Monthly Archives: September 2021

September 21, 2021 Feels Like Fall

Feels Like Fall. September 2021

After one of the gloomiest summers ever, Karl the Fog finally decided to leave town in the midst of the night. 

You know it is the first day of fall (or start of summer in SF) when the daily high temperature rises above 70F along the coast and there is not a cloud in the sky. The first ground swell showed up along with the first offshore wind of the season; surfers racing to the get their session in before the work day.

It was a magical morning with the dawn color palette, the moon setting right at sunrise, pelican formations, and spotting fickle a-frames. I remember when I was back in high school, the best weather would always coincide with the first week of school and all I wanted to do was be at the beach. Luckily working from home today, I got to witness the lunch time glass off and then enjoy the evening dolphin show. 

There’s no place like home. 

September 11, 2021

Star Party. September 2021

After a whole month of staying home, I feel completely stagnant; losing motivation to do work but can’t find enough motivation to change my routine.

The smoke finally cleared this weekend for a chance of Milky Way. With the coast too risky due to the lingering fog bank, we headed south to Pinnacles National Park.

Driving on the highway and looking at distant subjects and framing compositions, I felt a sense of calmness. Hiking through the chaparral, hearing the crickets chirp, feeling the warm breeze, and seeing sunset colors made me appreciate again what the great outdoors has to offer. 

As we were waiting the moon to set, we met other star gazers in the parking lot. A special thank you to Jim and Alex for letting us peer into their telescope setups. I saw the rings of Saturn, Jupiter and its orbiting moons, M22, and other star clusters. I felt like I was five years old again, peering through a telescope in my backyard at the moon and realizing how much I love astronomy.

I’m reminded again that inspiration is out there if you just go.