image 2 via PB Teen

Beach Photography Before Sunset

images by kalanicut

Let me just start by saying that this has been a terrible no good week. I'll post more about that shortly but I'll just give you a little taste by saying imagine a car breakdown far from home that resulted in an overnight stay and a repair of almost a thousand dollars and news that there still something unrelated to these repairs wrong with the car although it is drive-able. One word I heard that made my heart sink was "transmission" - and I got a new transmission just about four years ago. Sigh.

But let's not dwell on that right now. Let's talk about photography and the early evening hours. It's a magical time to take photos. The lighting it amazing and it's so easy to get photos that almost seem magazine quality. Here are a few favorites from an afternoon yesterday spent at the beach. The beach was quite alive with growth both in the water and out. We needed a hairband, so we grabbed a few pieces of sea grass and crafted our own pretty hair ribbon. I'm envisioning that blue shell fragment as a necklace in the future. We did find amazing shells and had a wonderfully relaxing time -- a great way to at least attempt to recover from the shock of the car situation.

Taking photos in the hours before sunset always gives me an inflated sense that I have a good eye for photography, haha. It's amazing how easily things look so beautifully from shells, to sand to lovely people too.

Here's a link to another great photography day just before sunset. Cameras Love The End of Day. I still remember one day we were at Balboa Park in San Diego just before sunset and there must have been five or more photographers taking engagement photos in the perfect light at the end of the day. It was crazy. But they are definitely onto something. Photos at the end of the day have a special light to them that you can't manufacture.

Favorite Things To Do Around The World

image via

Yesterday on Facebook there was a conversation about favorite things to do in Denmark, which is of course one of my favorite places on earth. I lived there, I love it there and I speak Danish. That got me thinking about favorite things to do in places I've been around the world and I thought I would share some here today.

Denmark: Karen Blixen Museum. Watch Out of Africa first. Skagen is a lovely city to visit as well. Bike riding in Scandinavia is a must.

Norway: Bergen. The Funicular takes you to an amazing forest and view of the city. Old Town there is fantastic as well. The train ride from Oslo to Bergen is unbelievably beautiful.

Sweden: Downtown Stockholm is incredibly gorgeous. Walking there is heavenly. Seeing the many small islands near Stockholm is lovely from the water as well. 

Bangkok: The street markets and tour of the waterways.

England: In London I loved going to a concert at St. Martin-of-the-Field church. Bread pudding served downstairs during intermission.

Scotland: Take a walk up in the hills of Holyrood Park. One of the most amazingly, refreshing days of my life. The tall grasses, the ocean winds and views of Edinburgh are fantastic.

Wales: St. Fagens National History Museum was a lovely day in the sun. Everywhere I turned was an amazing opportunity to take a gorgeous photo. The wandering was lovely too.

Baja Mexico: Todos Santos, Hotel California. So many gorgeous details to take in.

The Netherlands: Amsterdam walking is amazing. So much to see and take in. Bring your camera.

Tahiti: Papeete downtown market. Great place to buy beautiful handmade items and sweet smelling scents. And...I never saw a bad beach view in French Polynesia. Best tan I've ever had in my life. Lasted me all summer and into fall.

These are a few of my favorite experiences and sites around the world. How about you? A favorite day in a favorite place far away you can share with us?

12 Tips To Increase Interest In Your Pinterest Boards

Putting my marketing career cap on here to share 12 ways you can pump up the interest and influence of your Pinterest boards. These are all fun and easy things I've considered as I work on making my boards pretty - lessons I've learned in the trenches. Each one will help make your Pinterest site more eye-catching to visitors. All right, let's jump in.

1) Use a nice avatar photo. This is often the first thing people will see when they visit. Use a lovely professional photo of yourself or something to do with your business. First impressions are important. Not everyone loves a photo of your scruffy but lovable pet or something else not clearly connected to what you're doing on your boards.

2) Take the time to write a nice introduction to who you are, what you do and what to expect from your Pinterest boards. Again this is a first impression thing. Take the opportunity to draw in visitors with words as engaging as your pins. Don't leave this space empty or fill it up with meaningless junk. Say something welcoming and pleasant.

3) Think about your brand. Regardless of whether you are running a small business, a blog or are just pinning for fun, you are building a brand whenever you post anything online. What kind of brand are you creating? Is it consistent with who you are, who you want to be and where you want to go with your blog, business or online presence? Keep your online personality consistent and likable if you want to build a following and create opportunities for yourself.

