'The Road Not Taken'

This reminds me of Robert Frost's poem, "The Road Not Taken," 1920. The picture was taken at the Camp 5 Boat Launching Facility on the west shore of Lake Davis, California, near Portola.

A week of walks in Ocean Shores

Laziness comes naturally when dark clouds hang over the beach town of Ocean Shores. Spending the days cooking, sitting on the couch and enjoying the company of the in-laws saps one of energy. Rain, interspersed with a south wind that runs the length of the peninsula, hinders outdoor activity.

To counter my inclination to waste away my days inside the condo, I've forced myself to venture outside for a daily walk. Exercise is good. It gives me the opportunity to instill movement into this sixty year-old body, and to clear my mind.

A new route each day keeps the walk fresh. I find new sights along each route, pleasing views that I'd never discover in front of the television. On Monday, I noticed as I walked south along the golf course in the center of town that many of the houses appear to be vacation properties. The walk also let me scope out businesses along one of the main boulevards.

Driving rain on Tuesday prevented me from walking. The family watched a movie at the local theater instead. Yesterday's hike took me north from the condo. A light rain showered down as I cut past city hall on my way to the beach. Low tide exposed the broad six-mile long beach. Other than a lady and her dog who was walking into town as I came onto the beach, I enjoyed the view in solitude.

My walk this morning led me around the upper reaches of Duck Lake. Long stretches of residential streets cut through the forest. Well constructed homes on the shores of the standout among the tall pines. Flora on the eastern side of the peninsula stands in stark contrast to the ocean side. Thick understory prevents a leisurely hikes through the forest. In contrast, open spaces, sand dunes and the lack of trees punctuate the western side.

We leave Ocean Shores in the morning. Each couple will head for home. My in-laws are visiting friends in southern Washington. Debbie and I will cross the Columbia River at Longview, Washington. Once in Oregon, we're driving south to Camp Emerald Forest to visit a friend for the evening. An evening walk around Emerald Lake should refresh me after an afternoon on the truck.


The 13th green on the Ocean Shores Golf Course was a lake after tow days of driving rain during my walk on Wednesday. Only Canada Geese walked the course as it was too wet to play.

Water drains into the Pacific Ocean to the left of this piece of driftwood. The beach should be a great venue for long walks in the summer.

I found these rental units a block over from city hall. Much of the Town of Ocean Shores in vacant this time of year.

Homes dot the shoreline of Duck Lake in Ocean Shores. The lake runs the length of the resort on the harbor side of the peninsula .

These cabins stand vacant in Tuesday's driving rain. Too wet to walk, we drove around the peninsula after going to the movies.

Rock Bottom Boys

I discovered the local music act, the Rock Bottom Boys, at the Peddler's Fair in the town of El Dorado this morning. The quartet has successfully transformed rock standards from The Who, Janice Joplin and Steppenwolf into modern rackabilly hits. With the addition of a five-string banjo and washboard, old rock-n-roll hits, like "Born to Be Wild," the band has introduced a fun genre of music of the 60s and 70s to new generations.

"Armed with tried and true hits from bands like the Rolling Stones, Kinks, Queen, ZZ top and many more, their vocal interpretations turn even the hardest rock tunes into great group sing a-longs," explains the band's Facebook fanpage. "Having cut their teeth playing California Fairs & Festivals, they've honed their sense of Humor, Showmanship and Versatility to offer a great Entertainment value to any venue."

You can find the Rock Bottom Boys performing at county fairs in California each spring and summer. The band's website contains tour information.

A musician shouted, "Camera," as I aimed my camera at the Rock Bottom Boys. It took a couple seconds to register -- the band was posing in the middle of a song.

Cast iron wheels and coffee

I often stop by Sugar Lillie Bakery in historic El Dorado on Saturday morning for coffee and a pastry. Located in a small two-room building behind the Books 'n Bears Bookstore, a walk through a pleasant garden greets you as make your way to the bakery. The garden is a mixture of antique artifacts and vibrant colors of tomatoes, pumpkins and flowering plants.

I frequently linger in the garden before heading on to the railroad work site nearby. It's a pleasant way to relax, drink coffee and photograph the greenery. As I sit at the wrought iron patio table and collect my thoughts, I'm surrounded by industrial tools from the past.

