Rays over Palomar © Robert Sommers 2026

Thursday, December 3, 2020

Thursday's Child

 

Say's Phoebe

We lost power sometime after midnight last night.

Along with seventy two thousand other San Diegans. Our power company, SDGE, tired of being the defendant in fire lawsuits, made a preemptive shutdown strike in the face of super strong winds. The wind was stronger and more powerful than I remember in forty years here. Thankfully Todd trimmed our huge Monterey pine last week, which is pushing a hundred feet tall. And our equally tall redwood decided to stay planted in the ground and not face dive onto our roof.

So no power at home, no power at work, until about an hour ago for the latter. I had business in Escondido around lunch time and a few hours to kill so I went back and had a brisk walk at the newly renovated San Elijo Lagoon.

Wind was still intense but I had a good time. Saw more juvenile snowy egrets together than I can ever remember.

I am by no means a sparrow expert but I am going to guess that this chirpy guy is a song sparrow. Wrong - savannah sparrow - belding


The resident peregrine falcon was content to hang out in the low altitude mudflats today.


Nothing too earth shattering today. Did a little grooving with the grebes.

As you know, my favorite way to spend a morning. 

Was happy to be alone with my thoughts too as well as with my avian friends.

*
I am not a big drinker. In fact until a few months ago I had not had a drink in a year. Just really not my thing.

Remember when we used to have those great parties in my gallery? Food, jazz and libations.

Well the last one was back in 2009. Too much inventory these days to even think of such a thing.

Anyway I was clearing out all the bottles people brought over in 2009 and left that we never drank the other day and putting them in the trash.

Leslie grabbed a few things and I cached away a few bottles of port. Gave some to the neighbors, put the rest in the dumpster, I am sure that I made a lot of street people very happy. 

But I decided to keep one bottle of cabernet sauvignon, my favorite grape, a silver medal 2003 from Sweetwater Ranch in Napa. I don't know who left it but seriously, thank you. Levendi Winery.

Leslie is like "throw it away, it is probably vinegar" but I had a feeling about this one. Currently sold out at the vineyard for $120 list.

We were invited to some old friends' home for dinner, Mike and Lexi. We brought it with us. The cork was dry and it disintegrated. I almost put it in the trash but Leslie nursed it out patiently.

Oh my god, what a lovely wine, Wow. Smooth and balanced. I stopped drinking wine because I was getting allergic sneezing reaction but there was none of that. Superb.

Very nice night and delicious dinner.


My compliments and thanks to our hosts. Leslie is off to get ice to protect the food in our fridge and freezer, no telling when the power will come back on.

Still have far to go.

*
We were talking about something after dinner around the fire that I found interesting.

Do you know that this year has been a bit of a paradigm shift for humanity, at least since 1918 anyway? 

So many wonderful people who have passed due to this contagion, so many that will be sorely missed, many struck down in their prime.

In this year of plagues we have learned many things. 

How to wear masks and socially distance in order to protect ourselves and those around us. 

That we can live without live sports if we have to. Ditto travel. And many other things. We master takeout dining. Zoom calls. Remote work. Baking at home. The elbow bump. What else?

Wednesday, December 2, 2020

Man descending a staircase

A young lady came into my shop this morning looking for a painting of a stairway that she once saw here. I found it and she is contemplating a purchase. 

I thought back to one of my own stairway photographs, from the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, one of my hipper shots I guess. Which I post below.

I'm not sure why but I really like this shot. I dropped the angle of the horizontal bar in the middle just a skoche and everything made more sense. Vague and they are looking for vague today. Come to think of it, I have a pretty darn good shot or two I took up at the Getty too. Just waiting to be discovered.

First in the fight!


I got this original James Montgomery Flagg marine recruitment poster back from the restorer today.

It was created in 1918 and there were two versions, with and without an address on the bottom.

My paper guy Jaime did a marvelous job on the piece. He de acidified it, took out a few wrinkles and linen backed it. Looks pristine now.

James Montgomery Flagg (1877-1960) is perhaps most famous for his iconic Uncle Sam poster. He was also known, among other things, for his wonderful illustrations for Harper's Weekly.

This poster is ready to frame. If you know a former marine who might be interested let them know that I have it. 

Call or email me for a price.

Raise the Shire

I have been thinking of Trump's last days in office and how he is trying to willy nilly use a scorched earth policy to destroy everything he can for the next occupant. 

Installing department heads like LeJoy at the Post Office that can't be terminated, dismembering environmental protections, firing lifelong civil servants who won't buy into his conspiracy crap, the list of perfidy is long.

And the corollary my mind keeps coming up with is Saruman the White in Lord of the Rings, after he loses his staff and Gandalf drums him out of the wizard corps. Does he go back to wherever he hails from to play a little bridge with Radagast and the other wizards?

No, he goes to the Shire and tries to screw up everything he can because it makes him happy. Pollutes, uproots, destroys, just turns into a totally nasty prick on his way out. Malevolent bastard. Thankfully, Galadrial had given Sam a small wooden box filled with a Mallorn seed and pixie dust from her garden. A sprinkle here or there brought things back in no short order.

Oh, to have such a box today!

Run Around

Speaking Freely: Paul Kantner

An interview with the late Paul Kantner.

Tuesday, December 1, 2020

Magic Sam - Every Night And Every Day

Annual end of the year blast readers photo submission

Presque Isle Park, Marquette, Michigan - Shirley Timberman


 
Cam Wilde





Cabo dawn - Kathie Morgan

This may not be what you want, but this Horseradish Crusted Prime Rib sure was important to us! (Along with red onions, spinach and popovers) - Joseph and Linda Kohn Sherwood 

Butterfly on manure pile - Richard Neumann


Sunset outside Holbrook - Terry Schurmeier


Toltec Spirit Guide - portable wood chipper - Jerry Hall





Wife kid fish dogs - Michael Loughlin


Kerry Brown

Lone photographer - Mike Reardon


Margaret and one of her pigeon friends - Jon Harwood

Keep them coming, folks...
Venus and the moon having a dip in the pool - Victoria Roberts


Man's best friend - Doug Garn

Baja Morning - Jill Cole

Pretty sign - Beth Cobb

Scrub jay fleeing the feeder - Wilbur Norman


Lake Tahoe Panoramic - James ODonnell

Julie and Ziggy - Lois Newkirk


Jeff Olsen



Granddaughter making pizza at the cabin - Carilyn Vice


2020 skid mark - Noreen Ring

Spider trees - Roy Cohen


Egret on log - Ken Seals


One eye 1 - Louis Nidorf


Steve Schwartz


Peekaboo Canyon near Escalante, Utah - Steve Stoops


Seems like a theme here - Anonymous blogger

Dad - Renee C. OBrien

Leslie Sommers

Jeff and Gena Barney


Barry's a brand - Barry Friedman

Jeff Nichols


Farmer's market tandem - Lena Leichtling

Lower Antelope Canyon - Bob Booth

Kip Peterson

Black's Beach - Ron Holder

Dillon, MT - Jack Fisher


Clancy and Carpenter dragster at Famoso Raceway - Jay Carpenter


Architectural detail, Guanajuato - Nancy Javier


I found that effective social distancing can be achieved with a little mercurochrome.
And wearing a mask found in the gutter! - William Warmboe


Colorado - Renee OBrien

Blair Conklin - Bob Booth



Miriam  and Yossi Tenne

Spring annual visitor - Stephanie Boren