For our midweek edition of “As the Central Coast Turns” we are going to stay close to home. As I used to love hearing Mr. Rogers say, “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood.” When I came home yesterday after picking up my daughter from school, I looked across the street and saw two big bucks (no, one of them was not Bob Lanier) and a doe in my neighbor’s driveway. One of the bucks immediately took off and bounded over the fence but I managed to get off a few shots of the happy couple, which is reflected in photo number one.

This morning when I looked out my office window I saw that the John Deere family had returned. This time the group included the father, the mother and two fawns. They were casually munching on the leaves of a tree in the yard across the street. It was an awesome sight as I have lived here for nine years and the closest thing I’d seen before this was a family of rats dining on the insulation under my hot tub. By the time I got my camera out of the car they had dispersed to the backyard but it was great watching the two young fawns bound away like young kangaroos. Seems like have a special way of running where they land on all four feet. You can see one of the fawns (and no, it’s not Fawn Liebowitz from “Animal House”) in the third shot along with the doe. I didn’t manage to get a good shot of all four together as they seemed to have no interest in a family portrait.

I know people see Mule Deer in Santa Cruz all the time but this family coming back for an encore showing today was classic. Seeing those big antlers and then watching them gracefully jump over the fence was a thing of beauty. And the look on the faces was a cross between curiosity, bewilderment and “doesn’t he have enough shots of us already?” I wonder where they settle at night and do they sleep lying down or standing up? And do they make the young does look both ways before crossing Western Drive? Unfortunately, one was killed last week trying to cross this busy street. And in case you were wondering, the only female deer who have antlers are reindeer.

The next shot is a cocoon I spotted in a tree down the block.
When I saw it I flashed back to my childhood and days of fireflies lighting up the summer nights back in New Jersey. If my childhood memories are correct, and that is up for debate, caterpillars turn into butterflies and that is what we see in shot number five. This little lady landed on my front lawn a few weeks back. The final shot is Monday’s sunrise taken along West Cliff Drive.

Since we were talking animals let’s end today’s blog with a joke. A kangaroo kept getting out of his enclosure at the zoo. Knowing how high he could hop, zoo official put up a ten-foot fence. But he was out again the next morning. This time they put up a twenty-foot fence. Again he got out. When the fence was forty feet high, a giraffe in the next enclosure asked the kangaroo, “How high do you think they’ll go?” Replied the kangaroo, “About a thousand feet, unless somebody locks the gate at night!”

So that’s a look at my neighborhood. I forgot to mention on Monday that there will be a drawing at Open Studios to win a 13″ x 19″ photograph courtesy of Sunrise Santa Cruz. All you will need to do is sign in and enter and you could be a winner. So enjoy this great Indian Summer weather and bring on the baseball playoffs. Remember, it is the Chinese Year of the New York Yankees. Love those Bronx ers.

For our first blog of fall 2007, let’s head down to Steamer Lane and take a look at a couple of recent sunrises. The last two photos are from Friday morning at the Lane. Shots three and four are from yesterday, the Fall Equinox or the first day of autumn. The second shot is a cloud conference taken on West Cliff Drive back on Friday.

The weather is definitely changing here on the central coast. We had our first rain of the season on Saturday and I’ve shot the sunrise three out of the last four days. They’ve been nothing to write your Congressman about but definitely photo worthy. There was a beautiful sunset on Saturday night that closed out the summer of 2007. We’ll take a look at that season ender later in the week.

Here’s an item I ran across this week. U.S. scientists tracked a shorebird as it made a record 7,145-mile flight from Alaska to New Zealand without stopping for food or water. The U.S. Geological Survey’s Alaska Science Center says this was the longest nonstop flight ever recorded by a bird without an iPod. This godwit was one of 16 captured by researchers in New Zealand back in early February. It was fitted with GPS and a small battery-powered satellite transmitter to track its migration. The bird, dubbed “E7,” began its record setting flight back from Alaska on August 29, flying past Hawaii, Fiji and other remote islands of the Pacific before arriving in New Zealand on September 7. During those nine days, researchers said the bird “slept’ by shutting down one side of her brain at a time. Coincidentally, I believe the same thing happened to me when I was taking my SAT’s.

The first shot on today’s blog is of some marbled godwits at sunset at Natural Bridges. They were not equipped with GPS or transmitters but all signed a release so I could legally display this photo.