This old shop cart has been given a new life in the garden. With the cart's cast iron wheels are buried in the soil, it won't be moving goods around a railroad dock anytime soon. A collection of potted plans, including flat-leaf parsley and other herbs, have found a home on the cart.

You can view the garden at 6211 Pleasant Valley Road, El Dorado, California.

Anniversary walk in South Lake Tahoe

Debbie and I celebrated the 30th anniversary of our wedding on Sunday. We marked the occasion by spending the afternoon in South Lake Tahoe. After an enjoyable lunch at The Getaway Cafe in Meyers, we did some window shopping in Stateline.

Later, we drove up Highway 89 to visit one of our favorite Tahoe haunts. The area surrounding Taylor Creek features a fascinating array of forest trails, beaches and historic venues. With many spring flowers still in bloom, we idled away the afternoon. It was the perfect spot to relax and soak in the scenery.

Large fields of lupines caught my eye on our drive to Taylor Creek. Soft purple flowers on tall racemes seemed to blanket both sides of the highway. I thought the flowers would grow closer to the lake.

When we turned onto the beach access road, I expected to find lupines within easy reach of the parking lot. Instead, mountain mules ears -- past their prime in the beaming Lake Tahoe sun -- and Indian paintbrush flourished under the tall stands of Jeffery Pine.

Possibly crowded out by sage and tall grasses, I figured that this wasn't a prime lupine growing area. Debbie and I strolled along the wide path to Kiva Beach. Debbie massaged her toes in the warm Lake Tahoe sand while I snapped several pictures of the lagoon.

She was content to bask in the soothing rays in the late afternoon sun. I walked through the forest on my hunt for photographic subjects.

After a respite, Debbie and I walked along the trail to the amphitheater. The cool evening air refreshed us as much as the slow pace of our stroll through the forest. We admired the majestic Jeffery Pines in quiet solitude.

I had hoped that our walk away from the lake would bring us closer to the elusive lupine wildflowers. As we came near the picnic area next to the amphitheater, I we turned off the main trail. This one would take us back to the parking lot.

Then I saw something that told me I should soon locate beautiful lupine bushes. The soil changed as we hiked. The rocky soil became more evident as the trail led us away from Taylor Creek and the lake.

Then I found a large patch of bush lupine. Set among a grove of young pine trees, the flowers enjoyed the last rays of sunlight of the day. While I last studied biology some 30 years ago, the lupines seemed to thrive under the thick layer of dead pine leaves.

I was soon on the ground taking pictures of my beloved lupine. While Debbie walked ahead, took a dozen photographs like the one below. We enjoyed a wonderful day. Lunch, a couple hikes and a chance to photograph my favorite part of South Lake Tahoe.

The best part of the day: I was able to enjoy it with my wife of 30 years.

Calflora.org lists some 142 species within the Lupinus genus. According to Sierra Nevada Natural History, bush lupines are likely Lupinus albifrons and its many subspecies.

New camera on cell phone

I have resisted buying a cell phone with a camera since I first bought a cell phone in the late 1990s. I purposely avoided the feature. Why rely on a cell phone camera when I own a digital single lens reflex camera was my reasoning.

That was until last Thursday when I purchased an android smartphone. Since the camera is built in to most cell phones today, they're hard to avoid, especially when you have your eyes on a smartphone. The Samsung Galexy S (AT&T Captivate), with its 5-mega pixel camera, takes descent photographs.

While picture quality doesn't compare to the DSLR camera, it's a good substitute for Internet-ready photographs. In a week, I've posted several pictures to Facebook. The camera is best used for pictures-on-the- fly, like the shot of me grilling hamburgers at work.

In the future you'll see more cell phone pictures on these pages. Most will be improptue photographs of food and other interesting topics. I'll save the pictures of grandkids for Facebook.

Culinary sendoff

I enjoy viewing the work of other photographers. In addition to visualizing the rush one receives when placed near the center of action, I evaluate the photograph of the photographer's point of view.

Pictures such as this one allow me to rehearse the camera settings that I'd use to replicate the shot. My mind quickly turns to attributes such as shutter speed, f-stop and ISO setting.

