Winter on the banks of the Owens River
Tag: California
A Christmas Miracle for Baby Girl
During the Thanksgiving Holiday my daughter with the assistance of her boy-friend John put hair extensions in using the hair glue. When sleeping the extensions would get matted and brushing them out got really hard. She’s a back sleeper which wasn’t helping. The back was turning into a rat’s nest. She cut off the extensions,but what was matted she didn’t. Then shampooing she was able to get most the glue out, and more of the extensions, but what she couldn’t get out turned into a huge massive dread-lock.
She named the mass, “Frank”. A colleague of hers gave her the name of a stylist who he knew would be able to save some of the hair. Daughter had resigned herself to getting a Faux Hawk. I imagined her with a huge spiked Trojan Warrior Mohawk! I didn’t realize how matted her hair had become. When she told me about the Faux Hawk I asked to see her hair. She came over and I was pretty stunned. I tried to comb some of it out using baby oil. I got a good bit out of her crown, but after an hour. I gave up, and told her I’d take care of the bill. She made the appointment the next day. She was really lucky getting in to see Faten on Christmas Eve Day!
Here she is at Salon Mona Lisa, Los Gatos, CA. waiting for Faten aka Cori the Stylist
“Frank” the hair-ball. Faten heard the description, but didn’t think it would be this bad!
The Pull Out. This you pull out not comb!
In just under an hour Faten had it all out, combed and ready for shampoo, and deep conditioning! Amazing!!
One more look before the shampoo Daughter said, “It’s a fro! and ” I look like Carrot Top!” The other stylists and clients were just as impressed as we were that Faten was able to get it all out too. We thought it would have to be cut out and or shaved.
After the shampoo and conditioning. Isn’t the transformation amazing! Instead of a Faux Hawk she got a sassy little A-Line Bob.
Daughter’s head is a bit tender from all the pulling and tugging, but she’s thrilled and say’s Christmas came early for her. She’s very happy, and I’m so thankful she didn’t end up with a Mohawk!
Thank you Faten! You made our day, and Daughter’s Christmas a happier one!
Nikon D700| Nikkor 17-35mm| Hand-held
A gleaming path led my eye…
The Portal, Big Sur, California
Copyright © 2011 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved.
The sun lines up to shoot its beam through this portal each winter if the weather cooperates.
I had gone down with some friends in late Nov. and got a shot, but I hoped to get a better one before the sun moved out of range. I’ve been watching and waiting for a clear night. The forecast for last night was perfect; clear skies, but cold, so I made the 109 mile drive down to Big Sur.
I packed my down jacket, gloves, and gear and hiked out to the beach. There was only one other photographer there, but I knew that would change as the sun sunk lower on horizon. By the end of the evening there were about 15 of us shooting the sunset.
It’s a fun trip down and always an adventure since one never really knows what the sunset will look like. The light shines through the Portal about 25 minutes so I shot the beam of light from different angles. Here’s one where I caught a cool little splash.
I’m heading down once more. I’ll try some different angles and perspectives if the fog stays far out at sea.
Tule Elk
Copyright © 2011 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved.
Yesterday myself, and friend Rainey Shuler, who I’ve blogged about before here went out to San Luis Wildlife Refuge to do a little birding photography. We had hoped there would be some interesting and uncommon birds there.
On the way we ran into a “Road Closed” baracade so we stopped in another Refuge to get some back road directions, and while talking to the hunters and Ranger there we learned there was a Tule Elk herd at the Refuge we wanted to go to. So getting the directions we needed we headed out. We were in luck! These Elk in the photo above weren’t too far from the road.
Rainey and I set up our tripods and took some photos of the Elk. When we started shooting the sun was blocked by morning fog and mist, but soon the sun began to burn through the haze to light up the meadow and Elk just right . About the same time these two started sparring. It was great fun to discover this herd here, and more exciting to see this since I didn’t see any of this behavior while viewing the Tule Elk in Northern CA these past 2 years.