4) Keep your board names short and simple. Give pins clear descriptions. There has been a real trend to use catchy names for boards that do not clearly identify what they are. For instance you might use "Ring-a-ding-a-ding" for a wedding board. If you want people to find your beautiful board on weddings, put wedding in the title. People are more interested in your content that how cutely you can name things. Give your pins clear descriptions so they are easy to find in a search. If you are hard to find they won't find you or your pretty pins.

5) Add your own content. Don't just pin other people's pins. Go to some of your favorite sites and pin your favorite products, fashions and designs - things that inspire you. There's always a genuine need and room for more beautiful pins on Pinterest.

6) Smartly organize the layout of your boards. There are different ways to do this.

• Focus on holidays. Now is a great time to move your Christmas decor and DIY boards to the top of your Pinterest page. After the holidays drop your holiday boards to the bottom and move anything to do with Valentine's Day, Spring, Easter, etc. up at the top of your page.
• Consider the season of the year. During the winter drop the summer oriented boards to the bottom and vice versa. 
• Put business first. If your board is business or blog oriented try to keep the boards most strongly associated with your brand at the top. If you sell pretty things on Etsy that you want to display but also have a board associated with your love of ugly dogs maybe put the dogs at the bottom.
•  Make sure the boards at the top of your page are pretty and robust. If you have some boards that would be good at the top of your page but don't have a lot of pins, take a few minutes to beef them up before you put them center stage.

7) Select gorgeous cover shots. Pick your prettiest, most eye-catching pins for the cover shot on each board. Make sure the photo fits in the space available and is clear, then center is so it looks pleasing to the eye. Next consider how each looks along side the boards surrounding it. Don't pick cover shots that don't look good next to each other. Try to find harmonious color combinations with all your cover shots so that your main Pinterest page feels cohesive and inviting.

8) Switch things up often. Move your more generic boards around and change up your cover shots regularly. This will help repeat visitors see that you are constantly improving and adding new things to your page. This is something I learned when I used to do craft fairs. Moving things around in the booth during the day would cause something to suddenly jump out and catch the eye of people who may have already visited several times before.

9) Clean up your boards once in a while. To keep your boards manageable and pretty, go through and delete those pins that you look back at and can't believe you pinned or that aren't meaningful to you anymore. Look for ways that tighten up your themes and organization. I recently went through my Wedding board that had gotten too big and unwieldy and broke it up into several smaller, more tightly themed boards. I also divided out my Kitchen board to be two more cohesive smaller boards.

10) Think about the mood you are setting. My best example here is all the really snarky, sarcastic cartoons on Pinterest. There are also a lot of bitter and depressive saying on Pinterest. Yes they are funny, but most are also pretty rude or just plain depressing. Some people won't care about this a bit, or will gladly stand by their love of snarkiness. But if you're trying to attract people to you for business, networking, friendship or even dating relationships it's something to consider. What are your boards telling your audience?

11) Leave nice comments. Snarky put downs are bad for brand. But leaving plenty of nice comments is great for your business, brand and online persona. See #10. You can create or destroy relationships in the comment section. You don't have to say everything that goes through your head.

12) Promote yourself and others graciously. Everyone wants followers on their social networking sites don't they? At the same time, no one likes pushy, heavy handed "invitations" to follow someone. But  you can easily offer a gentle invitation to check out your latest updates, tied into some event going on. You can send a tweet like this "Spent the evening doing holiday crafts. See my inspirations on my Pinterest board here (include link)..." It doesn't have to come across as a used car salesman pitch nor does it have to feel like it to you. When you add in a few tweets, Facebook or blog mentions about some other people's boards that you love it helps show that you are spreading the love and not purely self-promoting.

There we go. Let me know which of these tips are most helpful to you. If you have any questions leave a comment below and I'll reply. Which ones have you already tried? Which ones do you want to try soon? If you aren't on Pinterest yet it' easy to join. You can sign up right here. If you are one of the many people who joined Pinterest, maybe months ago, and haven't yet created a board or pinned anything, I say try it out. It's great fun!