It's crucial that the photographer act quickly in these situations because the scene changes in a flash. The pilot won't wait for the photographer. He must quickly clear the flight deck to allow the next helicopter to deliver its load.

PACIFIC OCEAN (Feb. 9, 2011) -- Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Drew Iverson directs an SH-60F Sea Hawk helicopter to take off from the U.S. 7th Fleet command ship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) during nighttime vertical replenishment flight operations training.

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Fidel C. Hart.

Taking better photographs

I've reprinted a couple of photography tips from a member of the Royal Tine discussion group. MTTrapper was invited to write the November tip of the month for the website. He graciously allowed me to use his tip on 'Round the Chuckbox.

What's your favorite photograph?

Here's a few tips on taking better photographs.

1. Get a tripod and a wireless remote.

Modern Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras are now reasonably priced. A Canon Rebel series can be bought with a couple of lenses for well under a grand. But, most people ignore the tried and true accessories like a tripod and wireless remote.

Why do you need them?

Here's an example:

I shot this photo at 1/10th of a second. If I had hand held the camera the entire photo would be blurry. Instead, the only blurring is in her hand which shows action in a still photo.

Shooting closeups really add drama to the shot, but macro photos require precise focus. A tripod steadies the camera.

Shots like this are really eye catching, but require exposures up to an hour or so. You can't hold a camera steady that long.

Set up the camera on a tripod and then with the remote and delayed timer, take a photo of yourself.

The remote timer also allows you to fire the camera without touching the camera, thus eliminating camera shake.

2. Use a flash for daylight shots.

A flash fills in the shadows under the brims of hats and gives the entire photo much more snap.

If you want decent photos to help sell anything on eBay or Craig's List, a tripod and flash are a necessity to create photos that sell.

Photographs and article used by permission.

Close call

A Placerville family is safe this afternoon after a wildland fire damaged their home on Missouri Flat Road. The fire was sparked by a malfunctioning catalytic converter, according to FOX40 News at 5:30 P.M. Firefighters contained the fire before it grew out of hand.

The fire had the potential to destroy a number of homes in the vicinity. At one point, the CHP Traffic Incident Information Page reported that it was evacuating Halyard Lane to the northeast of the fire. The fire had the potential to wipe out about a dozen historic California Door Company mill homes on Wedge Hill.

Units from the Diamond Springs-El Dorado Fire Protection District (DSP), El Dorado County Fire Protection District (ECF), Rescue Fire Protection District (RES) and California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) responded to the incident. DSP Fire Chief Todd Cunningham was on the scene. While I'm not certain, he may've been the incident commander.

A cell phone call by my daughter alerted me to the fire shortly after 1 p.m. She encountered the CHP blockade at Forni Road while traveling south on Missouri Flat. Christen deduced from drifting smoke and a circling helicopter that a fire in the area caused the road closure.

Little did Christen know that she awakened the fire photographer in me. While I don't desire any loss of life or property, there's a certain sense of excitement when a fire occurs in the area. (I'm certain that excitement would turn to panic if my home was threatened by an advancing wildland fire.)

Bright yellow Nomex fire suits, polished red fire engines and drifting smoke all come together to make for great photography. Add a long camera lens and plenty of action and you have the potential for award-winning photographs. Although I've not received any awards for any of my photography, it's personally exciting to produce colorful photographs that are full of action.

In the past three years I've chanced upon four incidents that have given me the opportunity to "play" fire photographer. They include the 49er and Palmer fires in 2007. The 49er burned within two miles on my home. I also caught aircraft action at Dawson helispot and on the Clay Fire in 2008. Today was my first opportunity in two years to photograph a fire.

Here's a sampling of the pictures that I captured this afternoon:

The fire damaged the south side of the house, which was originally built for mill workers employed by the California Door Company. Shortly after I took this picture, I saw firefighters dragging smoldering objects from the interior of the house.

Firefighters assigned to Engine 2761 mop up hot spots on Wedge Hill. The CalFire engine is based at Station 20 in Camino. The headquarters of the Amador-El Dorado Unit (AEU) of CalFire is located at Station 20.

A firefighter assigned to AEU Engine 2771 just shut off the reel hose from the engine. You can see water dripping from the nozzle when you enlarge the picture. E2771 is quartered at Station 43 at the El Dorado Wye.

