point reyes. june 2013. 

an epic hike: nine miles in three hours, including stops for photos, berry picking, and exploring the sea shore. my knee hurt for three weeks following the hike, so i rested it; now that i've started working out again, it feels much better. it's amazing how well nature heals. at first it feels like a big sponge that can absorb everything you're feeling and take it away, and then you realize that you feel better because you're where you belong. 

i'm thinking of traveling to south america in a few months, and i'm excited to see the cities and work on the farms, but i'm also anticipating patagonia, the andes, and perhaps even antarctica. the bold, vast, empty places that feel like a strange new home.

sea colors

california, from kauai. march 2013.

just another january sunset

berkeley. january 2013.

from the lawrence hall of science parking lot, up on the hill after a run.

floating lillies

balboa, still. october 2012.

when light curves

balboa park. october 2012.

looking down in balboa

san diego. october 2012.

oh thank god, obama. thank god.

the place where i want to get married

the farm. december 2011. 

this was the jury's pick for the 26th emeryville art exhibition, which opens tonight at 6pm. 5890 christie avenue, emeryville. free, 11am-6pm daily, oct 6-28, 2012.

a round pool of water

baltimore area, sierras. august, 2012.

a new perspective

baltimore wilderness, sierras. august 2012.

glassy skyline

 

 oakland. july 2012.

dusk

maritime park, oakland. june 2012.

a still-light sky and the port behind us. oh, bike party, i love you.

oh, jellyfish

california academy of sciences. march 2012.

you're upside down, silly!

haze and light in layers

san diego. february 2012.

...aka, Hong Kong.

who is the fairest of them all?

the farm. december 2011.

bridges are forever

selby (north of richmond). october 2011.

that's alotta infrastructure.

why it's worth getting up early in the morning

train to martinez. october, 2011.

watercolor landscape

northbay coast. october 2011.

out the train window, pointing the lens straight ahead so no reflection creeps into the picture. a blurry predawn shot of the bay.

oh, my feet

piute creek. september 2011.

it felt so good to take off my shoes. usually i kept them on at lunch, ever mindful of all the hiking left to do in the day. but this time i was ahead, just a mile to my planned stop when i plopped down for a late lunch. i knew i'd hike farther, and it made me feel triumphant and relaxed. off came the boots. i even took out my sleeping pad for extra comfort.

this trip was so much harder than i expected. the altitude, the long days, the heat, the heavy pack, the new pants that gave me blisters--on my hips--all added up to a strenuousness i wasn't quite prepared for. but really, it was the lack of a buddy. no one was helping, no one was tired, too, no one sat with me in the shade half way up a steep hill as my breathing slowed. when i stepped away from camp to read a book at the side of the creek, i was just as alone as when i returned. nature felt less of a respite and more, simply the landscape i was moving through, beautiful though it was.

there is something about knowing that someone is waiting for you to come back that makes it more soothing to be away.

a cool fall delta crossing

 

abel tasman coast, new zealand. april 2011. 

i want to take my shoes off again. i'm ready to wade across.

left by the sea

moeraki beach, new zealand. april 2011.