Theme Day: black and white

Welcome to CDP Theme Day.  At the beginning each month City Daily Photo participants post a photo related to a specific theme.  This month's theme is Black and White in color.  I took this picture because of the deco era lettering and the period wrought iron lamp.  Much to my surprise the color photo looks like a black and white.   Follow the link above to see more photos for this Theme Day.

Happy Holidays

Sorry, no Monday Mural today.  Meet you back here next week.  Happy Holidays to all.

Monday Mural: mystery mask

This mural can be found off Park Blvd. near Lake Merritt.  It has an interesting mixture of elements from multiple cultures.  I like the dragon with the brush in his mouth.  It may be a reference to the crew that painted it.  If Desi reads this, he'll set me straight.  The figure to the right reminds me of Javanese iconography, especially with the kris in his hand.  The central face is a mash up of different cultural styles but especially makes me think Aztec meets Rorschach.  All in all, a composition that makes you pay attention.

Welcome to Monday Mural:  if you like murals or have a mural you'd like to post, this meme's for you; just follow the Linky steps below.  You decide what constitutes a mural.  Once you start looking, you find them everywhere.  Be sure to link back to this blog and visit your fellow posters.  Looking forward to your mural finds posted this week.  Google+ users, please configure your post so we all can leave a comment.  Thanks.

“ Be kind; everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”  Rev. John Watson

nice weather

As you can tell, the weather around here has been pretty nice.  Sunny and pleasantly warm but with evening fog to cool us down.  Linked to Skywatch Friday.

some days

Some days it seems that everyone is walking the lake.  Ever since the city renovated Lake Merritt's landscaping and and traffic flow, it has become even more popular to the citizenry.  Where people, boats, and birds come together. 

the lake at dusk

It's always a pleasure to walk Lake Merritt.  Linked to Weekend Reflections.

baby batman at the Lake

Walking the Lake is always interesting.  You never know when you're going to run into a Super Hero.

the last rays of the day

In the last rays of the day, reflections become only suggestions.  Linked to Weekend Reflections.

bird sanctuary

Walking the Lake at dusk is a great reminder that Lake Merritt was initially and foremost the nation's first designated wildlife refuge.

walking the lake

The Lake is popular every day of the week.  With a 3 mile radius, it's a popular course for both walkers and runners.

late afternoon at the Lake

This scene is late enough in the afternoon, that the lanterns and Necklace of Lights have already turned on.  Since it's redesign a few years ago, the Lake has become incredibly popular for walking, picnicking, and general people gathering.

things to see while you walk the Lake

When you walk around Lake Merritt, you'll see these trees with twisted branches that over time tend to lay down on the ground.  The lake’s iconic plant is the New Zealand Tea Tree (Leptospermum sp.), which grows with picturesque gnarled branches along the water’s edge.  We love them because of their unusual texture.

as the sun sets

Taken before the rains came.  Linked to Weekend Reflections.

dusk at the Lake

It's a beautiful time of day to just sit and watch the changing light.

running the embarcadero

Late afternoon, and the Lake has a lot of activity around it.

looking across the lake

Who doesn't love using telescopes and binoculars to bring the far near.  Especially nice on a bright winter day.

Weekend Reflection: more views of the Lake

It was a mild evening and the lake waters were fairly still.  Linked to Weekend Reflections.

Weekend Reflection: dusk at the Lake

Clear skies and calm air provides nice flat water for reflections.  The conical building is the recently constructed Cathedral of Christ the Light for the local Catholic diocese.  Linked to Weekend Reflections.

Weekend Reflections: Lady of the Lake

Docked near the Lake Chalet restaurant on Lake Merritt.  Linked to Weekend Reflections. 

Skywatch Friday: lights around Lake Merritt

Our weather pattern is the same these days:  overcast mornings, intermittent sunshine by 11AM, blue skies from the afternoon into the evening.  The high fog returns again late at night.  So here is a typical sky shot at dusk.  Meanwhile our graceful Necklace of Lights creates a pretty light around Lake Merritt.  Rain predicted for this weekend.  Fingers crossed.  Linked to Skywatch Friday.