A search of my Flickr archive nets me three photos taken on November 1, from many, many years past (with original captions):
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| 2007: In between sorting out some banking for my mom and playing a few games of pool, I took a stroll on Fisherman's Wharf. The pelicans and sea lions were showing off—or rather, they were waiting for scraps from the party boats. This fellow impressed me with his handsome looks. It was a foggy day, and not many people were out—a perfect time to be on the wharf. |
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| 2009: Heading home after a few days in Yosemite, driving due south out of Merced: off to the east the moon had just risen, and to the west the sun was setting redly. I kept swiveling my head back and forth; it was like two worlds. Then stopped to take pictures in both directions, but the sunset didn't turn out as well as the moonrise. |
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| 2010: For our daily walk, we ventured down to the waterfront. On Wharf #2, at both ends of the working warehouses, big racks of kelp were set up to dry. Not sure why. There is an abalone-growing operation here, so perhaps it's food for the mollusks. It was a striking sight, in any case—and must have been a tedious job. |
And here are a few from today, 2024, when we went geocaching in Uvas Canyon with our friend Alastair—8.5 miles, 6,000 feet of elevation gain (that would be: up and down, up and down), and many great stories told, including ones involving a sheep and a monkey—but the alligators had to wait until:
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| A rather decrepit cache, but charming for all that, called "Crocodile Rock" |
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| Uvas Canyon is full of waterfalls |
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| Alastair inspects cache contents |
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| David for the find! |
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| The views were beautiful, and certainly worth all the huffing and puffing. |
We always thoroughly enjoy our days out with Alastair—this was our second this year, hadn't been on a hike since spring. We explore new corners of our homeplace, find fun treasures, and share our various passions. (And maybe rant a bit about the state of the world.) It doesn't get much better. (Except the state of the world. That could be much better.)