You can see my Pinterest boards here and of course you are welcome to follow. Share your Pinterest link in the comment section below so we can all visit you too. Thanks for coming by. Have a fantastic day. And Happy Pinning. See you there!

image by kalanicut

Mexico On My Mind - Living Simply

I've been thinking a lot about the simplicity of life I enjoyed on two past trips to Mexico. The first trip was down the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula with stops in several small resort towns and a side trip to Chichen Itza. The second trip was a week in the most amazing, big beach house in Nuevo Vallarta. I was so lucky to be invited along on that trip. So lucky.

It was so hot that most days all we did was sit in the pool for 8-10 hours a day and go inside to eat and shower. We had some amazing talks and sing-a-longs in that pool all week and came up with a lot of creative lounging options using a stack of foam pool noodles. 

A couple of days we went driving to see the area and several nights we went out to dinner at local restaurants. It was lovely.

One of the reasons I most treasure this trip is that one of our friends we traveled with died suddenly a few years later. Glad to have those memories with her!

And this is the thing I've most been thinking about. The simplicity of a traveler's closet. That's all the clothing I really need to be happy and blissful at the beach. There's something so amazing about how little you can live with. I think I can list everything in this closet in threes: three shirts, three shorts, three skirts, three pair of shoes and also a couple of pashminas and the necessary underwear. When I approach a closet to get dressed for the day and I see these simple options I know it's going to be fantastic.

Doesn't it make you think about how little you need to live a happy life. Granted beach living does not involve going to a job or living in cold weather, but even then, how much do you really need to have a great life. I'm rethinking my closet at this very moment. I know I can live happily on less. And I think it's fantastic that this is a lesson I've learned by following my passion for travel. Besides seeing the beautiful world, there are life lessons that abound in travel.

all images by kalanicut

Biking The Golden Gate Bridge

A couple of days ago we set out to ride bikes across the Golden Gate Bridge and over to Sausalito. We headed out early that morning and it turned out to be the coldest day in San Francisco in a quite a while. 

We picked up the Powell-Hyde cable car just a few blocks from our hotel and rode up and over to Hyde Street. Standing on the outside of the cable car were five 10 year old boys and one of the boy's mother. They were celebrating his birthday and were so darling. We had fun talking and teasing with them. They were so young and so full of life. I fell in love with their exuberance and chumminess together -- their boyness.

I also realized that on the steepest hills in the city, on a cable car, slippery workout pants are not the best. Had to hang on tight to keep from sliding right out of my seat. By the time we got across town it was so cold that we decided to duck into a cafe for big, warm breakfast. Then it was time to start the cycle tour.

We were stunned to see swimmers out in the bay in nothing but a bathing suit. The air temperature was in the low 40s, so I can't imagine what the water felt like. But good for them, they must have have strong constitutions.

I don't think there was one solid minute that was not stunningly gorgeous all along our ride. Amazing. It was hard to ride very far without stopping to take a picture.

This was my first time to Crissy Field and standing there I began recognizing the scene from quite a few movies filmed there over the years. I could have spent a good deal of time in the parks all along the way.

The sky was blue and once we got riding we weren't cold at all. As the morning passed and we got closer to the bridge I was peeling off layer after layer. We were glad we made the decision to wait until after the holiday weekend to make the ride. It was nice to have no crowds to deal with and lots of space to ride.

There was a rocky area that was filled with stacks of rocks. It was quite amazing and created a thoughtful, zen ambiance. I took the opportunity to stop and be mindful for a few moments.

At the viewpoint before going over the bridge it was a United Nations convention. A bus full of Danes, some  Brits, Italians, Iraelis, Japanese teens and visitors from many more places too. We posed for a quick shot then started the ride across the bridge.

The ride across the bridge was lovely. There was some tourist dodging to do along the way but it was an easy ride and the views overlooking the city were amazing.

At the end of the bridge was another large viewing area filled with cars, buses and tourists. We followed the bike path from there into Sausalito. Riding into town was a little bit scary, riding on the side of a very hilly road. I had been to Sausalito once or twice before but my memory of the town was nothing like what the town really looks like. 

We parked our bikes at the Ferry station and wandered around. Because the town is situated on the east side of a mountain, by early afternoon there was no direct sunlight and it was beginning to get quite cold and breezy. We enjoyed a lovely lunch outside in the last bit of the sun, then wandered the small galleries and shops then enjoyed a nice hot chocolate before heading out to catch the ferry back to San Francisco.

