Getting better all the time

The State of California just can't get it together.  Hoping to get around the 2/3rds requirement to try and tax it's way out of a recession, California has turned to using "fees" to raise revenues.  A tax being a tax by any name, the voters nixed this trend of the bait and switch of fee for tax with Proposition 26.

This means fees can't be raised without a 2/3rds approval for State, and more importantly local fees.  So, toss the idea of fees getting California out of the hole it's in.

With Governor Moonbeam back in office, California could end up taking this to court, and as usual overturn the will of the people.

Upping the ante of dysfunction....  It keeps getting better all the time.

Falling Down

Making the best of what's still around.

Storm, she comes

Now we're talking clouds.

Oil and Water

Who said they don't mix?

ways to get back home

It's as simple as color.

Two and Tall

Just a little getting away, Pilgrim...

On the Vine

A day to give thanks for our blessings. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

A little travel humor

We all know travel can be stressful, and the TSA sure isn't making things any easier.  It's important to be safe and keep a sense of humor, so in that vain, I thought I'd share these TSA bumper stickers floating around the internet.

On Holiday

Be safe out there and enjoy...

Simply Pretend

Our imagination lets the world be what we want...

Rural Living

I went up to one of my favorite spots called Knapp's Castle, which is an old abandoned stone structure to find that it's being worked on. I'm not sure if they're restoring it, or what's going on. There is construction going on, and from the way things look, people wont be able to come and go any longer.

It's a loss for hikers and photographers, and a gain for whomever is going to be living there again.

Above Town

The storm had started to pass, so I thought I'd take a drive up the mountain and get a view from cloud level. The view from up there was breathtaking, though I'd forgotten to bring my eye glasses.

That meant I was fumbling in the dark to get this shot. I couldn't tell if the camera was on the right settings, so I just sort of winged it.

All Wet

The rain has come... with Winter not too far behind.

She's Automatic

Taking me where I need to go...

for a moment

Things just work out...

Gone Electric

There should be no trouble when you pass by...

Made in the Shade

As you can see, it's not so hard to push sun and structure further than you think.

Morning Catch

It's about time I got back to doing some early morning photography. Lots of images out there to capture.

Forgotten

Recently I've been spending a lot of time with a loved one who has been reminding me of things I've long forgotten.

It's strange, those memories are just fragments. Like bits and pieces of paper torn from some old book, with little remaining of the story they once told.

It's hard to know if any of those things really happened, or are worth even thinking about. The past and future don't really exist, so why waste any time on them?

Livin' Easy

Nature's given the gift of clouds lately, I've been trying to not let them go to waste.

skipped the light fandango

Traces of yesterday,
strange and unreal,
like looking through glass,
someone's memory,
an uncertain past

Careful what you wish for

The voters of California have spoken, and it seems that they want a complete economic meltdown.  Looks like they're going to get it.  Let's just hope the rest of the nation has the good sense to NOT bailout California.

The long haul

It will take some time to get to where we're going.

Shelter from the Storm

Some days we're just running on faith.

Digital Books/Readers

Here I am again making another plug for digital books, media, readers, what have you.  Why?

Sure, I love using mine, but I'm starting to see there's more value to these things than meets the eye.  Namely the fact that they remove a lot of clutter.  I know they're not the same as having a physical book, magazine, or newspaper, which I've got a reverence for when it comes to books, but that's the point.

Physical media creates a lot of clutter and takes up lots of room.  Recently I've been helping loved ones, and one of the biggest challenges is organizing and deciding what to do with years worth of collected media.  Toss, donate, or keep?

It's a time consuming and often emotional process.  I'm not much for objects and material things, but, like it or not, they are part of our lives.  They can bring us much joy, and by the same token they are burdens.  They need homes and need to be taken care of.  They gain mass over the years, and quite frankly can become a ball and chain.

Not so with digital media. All you need with this type of media is a means to access your content.  This is great, and means you won't be carrying such a heavy load.

So, getting back to the Kindle.... in the year or so that I've been using this device, I'm reading more than I have in years, and yet there's no pile of books taking up more in more space in my office.  I've always got something to read with me, and the ability to get more on a whim.  What's not to like about that?

I think digital readers are the future.  The devices we have now will seem very primitive in five years time, and yet I would still recommend getting one sooner rather than later, for the reasons listed above.

Know someone who loves to read and doesn't own one of these?  Get them one.  They'll thank you, and you'll be making their lives easier.

Fall Harvest

The season is changing fast... Autumn will soon be gone.

Another Curve

Life has a funny way of throwing these things at you.

Unforgettable

Clouds are something that shouldn't be wasted by staying indoors.

Through the years

As winter approaches, Nature has started to offer up some spectacular lighting.

Haulin'

Making its way to you.

In the pale moonlight

Fooling all the people isn't all that hard when they're fools to begin with.  In an effort to get different results from doing the same thing, the people of California elect Moonbeam Brown as Governor for the third time.

This will probably be the last nail in California's coffin.  I'm sure that State feels it's too big to fail and deserves a bailout.... I don't think that will happen.  Oh well....

In tow

A gathering of friends...

Lost in thought

And what a great place to do some thinking....

After the storm

The voters in California have no sense, and so a has-been becomes governor again. We've only ourselves to blame.

American Idiot

Election day in the United States.... don't get your hopes up!

You walked slowly by

The light's been kind these past few days.

Don't do me wrong

It's like waking up to a world you've never seen before.