Water Tender 46 dwarfs E2771 during the mop up stage of the fire. Three water tenders supplied much needed water to the units on the scene.

A FOX40 cameraman interviews DSP Assistant Fire Chief Erik Peterson. The television station only ran a 10- or 15-second video of the fire as the second story at 5:30 p.m. The chief's interview was omitted from the coverage.

Captured: America in Color from 1939-1943

My sister periodically sends me links to blogs of interest. While most of Lib's suggestions are food related, she occasionally comes through with a link that fulfils my interests in other endeavors.

This morning, Lib send me a link to Captured: America in Color from 1939-1943, a blog post on the Denver Post website. The article contains some 70 color government photographs from the World War II era.

These images, by photographers of the Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information, are some of the only color photographs taken of the effects of the Depression on America’s rural and small town populations. The photographs are the property of the Library of Congress and were included in a 2006 exhibit Bound for Glory: America in Color.

"Toward the end - trains and planes ...," Lib wrote in her mid-morning email. The reference to trains was intended for my eyes. The photos of planes will interest my brother David, a pilot.

Nine photographs in the collection feature the Chigago and Northwestern Railway in Chigago and Clinton, Iowa. They're numbered 45 to 54. Here's my favorite photo in the collection:

Caption from the Denver Post blog: "Mrs. Viola Sievers, one of the wipers at the roundhouse giving a giant 'H' class locomotive a bath of live steam. Clinton, Iowa, April 1943. Reproduction from color slide. Photo by Jack Delano. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress."

Green bean photograph

I had another opportunity tonight to catch up on food shots on 'Round the Chuckbox. This one is for the article and recipe for Southwest green beans, posted on June 7, 2010.

Another culinary photographer

BODEN, Haiti (Jan. 26, 2010) Sailors assigned to the guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60) deliver humanitarian supplies in Boden, Haiti. Normandy is supporting Operation Unified Response following a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that caused severe damage in Haiti Jan. 12.

U.S. Navy Photo by Culinary Specialist 2nd Class George Disario.

Culinary photographer

Although I snapped thousands of photographs during my naval career, I don't recall ever taking one of an admiral saluting side boys during a change of command ceremony.

SAN DIEGO (Dec. 18, 2009) -- Rear Adm. Robert P. Girrier, vice commander of Naval Mine and Anti-Submarine Command, renders a salute to the side boys at the change of command ceremony for Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 21.

U.S. Navy photo by Culinary Specialist 2nd Class Ryan Kelly.

Phenomenon on the lake

Phenomenon on the lake
Originally uploaded by SeabeeCook

One Thursday last August, campers at Deer Crossing Camp arose to a strange weather phenomenon on nearby Loon Lake.

A thick layer of fog arose off the south end of the lake and was driven north toward Pleasant Lake by a brisk cold wind.

"This is weird," said Jim Wiltens, Deer Crossing owner and camp director.

"I've never seen this on the lake this late in the season."

The cold front steadily moved in over the lake over the next two hours. The cold air seemed to suck the moisture right out of the warm lake.

With an icy wind that cut right through you, staff and campers quickly domed warmer clothing. The uniform of the day quickly shifted from shorts and T-shirts to long pants and down jackets.

"It's so cold," noted one young camper at the breakfast table. This set the tone for the day.

The instructors scrambled to shift the planned water activities for the day. Extra cold water compromised swimming, kayaking and sailing.

Rain throughout the day drove many campers into the lodge. Instructors fed the woodstove all morning for the first time since the training session in June.

Weird weather for August? Yes, but it was a fun day. We watched the fog, and the rain that soon followed, from the warm comfort of the lodge.

Old Glory no more

Old Glory no more
Originally uploaded by SeabeeCook

The flag pole at Deer Crossing Camp is a hold over from its days as the Loon Lake Boy Scout Camp (mid-1960s to mid-1970s). It stands proudly on the rock knoll that overlooks the Deer Crossing lodge.

I can imagine many a moving flag raising ceremony at the pole when the Boy Scouts used the camp. Young Boy Scouts standing in formation on the rock shelf below the ensign, dressed in khaki uniforms with neatly tied kerchiefs, give a steady salute to the proud symbol of our wonderful nation.