Unfortunately, because the lighting was not good I didn't get any great shots of Sausalito. But the ride back on the ferry produced some great shots as the sun began to set right behind the Golden Gate Bridge.

We had just enough time to land at Pier 41 and race to the other end of the Embarcadero to return our bikes before 6 p.m. which we and quite a few other people from the same ferry did. Then we took the cable car back to our hotel neighborhood and enjoyed dinner at Sears Fine Food on Powell and Sutter. It was a great day and I am so glad we took the chance to make the trip.

all images by kalanicut

A Pretty View - The Golden Gate Bridge

image by kalanicut

I have so many photos from this week to edit through and equally as many inspirations to share with you readers. This little journey has been so inspiring. I feel like I have learned so much by getting out of my regular routine and just adventuring every day. Talk about good for the soul. Art galleries, amazing design shops, impressive restaurants, long walks, gorgeous sights. Hard to beat.

My one big misstep that I've been kicking myself about, okay another thing I forgot, is to bring business cards with me. I left the little pouch I usually carry them in at home in another purse. Lame when meeting lots of super impressive people you'd like to get to know better. I seem to do this a lot, which is unbelievably lame of me. Something to work on.

Here is a favorite photo from my collection this week taken while on our bike ride yesterday. A nice place to sit and catch one's breath.

San Francisco City Tints & Textures

Happy Wednesday. Sharing a few sights from my time in San Francisco. All around the city I have enjoyed taking lots and lots of photos of interesting structures, layers of buildings, small architectural details and interesting colors. Here are a few little things around the city that caught my eye for the colors, textures and patterns. Loved the washed out colors on this warehouse and a vivid, bright cheery window box.

Loved the weathered wood on this door. So much character. This warehouse roof was covered with a bright green moss. Aged patinas are so rich and interesting.

These old glass tiles are embedded in the sidewalks along the Embarcadero. I had to wonder how long they had been there. They look like they've been through a few decades but that could just be millions of people trampling them over the past few years. In another part of town, I'm not sure why, but there are gold screws along the sidewalks on Sutter.

There is no shortage of ships coming and going around the city in all shapes, sizes and colors. While they are beautiful during the day, it amazed me to watch giant cargo ships leave the bay at night. It's so strange to see the lights on the deck and how far they stretch from end to end. They look like a moving city. 

We have been putting on the miles on foot. So far since arrival I have not used any public transportation. It's amazing how after a few days of intense hill climbing you hardly notice them anymore. It's so nice to not feel a deep sense of dread when I look at the steep path ahead as I did the first day or two. (Life lesson, anyone?! haa-haa.) The scarf wearing winter weather and hilly city living are growing on me.

all photos by kalanicut

A Saturday Tour of San Francisco

Just as we were driving across the Bay Bridge into San Francisco, while I was so taken with the beautiful views, I remembered I left my big girl camera at home. I pulled out the compact camera I carry in my purse and the battery was almost dead and I didn't have my charger. My phone camera was not what I was hoping to use for this trip. Despair.

Luckily I found a universal charger I could use and could at least get my compact camera working. I took lots of photos over the weekend, which was great. The first morning I realized that I had also not packed my workout pants. Sort of makes exercising a bit of a challenge, you really can't skip the pants part.

Speaking of going without pants, would if surprise you if I told you that on Saturday afternoon on the Embarcadero we passed a couple walking down the street BUCK NAKED holding hands with big smiles on their faces? A bit shocking. They were very obviously trying to make a point about the joy of their nakedness, but around a lot of families I found it just obnoxious. I'd like to get that dear woman a bra because "the girls" aren't supposed to be worn at belt-level.

We took advantage of the Ferry Building Farmers Market Saturday morning and ate some amazing food and did a lot of people watching. Thankfully the people there were dressed. I have been taking shots of what seems to be San Francisco fashions that I will share with you later in the week. I will also share a bit from some favorite shops and products I went a big gaga for there too.

Having not been along the Embarcadero in at least a decade I was so happy to see that it has been revitalized with restaurants and businesses. It is such a great area and with such spectacular views. We walked from The Ferry to Pier 39 where we snacked on the back deck on a picnic of cheese and crackers, clementines and delicious cookies while we listened to the Sea Lions bark and watched the boats go by.

Based on claims of unseasonably high temperatures we were surprised to find we were still quite cold a lot of the day, despite jackets and scarves. But it was great to see the locals and check out their fashion. By mid-day I was getting the hang of the San Fran look and was glad I had all the warmer elements back at the hotel. In a word, it's all about the riding boots.

