Thirsty Thursday: Chasing Waterfalls

Rambler: Beth Drink at Hand: TJ's 2009 Petit Reserve Tempranillo

Terry and I used to shoot a lot of waterfalls. When we lived in Japan we actually had a book the listed locations of hundreds of waterfalls. Of course, the book was in Japanese so I had to play a little game of trying to match the thumbnail map included with the directions to our bilingual road map, but we still found quite a few of the waterfalls. When we went on vacations we'd continue our hunt for tumbling water, leading to hundreds of blurred water images from all over the world--or at least all over Asia and the US.

I don't know why we don't hunt for waterfalls anymore. I know there are a few not far away along the Central Coast and spring is always a great time to go find a fall with fresh snowmelt and spring showers fueling the flow. Perhaps we just need to make time. Or perhaps we just need a little reminder...and that's what Thirsty Thursdays are for...a little reminder to go out and doing something or find something cool this weekend.

Enjoy the waterfalls. I tried to include a name or location, but some of them I don't know or don't remember.

Little Missouri River, Ouachita National Forest, Arkansas.

Another view of the Little Missouri River, Ouachita National Forest, Arkansas.

Somewhere in northern Japan.

Tucked away in the rainforest near Cairns, Australia.

Close-up of water gushing into Milford Sound in New Zealand. Terry shot this with the 100-400mm lens from a boat.

Stream emptying into Lake Superior along Pictured Rocks National Seashore, Upper Peninsula, Michigan.

Somewhere near Marquette, Michigan.

Another waterfall somewhere near Marquette, Michigan.

We spent a whole weekend scouting falls in north central Japan and found these two images along the way.

Close-up of a rushing stream near Nikko, Japan.

Get out there and explore this weekend!

Highway 25

Last week I was putzing around on the interwebs looking for new bike routes when I found a road described as "lonely outback" and wanted to check it out. I convinced Terry that we needed to go on an exploratory photo outing to check out this scenic area along California Highway 25. He is on a quest to find a nicely-shaped, lone tree isolated by itself on one of those lovely golden California hills, so it was easy to get him to go along. Unfortunately the weather wasn't great when we started out--low clouds and spitting rain--but we didn't have anything else better to do, so the three of us (yep, the dog went, too), piled in the car and headed south down the 101 to King City and then east into some very lonely but lovely countryside, eventually looping up to Hollister. Below is a sampling of what we saw--some from me and some from Terry. Can't wait to see this area during wildflower season.

There was a rainbow even now and then, but she wasn't very bright.

The fall colors were still going strong in a few spots...

And then there was Terry's horse. As we drove along, this horse was perfectly framed under the tree, so I slammed on the brakes, Terry put on the big lens, and then the horse moved. So Terry waited...and waited...and then waited some more. He walked about a half mile back up the road hoping the horse would shift just enough so that had that great composition again, but the horse didn't cooperate. Terry finally got fed up and settled with this image.

A few black and white "prairie" shots...because I love prairie and I love black and white.

While we wandered through ditches and along fences, Massey had to wait in the car, which made her less than happy. She wanted to go play, too!

Terry had to take a pic of his girls waiting for him...

Monday Monday

Mondays always have been and always will be rest days. In college we never had soccer practice on Mondays. When I was in my crazy distance runner phase, Monday was either nothing or, at most, a 2-mile jog. And now that I'm doing this cycling thing, Monday is a day for catching up on homework (yeah, right), going to yoga, and generally putzing around. I didn't even race this weekend, but I still took my Monday rest day. The plan was to go to the local Pacific Grove Farmer's Market and take pics of the fascinating and usually eclectic crowds of a central Cali farmer's market. So I shuffled le ol' Stumpjumper out of the bike pile, put on my Chucks, rolled up my pant legs, and off I went.

Except I forgot that I live in a rather white, upper-middle class enclave of Lexus-driving upper-middle aged women. Pacgrovians don't make for very interesting pictures. But I had my camera and the light was starting to get good, so I decided to pedal around PG and see what I could find. Like trees in the golf course that I ride by every single day but never really notice.

We have a lot of benches in PG. Maybe its because we have so many active old people. They need places to sit every once in awhile. I don't mind though, its nice to watch the waves roll in. Or out. I never really understand what waves are doing.

And the clouds change colors.

And the pelicans fly by.

Then I rolled over to Point Pinos because the sunset looked like it might be nice. Of course I didn't have my tripod, so I had to improvise. I found yet another trusty park bench, leaned the bike against it and some how got the monster long stem and silly old school shifters to perfectly balance my sort of expensive camera (shhh, don't tell Terry). I think it worked out.

Luckily I had my light to get home and only one deer ran in front of me. Oh, and I looove my fabulous new Sheila Moon hat.