Angels in the autumn light

28 November 2009

Five years ago, I began walking regularly. Three years ago, I began taking pictures frequently. Both activities cause me to be more conscious of and attentive to my surroundings.

We've lived in Oakland for more than a quarter century, with more than two decades in our current house. And still, there are places within a few miles of home that I've never seen. And places I've been to that I haven't completely seen. And as the seasons change and the weather changes and the time of day changes, even familiar places can take on a new look.

Since beginning this photographic journey, I've decided that autumn is my favorite time of year. In some respects, it is the saddest season, marching toward darkness. But I just love the quality of light, which is different than at any other time of year. The low sun angle, the warm colors of the landscape, and the occasional oh-so-clear air create a true feast for the eyes.

Today was one of those brilliant autumn days, with bright blue skies, and not a trace of haze after yesterday's rain. I took a late-afternoon walk through the Mountain View Cemetery near our house. I was particularly attracted today to the statues of angels and humans associated with some of the grave sites.

The workmanship in some of these is excellent. I love the way that age through erosion, soot, and moss, has given the stone surface added texture. Illuminated by the autumn light, they colored my afternoon in hues of peaceful reverence.

Fall Color on Black Friday in Oaktown

27 November 2009

While America shopped, I spent the day reading the last part of a PhD dissertation. In a typical year, I'll review two dissertations. But the stars lined up just right (or wrong) so that this semester alone I'm reviewing three. Each review takes about 4-5 days to complete and leads to a 10-page critique with about 100 comments for the student to address.

This particular dissertation is about saving energy in data centers, the buildings that house the computer servers that make up the hardware of the internet. The student estimates that in the US alone, data centers annually consume 70 billion kWh of electricity (retail price is about $7 billion per year). With proper attention to energy efficiency, the same services could be provided using only 20 billion kWh of electricity per year.

In the middle of the afternoon, Ingrid and I got out for a walk. We headed straight uphill from our house, following Broadway Terrace until we reached the nearest crest, at Pinehaven. We've had a surprisingly wet autumn, and -- I think as a result -- the fall color on the neighborhood street trees is remarkably nice this year. In a normal year, the dry summer causes the trees to lose their leaves before it gets cold enough to set up nice colors.



Today, the weather forecast called for showers and sure enough we had a good couple of cloudbursts in the morning. By the time of our walk, the clouds had mostly cleared and the late afternoon sun created nice light for the clean skies. But, we were fooled! We went out without rain gear and by the time we reached the midpoint of the walk, 2.5 miles in and at the top of the ridge, a downpour started! We took shelter under the narrow eave of someone's garage for the heaviest 15 minutes of the rain. But we got soaked anyway.



The rain let up eventually and we completed the walk with skies as clear as when we started.

Another Left-Coast Friday

20 November 2009

Here are some images from today on the UC Berkeley campus.

Top: The flaming orange of Japanese maples on the Bechtel Terrace. The view point is from my window on the 6th floor of Davis Hall.

Right: The "4.0 Ball." To quote from the webpage UC Berkeley traditions, past and present: "The stone ball in front of the Campanile is more than a century old, but the tradition associated with it is much newer. … a few years ago — nobody knows exactly when — students began referring to the sphere as the "4.0 ball." Apparently, rubbing it right before taking an exam is good luck, along with wearing your lucky socks and getting a good night's sleep."

Left: Small bear carved in stone adorning the back of a bench immediately beneath the Campanile. This bear, and its brother at the other end of the bench, have their heads bowed in grief. The bench is a memorial to the UC Berkeley alumni and others who fought in World War I.


Right: Tomorrow is the "Big Game", the annual football contest between Stanford and Cal. The winner captures for another year "The Axe." In celebration of the contest, some of the buildings are illuminated in the school colors of blue and gold. This scene shows the main library at the center of campus.

Left: All year, we've been dealing with difficult budget conditions on campus. Faculty and staff have been furloughed. Some of the hardest hit have been the unionized support service people, such as the building maintenance personnel and the custodians. In addition, earlier this week, student fees were raised by more than 30%, which comes on top of a regular series of fee increases of about 10% per year for the past several years. This picketer was outside of Wheeler Hall this evening.