So that’s it for our first blog of autumn. Later this week I’ll have all the information on the upcoming Open Studios Tour. Congratulations go out to the New York Giants and Oakland Raiders, both of whom picked up their first win of the NFL season yesterday. Both teams are now undefeated in the fall. So enjoy the birds, the sunrise clouds and the first week of the new TV season.

American naturalist and writer John Muir once wrote, “This grand show is eternal. It is always sunrise somewhere; the dew is never all dried at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor is ever rising. Eternal sunrise, eternal sunset, eternal dawn and gloaming, on sea and continents and islands, each in its turn, as the round earth rolls.” When I read this one thought immediately came to mind. What the heck is gloaming? It’s twilight or dusk. Anyway, Mr. Muir was referring to the weather, which is incredibly wild and diverse around the world. Here are some weather happenings along with some other nature news from around the planet.

The hot spot on Mother Earth this week was Death Valley, California, which drove the thermometer up to very comfortable 115 degrees . The coolest spot was the South Pole in Antarctica, which came in at a chilly 100 below. In earthquake news, an 8.4 magnitude quake struck just off the Indonesian island of Sumatra, a 4.9 magnitude quake hit Indonesia’s densely populated East Java and earth movements were felt in Tawian, the Columbia-Ecuador border and along the Southern California coast near San Diego. As “The Killer” Jerry Lee Lewis would say, “there’s a whole lot of shaking going on.”

A Little Rain Must Fall. Another round of severe monsoon floods have forced more than 3 million people from their homes in northeastern India and Bengladesh. This comes just one month after previous downpours forced more than 19 million from their homes across the same region. No, that wasn’t a misprint. The number was 19 million.

Ah, Rats. Chinese officials say their efforts to battle a rampant rodent plague in the country’s Xinjiang region by introducing natural predators have proven to be successful. More than 1,000 eagle nests were erected and 200 foxes bred in captivity were released to feed on the rats. More than 5.4 million acres of pasture have been ravaged by the rodents, causing a food shortage for livestock. The new method of rat control was introduced after poison failed to reduce the pest population and killed the rodent’s natural enemies. After this method failed, Chinese officials issued this statement. “Rats, foiled again.”

Eye Of The Tiger. Royal Bengal tigers have reappeared in an Indian forest nearly 30 years after it was believed that poaching had wiped them out. As many as 20 of the big cats were sighted. Reporters were told that the tigers may have rebounded due to poachers moving to other areas. Wildlife experts believe that India is home to half of the world’s surviving tigers. A census taken back in 2002 showed their numbers had dwindled to 3,642 from about 40,000 a century ago. Siegfried & Roy had no comment on this story but said good seats were still available for all shows this week at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas.

Today’s photos are from a late summer sunrise taken on the final day of August over Cowell’s Beach and the Municipal Wharf. I threw in the last shot of low tide at Steamer Lane to add a little color to the day. We had a beautiful sunset earlier in the week and there were a few clouds in the sky last night so things are looking up on the sunrise/sunset front. It was another excruciatingly painful weekend for Giant and Raiders fans but the good news is they only play once a week. So enjoy the last week of summer and don’t let the sun catch you crying.

As I’ve gotten older one thing I’ve come to value in life is the view. This could be the view from inside your head (you know, the perspective of half-empty or half-full) or the view that you see thru your eyes. I lived with the direct view of the Pacific Ocean from 1975 thru 1989 on West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz. Living across the street from this body of water was like a good dream that I never wanted to end. There were incredible sunrises and sunsets, whales and dolphins, roller skaters and joggers. Birds of all kinds flying by day and night. The sound of waves crashing along the coastline, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. This spot had it all. To wake up every day and walk outside gave me a feeling of power, that this was the place I was supposed to be. The view was outstanding.

It was along this street that today’s photo journey begins. For an appetizer we’ll check out some clouds over Cowell’s Beach, and then for the main course head over to my favorite arch at Its Beach. The water reflecting third shot was taken mid-morning while the next shot was taken on an almost empty beach just after sunrise. The glowing red cliffs were photographed just as the sun hit the horizon at the beginning of a glorious day . The last shot is a Lighthouse Point tribute to Old Glory. Right after I took this picture I headed up the coast to Four Mile Beach to see how the gulls would look with these clouds as a backdrop. They looked simply marvelous.