Deer Crossing only uses the pole as a rally point for fire drills and missing campers. I'd love to see the pole renovated and the nation's proud flag flown again up high.

Mine tailing lupines

Mine tailing lupines
Originally uploaded by SeabeeCook

Lupine wildflowers are especially vibrant this year all around El Dorado County. I've seen them growing along U.S. Highway 50 as easily as they do next to trails and roads.

The tall wildflower, with its cobalt-blue spikes reaching for the sky, seem to grow in most any spot where they can soak up the warm rays of sunlight. I found this patch among a series of old mine tailings from the California Gold Rush.

Marin County waterfall?

Marin County waterfall?
Originally uploaded by SeabeeCook

No. 15 is a picture from my past, taken 86 uears ago ...

My grandfather, Bennett Karoly, took this photograph of a waterfall on June 4, 1922.

I don't know the location, but suspect it is a Marin County waterfall in Northern California. My grandfather often took his two sons fishing in the creeks and rivers in the north part of the county.

Back fence photography

Blog No. 7 brings you a "not good" moment ...

At about 8:30 this morning, this sedan roared up the street behind our house, spun around and landed in the ditch. The driver jumped out of the car and ran off to get help.

Fifteen minutes later the car was gone. Skid marks on the pavement make it appear that the driver saw something, hit the brakes and lost control.

Engine 49 departs ...

DSP E49 departs ...
Originally uploaded by SeabeeCook

I was a "kid in a candy store" last night! I got to eat, enjoy friends and watch fire trucks all in the same evening.

You'll have to watch quickly as the fire engine is leaving the station in Blog No. 6 ...

Engine 49 answers a medical aid call toward the end of last night's annual Christmas social of the El Dorado Western Railway Foundation. For several years, the Diamond Springs-El Dorado Fire Protection District graciously allowed us to use one of their spacious rooms at Station 49 for the party.

This year's venue overlooked the equipment bay. The photo came out a filtered on the left side since I was shooting through a window.

It's interesting that the fire fighters monitor the El Dorado command radio net in the bathroom that's adjacient to the conference room. That helped me time the shot.

The only problem was that I didn't have my remote in my hand. It was in my camera bag on the other side of the room.

To avoid loosing the shot, I used the 10-second camera delay, which made timing the picture a bit tricky. It took two shots to get this one.

Hope Valley

In a bit of irony, the operators of Sorensen's Resort couldn't have engineered a better display of fall colors. I found the most colorful aspen trees as we turned the corner on Highway 88 at the roadside cabin resort this afternoon.

As we climbed Carson Pass from the west, it was obvious that we'd missed the peak of the fall colors in the Sierra Nevada Range. Many aspens in the surrounding area had turned brown. And a number were already bare.

Our descent into Hope Valley -- a picturesque photo spot in its own right -- nearly confirmed my suspicion. But halfway down the grade, I spotted a few isolated aspen groves that were ticked against the mountain.

The vibrant colors of Hope Valley seemed to turn from bright auburn to spotted brown in a week. A motel deadline kept us from stopping on our recent trip through the area. A quite day with my wife was reason enough to return to the valley.

"A few weeks ago was better," said our young waitress at Sorensen's Cafe. "It's been coming and going really fast."

"We've seen better seasons," she added as she shuttled off to attend to other diners.

She's right. The colors in the valley were certainly past their prime today.

But there's hope for Hope Valley. As we drove up Highway 89 toward Luther Pass, I noticed a band of soft green aspens at the 6,500-foot level. The highway cut right through the large grove at the abandoned Dangberg Ranch.

Given the right conditions of cold, frosty nights, the valley -- long known for an annual color show -- could yet ramp up its display.

The most vibrant groves hug the base Waterhouse Peak and the Willow Creek drainage this year. While we may still see some colors along Willow Creek this season, we may have to wait.

Your best bet is to tour the south end of Hope Valley for the best fall colors, right along Highway 88 as it climbs up to Carson Pass.

Many groves and individual stands still quake in the afternoon breeze. Fall colors abound. You'll enjoy the yellow, brown and green hues.

The warm slopes of the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Range will enlighten you as it warms your body and colors the image in your lens.

You'd better act fast. This weekend may be too late.