Christmas At San Simeon

Christmas was one of William Randolph Hearst’s favorite holidays and San Simeon was an enchanting setting for entertaining on a grand scale.  Invitations to Hearst Castle during the holidays were highly coveted.  In December, the Assembly Room, Refectory, and the Morning Room contain lavish decorations of hand-made garlands, brilliant red poinsettias, and two 18-foot Christmas trees fully decorated with lights and traditional ornaments.

Sunset over Sonoma County

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November 4, 2010
Whatever words have been used to descride a sunset, they all applied to this one. Coming home from a photoshoot, the light was just phenominal. From pinks to golds to fiery orange and red, this one had it all. It was amazing to watch the light as it changed and to see how the grape vines and landscape changed with the change in hues.

I know many people in the county saw the show from many different vantage points and I feel so lucky that I commute throught such a spectacular area and could take in the beauty as I headed home. Here are some of the images that I took on Laughlin Road and Slusser Road in Sonoma County.

As I was getting ready to get back in the car, I heard some geese honking and spotted a flock heading to their night time roost. The final three images were of these geese as they crossed the sky into darkness.

Whale Watching - Bodega Bay

Each year gray and blue whales travel south from Alaska down to Baja California for the winter, then back north for the summer feeding season. A great vantage point is the Ocean Overlook at Bodega Head. On this particular day we saw several gray whales, but they were being shy for the most part. Of course there is plenty of natural beauty to see and photograph as you wait for the whales to appear.

Coit Tower

Coit Tower is 210 feet tall and is located in the historic Telegraph Hill neighborhood in San Francisco.  The tower was built in 1933 at the bequest of Lillie Hitchcock Coit to beautify the city of San Francisco.  The art deco tower was designed by Arthur Brown Jr and Henry Howard.  The tower is made of unpainted reinforced concrete and inside there are many murals painted by different artists as part of the Public Works of Art Project.  
For more photos from this beautiful neighborhood, click here.

Brad & Tony's Farewell to Doc's Ranch Road

Brad and Tony held a farewell party at their home on Doc's Ranch Road as they prepare to move to their new home (when the work is all done). Many of their close friends and neighbors gathered to remember all the good times and wish them well.