The look of the coastline is always changing because of the constant pounding of the waves along the cliffs. It’s called erosion and it’s nature’s longest running show. Fortunately, good seats are still available. I’m taking as many shots of the arch at Its Beach as possible because this structure will collapse one of the days. You can be sure of that. All along West Cliff Drive are sea stacks which are rock formations that used to be connected to the the land. There’s one right next to the arch and I’ll show it to you in a future blog. Anyway, I’m not crazy about change but it is part of life. So if we were to go back 100 years in time, things would be quite different. Here’s some amazing statistics and facts about the United States from the year 1907.

Only 14 percent of homes had bathtubs. Only 8 per cent of these homes had a telephone. There were only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles of paved roads. The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph. The average wage in the U.S. was 22 cents per hour. More than 95 percent of all births took place at home. And 90 percent of all U.S. doctors had no college education.

Most women only washed their hair once a month and used Borax or egg yolks as shampoo. The population of Las Vegas, Nevada was only 30 including Wayne Newton. Crossword puzzles, canned beer and ice tea hadn’t been invented yet. There was no Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. Two out of every 10 U.S. adults couldn’t read or write. Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school. And there were only about 230 reported murders in the entire U.S.A.!

Now here come my favorite facts. Marijuana, heroin and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores. Back then pharmacists said, “Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyance to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health.” And all the time I thought that was the role of chocolate. Them changes.

On a sadder note, tomorrow is the anniversary of the killer hurricane that hit the city of Galveston, Texas in 1900. This Category 4 hurricane had estimated winds of 135 mph and lasted 18 hours as tidal waves wiped away 12 city blocks and destroyed 3,600 homes. The death toll has been estimated between 6,000 and 12,000, with most official counts settling on 8,000, making it the deadliest natural disaster ever to strike the U.S. besides the election of George W. Bush.)

Horror stories like this make me appreciate every hour of every day. Life can be stressful dealing with children, pets, parents and partners along with financial and health issues. Throw in the war, the homeless problem and world hunger and our plates are full. What these photo blogs are all about is that while all this stuff is going on there are still sunrises and sunsets and moments of intense color and wonder. Nature is still going full bore and these are the moments I’m trying to capture and bring to the table. That along with a few laughs and some information that you may have forgotten along the way. I guess what I’m trying to say is savor the moment and if you can’t, tape or Tivo it. Every day is precious.
That’s it for Philosophy of Life 101 . Enjoy the sights and have a great first weekend of NFL football. Unless, of course, you’re a New York Giant or Oakland Raider fan. Then make sure you have your seatbelt on because your ride might be a little bumpy.

September is a great time to be alive and place kicking on the central coast. Temperature wise it’s the warmest month of the year and days like the last few with warm summer breezes give Santa Cruz its well-deserved reputation of a paradise by the sea with cold water. There’s something magical about living on the edge of the continent . Or as the quote by a now deceased local resident on a bench along West Cliff Drive reads, “I live by the sea. Enough said.”

These first four shots are from a fabulous sunrise at Lighthouse Point from back in November of 2005. This was an outstanding morning to be an American League fan with a camera. The last two photos were shot at sunset at Natural Bridge State Beach. Reflections on an afternoon spent riding the waves in the blue Pacific. Or as my friend Carol puts it, “End of a perfect day at NB’s.”

You may have sometime wondered. Just who was it that discovered this watery piece of real estate? Magellen, Cortez, Dick Clark? Actually, it was Vasco de Nunez de Balboa, who while in Panana in 1513 was told by the Indians of a sea on the other side of the Isthmus. On September 1, Balboa set out to discover this great sea, taking with him 190 Spanish soldiers, a pack of dogs and 1,000 Indian slaves. It took 25 days to wade thru the dense jungles of Panama before they came upon the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean. What an incredible moment that must have been. Clad in full armor, Balboa waded into the water and claimed the sea and the all the shores on which it washed the property of the King of Spain. For his efforts, Balboa, one of the greatest explorers of the new world, was later condemned as a traitor and charged with treason and condemned to death by a governor jealous of his successes. He met his death by the executioner’s axe. Shouldn’t someone have given him a head’s up on that? And by the way, it was the Portuguese explorer Magellen, not Balboa, who bestowed the ocean its name “Pacifica,” meaning peaceful because the waters seemed so calm.