Below: Three days of action on campus culminated today in the occupation by about 40 protestors of a major campus building, Wheeler Hall. Police response was strong and ultimately in the evening the building was retaken, with the protestors cited and released. Here is a bit of the statement from Chancellor Robert Birgeneau announcing the end of the occupation. "I understand that our students are justifiably angry over the fee increases and reductions in staff necessitated by the egregious disinvestment by Sacramento in the University of California. They are not alone in this. Clearly, we cannot allow illegal occupations of our buildings and disruption of our academic programs. Today 3800 students were unable to attend class in Wheeler Hall."

Just another day in Berkeley.

Point Lobos

15 November 2009

… the greatest meeting of land and water in the world. — Francis McComas



After Sunday's half-marathon in Monterey, we headed out to the Point Lobos State Reserve, which is just a bit south of Carmel on the California coast.



As these pictures attest, it is a beautiful setting, with features of geologic, oceanographic, and biologic interest. We parked near Piney Woods and had a picnic there. Then, we walked northward, spending a few hours exploring the Punta de los Lobos Marinos and the Allan Memorial (Cypress) Grove before driving back to Monterey for hot chocolate at Ghiradelli's and then heading for home.



Ingrid pointed out that the "Lobos" in Point Lobos refers to the sea lions, which, in Spanish, are "Lobos Marinos" or sea wolves. We saw lots of harbor seals basking on an island in one of the many small bays. The girls also thought they saw a sea otter amidst some floating logs in another narrow bay. We definitely also saw some starfish and large crabs in the tidepools in one area we explored in detail.



Here's a bit of interesting text about the history of the site, quoted from the map we received at the entrance. "After the arrival of Europeans in 1769, Point Lobos became at various times a pasture for livestock, the site of a whaling station and an abalone cannery, and a shipping point for coal mined nearby. A portion was even subdivided into residential lots …"



"By 1898, Point Lobos had been acquired by an owner whose foresight led to its protection. AM Allan bought a parcel that included portions of Point Lobos and began to buy back the residential lots. With funds from the Save-the-Redwoods League, encouragement from an aroused pulic, and the gift of the Cypress Grove as a memorial dedicated to Allan and his wife, Point Lobos became part of the new state park system in 1933."

Big Sur Half Marathon on Monterey Bay

15 November 2009

Rani and Alexis ran. Ingrid and I cheered them on.

The race began near the Wharf in Monterey, only a 10 minute walk from Rani's apartment. We arrived on Saturday evening, so we didn't even have to get up too early for the 7:05 start.



The weather was gorgeous: crisply cool and cloudless with very little wind. We learned that 7000 runners registered. There is no full marathon in this event; the two options are a half marathon (13.1 miles) and a 10 mile race.



What are these squiggly lines? Answer: Reflections of boat masts and flags in the almost calm water of a marina just east of the wharf.

After resting for awhile, we spent the afternoon walking around Point Lobos a state preserve that is about a 30 minute drive south of Monterey. Along the way, Rani and Alexis found a nice napping tree!

Farewell Tito (1989-2009)

11 November 2009

Tito was a part of our household for the past twelve years. She died today, peacefully, and we buried her beneath the cedar tree in our front yard.

Her lifelong partner, Flash, died about three years ago. He was the more flamboyant bird, with an array of whistles and more eager to interact with humans while Tito stayed in the background. However, once she lost her partner, she became very attached to us.

The second and third pictures show two of her absolutely favorite activities: having her head scratched with some sharp fingernails and sitting on my lap while I worked on my computer.



Tito had some remarkable traits. She definitely knew us in the sense that she was very comfortable with us handling her but quite tentative with strangers. She also knew when it was a weekend and she would be able to hang out for an hour or two on my shoulder or lap. Although she didn't sing like Flash, she had an array of chirps that she would use with specific intent. "Hi, who's coming in at the back door?" "Come upstairs so I can fly to your shoulder." "I'm hungry, come feed me."

We'll miss her.