Showing posts with label California Coast. Show all posts
Showing posts with label California Coast. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 28, 2021

2021: THE CHURCH OF THE OPEN ROAD’S YEAR IN REVIEW

  

In the beginning it was all black and white.

~ Maureen O’Hara

 

 

Click on any picture to expand 'em all.  (Some might be deemed worth the effort.)

Mid-winter ride on the beloved Enrico, the Yamaha, little knowing his days would be numbered.

 


Nothing like an old barn and a good cloudscape…

 


…even a cloudscape close to home, to capture some emotion.

 


Springtime and mustard cover crop in the vineyards of the Napa Valley.

 


This bell seemed a little Hitchcockian…

 


…as did this tilting silo.  I don’t know why.  Perhaps it's because this is near Bodega...

 


 

I read that prior to the advent of color TV, 

most people dreamed in black and white.

~ Damian Loeb

 

Revisited some long-ago haunts…

 


… and some places we’d like to haunt again.

 


Perfunctory derelict tractor image.

 


Perfunctory wildflower image.

 


Perfunctory love note from Dad to Mom circa 1948.

 


Edward visits the trestle…

 


…on one of our many coastal sojourns where we see…

 


…breakers…

 


…beach bums…

 


…light houses…

 


…and smoke-choked sunsets.

 


Enrico’s replacement is an Italian varietal I’ve named Mariolanza, the Moto Guzzi.

 


 

A melancholy trip to Simpson Camp…

 


…scorched by the year-ago’s Mendocino Complex…

 


…leaving little but memories.

 


I wanted to be Amish when I was a kid. 

You just wear black and white - what could be better? 

One less thing to worry about. 

~ Anderson Cooper

 

Autumn leaves…



 

…a tune from Tony Bennett…

 


…a watchful guardian…

 


…a perfunctory old truck picture…

 


…and snow dusts the nearby Mayacamas for Christmas.

 


 

Shots of the year (as judged by me):  Third runner up ~ steel bridge over Butte Creek.

 


Second runner up: Damn! That’s a beautiful bike!

 


First runner up: Reflections in a walking path puddle.

 


Shot of the Year:  Live steam!

 


If everything isn’t black and white, I say, “Why the hell not?”

~ John Wayne

 

© 2021

Church of the Open Road Press

 

Saturday, December 26, 2020

2020: THE CHURCH OF THE OPEN ROAD’S YEAR IN REVIEW

  

…as random and crazy as the year departing was, 

expect little or no order herewith…

 


We’ll start with Edward’s annual first-week-in-January “Polar Bear” swim in Lake Sonoma (with the best stick ever)…

 


 

Our area would again be visited by fire this year…

 

 


…and circumstances curtailed a bit of travel, but I did revisit some favored roads.

 

 


The coast has replaced the Sierra as our go-to place for beauty and reflection…

 

 


…any time of the year…

 

 


…with all manner of creatures…

 

 


…and hidden little Edens.

 

 


 

We bid farewell to Romeo…

 

 


…a classic BMW that deserved better than to be gathering dust in the garage… 

 

 


…and Mom found permanent rest in this favored place.  (Photo circa 1967)

 

 


 

A ‘chase car’ trip to Central Oregon afforded us this view of Shasta…

 

 


                                                   

…a week on the Metolius River…

 

 


…a visit to McKenzie Pass…

 

 


…and a loop down the Oregon Coast.

 


 

 

Random additional images include:  Sunset at Bandon, Oregon…

 

 


…a perfunctory derelict truck…

 

 


…a nice new-to-me section of pavement…

 

 


…and “OH! NO!”

 

 


 

Best book among the many read this year?  Dr. Lepore (Closed circuit to folks at the WSJ: A woman with a PhD is a doctor) offers a readable 400-plus year history of the United States reminding us that we do have ideals, but we don’t always stand up for ‘em the way we say we do. Witness the past few years.  (Allow about a month to finish it, but well worth the effort).

 


 

Shots of the year as judged by our panel of expert (yes: ‘expert’ is singular.)


5th Runner Up: representing too little time with Grandkids in the real world this year:

 

 


4th Runner Up: because we want them grandkids never to miss critters like this:

 


3rd Runner Up: Coastal School (or fire?) Bell.

 

 


2nd Runner Up: Dusk in Upper Lake, California.

 

 


Shot of the Year: Thomas Kincade-esque Cabin across the Metolius.

 

 


Here’s hoping for a more conducive 2021 – (more conducive for damned-near everything.)

 

© 2020

Church of the Open Road Press