In addition to these magnificent Elk we saw a Coyote, Hawks, Kites- the bird, Heron, Egrets, and a little bird I’ve not identified yet. We left this refuge and headed over to the Merced National Wildlife Refuge, and met up with another friend for lunch. I’ll be posting a few of the exciting birds I saw there in the coming days. It was a good day for birding and photography, but made even better by the company of wonderful friends.
Nikon D300s| Nikkor 300mm + 1.4x Tamron extender effective range 420mm| f5.6| 1/1600second| ISO 500| Manual Mode| Tripod
New fountain in Moss Landings Marina
New fountain in Moss Landings Marina, originally uploaded by dmzajac2004-.
Via Flickr:
Copyright © 2011 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved.
Nikon D300s| Nikkor 70-300 @ 300mm| f5.6| 1/250 second| ISO 200| Manual Mode| Tripod
A Visit to Moss Landing
Myself, and a photographer friend have gone over to Moss Landing a couple of times in the last few weeks in lieu of going further south to capture an annual solar phenomenon in Big Sur. The fog has rolled in diffusing or blocking the sunlight needed to see it so, we switched to plan B which was to head to Moss Landing for some birding. Many species of ducks and water fowl are migrating from the north and I am near the Pacific Fly-way which is the migration route. Moss Landing is a stop for some of those birds.
Moss Landing, California located north-northeast of Monterey, CA is little fishing village which started out as a wharf in 1895. Today it’s still a small town with a population of 204. Its most notable landmark is the Moss Landing Power Plant. A natural gas plant whose tall smoke stacks are visible from Santa Cruz to the north, and Monterey, to the south on clear days*.
This once busy whaling port is still a busy place with over 600 berths, over 300 fishing boats, and hundreds of pleasure craft in the Marina*. Kayaking, fishing, bird watching, and day trips to the State beach are some of the activities available in Moss Landing.
There are lots of antique vendors, and I can totally recommend the pontoon boat tour of Elkhorn Slough. Yohn Gideon the owner of the boat knew all sorts of interesting facts about the shore birds, otters, the Slough, and he’s funny!
I’ve been able to scratch off one bird from my “I want to photograph those!” list. The female Bufflehead. They are the smallest duck, and so cute! A couple of males flew in over the week, but they were being shy and stayed on the farthest side of the slough so I haven’t got a good photograph of the male yet.
Here’s a Willet in Winter plumage looking very serious.
There is quite a large population of Sea Otters in the Slough. They are cutest when they’re dry I think, but they are always entertaining to watch. This one was busy finding and eating food.
I’ve captioned this one, ” I could use a toothpick” Look at the size of that canine!
The Marbled Godwit is a winter visitor here, and the afternoon light was lovely on this one.
There is a coterie of Spotted Sandpipers. I just learned they lose their spots in the winter.
…and the usual characters one finds hanging around the Slough; The Brown Pelican. Here is one now flying low, under the radar.
After all this birding you’re sure to get hungry then head to the Moss Landing Café. Mark, owner/chef is not only a great chef he is very friendly, and a wonderful host. I’ve loved everything I’ve eaten there. Dinner is served Friday and Sat. evenings only, but he serves breakfast and lunch the rest the week.
My dinner last night: Stuffed Chicken Breast w/tomato sauce- it was a cream sauce, served on a bed of rice, and the side was a steamed local artichoke with a dollop of Bearnaise sauce. Dessert, that I didn’t take a picture of was Berry Mango Cobbler with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and dollop of whipped cream. I was good and didn’t eat the whole thing. I started this dinner with a cup of white clam chowder. It was so good and seasoned to perfection! I was stuffed when I left.
Fortunately the solar phenomenon I’ve been trying to photograph takes place over the course of several weeks so I have time to try it again, but if the fog rolls in the next time I go down there to shoot it, I wouldn’t mind making Moss Landing Plan B again.
* facts gleaned from wikipedia
All Photographs are Copyright © 2011 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved.
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