As we walked along, we stopped to catch up on the 49er/Saints game at restaurants and bars throughout the afternoon. It was not hard to tell when the 49ers scored as you would hear a great cheer rising out to the streets. We caught the last 3 minutes looking through the window of a sushi bar with an ever growing crowd of people. That was a pretty crazy game. Nice job 49ers.

We enjoyed the sunset from Ghiradelli Square and then had dinner from the beautiful views of McCormick & Kuleto's Seafood. Gorgeous and the food is nothing to shake a stick at either. The real adventure of our day was when we decided to walk back to our hotel up Hyde Street. Just imagine what appears to be one of the steepest hills in San Francisco that lasts for many, many blocks. But it was awesome, especially if you walked backwards and enjoyed the downhill view.

We enjoyed our walk. Along our way we came upon Lombard Street and a beautiful view across the city. The way back to our lodging was quite residential which was a welcome change after a day in San Francisco's most touristy zones. It's always interesting when you travel to see what life is like for those who live there. I enjoyed all the different ornate building exteriors, entryways and metal work.

It was a lovely day. Looking forward to sharing more of our adventures with you throughout the week. It was sunny on Saturday but the weather promises to get worse as the days progress so that should be interesting.

all imaged by kalanicut

Mother Nature's Artwork

I am still on the road and had the chance to spend a few hours at our favorite beach this weekend. Due to a recent high tide and that the ocean was at low tide when we arrived much of the beach had recently been wet, but the water level was very low. That left a lot of interesting things to see and enjoy on the beach.

I had my camera with me and spent much of the afternoon photographing some of the amazing sights Mother Nature and some of her creations had left us. Tire tracks above, obviously made by a vehicle - the lifeguards. But still creations, right?

There was evidence of so many small creatures on the move along the shore: birds, snails, clams, sand dollars, bees and other bugs. It was an absolutely gorgeous day. I thought the one on the left above looked like an angel with fluttering wings raised high.

I thought these tree-like formations were amazing, like a winter scene along a cold dark road in the country. So stunning and all created with just sand and water. I am so glad I captured these. As beautiful as they were on the sand, I am so glad I captured them to keep digitally. I can imagine that these would be very beautiful on a canvas as art hanging on a wall.

It's a grand moment to be stopped by nature's beauty. I wish I did this more every day. What has stopped you in your tracks lately to enjoy a moment of beauty and communion with Mother Nature? I'd love to hear what you're seeing, wherever you may be.

This post is linked to Good Life Wednesdays at A Beach Cottage.

all images by kalanicut

The Shiny City Tour - Los Angeles

I went into the city today, to "downtown." I have been doing creative projects for the holidays, writing and taking any opportunity that has come my way to do service this holiday season. I felt I could use a change of scenery for the day. So as soon as I finished up my morning rituals I took off with my camera.

I basically did a big circle around the downtown area, stopping at a few favorite warehouse haunts and taking photos whenever I saw something interesting.  Being stopped in traffic now and then was not such a bad thing when it afforded me some unique views of the city.

I drove through some gritty areas. At one point I decided not take my usual freeway route but instead be adventurous and try the city streets in the general direction of my next destination. I had no idea where I was going, but it was great to find my way. I had to circle a block or two a few times but in not long I found my way.

I loved pushing my instinct to figure out neighborhoods I had never seen before by using the hillsides and other landmarks to get me there. I drove by instinct and I was actually dead on about the street I needed to be on, but questioned myself and instead ended up going further and cutting back. But I did it which was great and I learned the basic layout of a new part of the city.

I drove past some of the oldest buildings in the city, some of the most historic neighborhoods and restaurants -- Lincoln Heights, China Town, Olvera Street and more. The sky was amazingly blue today. By photographing the city sky scapes I got a sense for the light that is unique to Los Angeles and felt a refreshed connection to the city. It's always such a great reminder to go out of your regular routine in your own city and appreciate all the history and all there is to see and do right around you.

So that's a little tour of my shiny city and a challenge to you to get out and see your city and shake up your daily view in more ways that just visually. As I drove around today I was reminded of how very blessed we are and how very blessed I am. That may be the greatest gift of getting outside of of one's normal routine. You see everything with fresh eyes and appreciation.

images by kalanicut