So now you’re probably wondering, if Rocky Balboa discovered the Pacific, who was it that discovered California? I’m glad you inquired. The honor goes to Portuguese navigator Juan Rodriquez Cabrillo, who scoped it out upon his arrival in San Diego Bay for a Chargers-Raiders game in 1542. Spain wanted him to find an easier route to the Pacific rather than the long loop around South America. They were hoping to find a route thru the American continent via an alleged northwest passage called the Strait of Anian. So as Cabrillo sailed up and down the coast of California, every time he saw a big river, he wondered if he had found the passage. He claimed California for the Spanish crown and as all explorers were required to do when they encountered a new group of Indians, read them an explanation called a “requerimiento”. It was an act of taking possession of the land and was read in Spanish, Latin and Yiddish, none of which the Indians understood. It basically ordered the Indians to submit their land to Spain because of religious justification ordered by the pope. Ah, to be young again and a conquistador.

And finally, for our first blog of the new month, birthday wishes go out to the wild west legend Jesse James, who following the civil war, formed a group of outlaws with his brother Frank that robbed banks, trains and stagecoaches. In 1882, after the governor of Missouri offered a $10,000 reward for their capture dead or alive, a member of the gang shot Jesse in the back of the head and claimed the reward. You just don’t see that kind of loyalty any more. So on that note enjoy the day and the colors in the sky. In the words of The Happenings and their #1 hit from the summer of 1966, “See you in September.”

I was going to start off the week with a continuation of Friday’s blast by moving along West Cliff Drive to the same fog bank surrounding the action at Bird Rock. And then I thought to myself, “It’s a new week, your son is experiencing his first day of eighth grade and the site is Sunrise Santa Cruz, so get out of the fog and back into the light.”

The first shot features the coastline looking east to Lighthouse Point as it is entrenched in the before mentioned early morning fog. But then we get back into a more familiar mode as the next five shots are from a sunrise back in late February.

Sunrise season really kicks in around November and hangs till late March. That’s prime time for me, when I wake up every morning and bolt out of bed hoping for some outrageous cloud action. When I send out these blasts you only get to see a few segments of the dawn experience so many worthy photos don’t make the cut. There were actually a few mornings last winter that were just super spectacular, so much so that when I view them in my computer files I know they have to be seen again. It’s early morning magnificence starring the skies of Santa Cruz. This one wasn’t one of those unbelievably colorful, mind-blowing sunrises but I thought it was worth taking a second look. I hope you’ll agree.

And on a different note, a thanks goes out to my brother Brad who has brought my Santa Cruz based parents into the 21st century by hooking them up to the internet so they can actually send and receive pictures. But more importantly, these two people who brought me into the world are now the 100th members of this blast list so we have hit the century mark. On that front, a lot of people are new to this list so if I haven’t heard from you let me know what you think. As I’ve said before, I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I enjoy taking them. And for those fans of the recently canceled HBO surf classic “John From Cincinatti,” no need to worry, “I’ve got my eyes on you.” Enjoy the day and enjoy the spray.

To finish off this week of incredibly, beautiful Hawaiian-like weather here on the central coast, let’s journey back to July and a foggy morning down at Cowell’s Beach. Unlike the past few days, the marine layer tends to hang off the coast like groupies backstage at an Aerosmith concert. It usually breaks around midday and going from overcast gray to Pacific blue is always a delight and this day proved to be no exception.

The first three shots are from that morning but to give you some real Cowell’s contrast I went back into the photo vault and pulled out these items. The fourth shot is Cowells before sunrise, the fifth an early afternoon cloud conference and the last shot a late winter rainbow that had the crowd buzzing. As you can see from the wetsuits in the water, Cowell’s Beach is one of the best places in the world to learn how to surf. All the energy pushing around Steamer’s Lane and Lighthouse Point mellows out by the time it gets to Cowells and the result is a long, gentle, easy wave that breaks for a very long time.

Cowell’s is one of the most crowded surfing spots in Santa Cruz but most of the surfers are beginners so there’s very little animosity, unlike in the stands at an Oakland Raider game. And with the resurgence of modern longboarding, Cowell’s has become more popular than ever. And finally, a shout out goes to New York Yankee Hall of Fame shortstop Phil Rizzuto, who passed away this week after a four-decade career as the team’s broadcaster. Phil’s stream of consciousness commentary included his love of cannolis and his fear of snakes, lightning and traffic and called anyone who made a mistake a “huckleberry.” He also figured in a memorable plot point of a “Seinfeld” episode because of a key chain that uttered his most famous exclamation, “Holy Cow!” and that phrase is what landed him on today’s blast. Thanks for all the memories, Scooter and rest in peace. Enjoy Cowells and the weekend.