Monday, May 31, 2010

End of the Trail


66/365 - Kite Surfers
Originally uploaded by Wayne-K
I went backpacking with the Boy Scouts this past Memorial Day weekend on the "Skyline to the Sea" trail. We started at Castle Rock State Park and hiked approximately 34 miles from the Santa Cruz mountains to the Pacific Ocean.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Dead Bug


Dead Bug
Originally uploaded by Wayne-K
I helped Kami carry the laundry basket downstairs...and accidentally dropped it on her foot. When I got back to the living room a few minutes later, I realized she wasn't doing very well.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Don't Worry, Be Happy


Don't Worry, Be Happy
Originally uploaded by Wayne-K
Today was the Smurf's first game in the double elimination, post-season playoff. This is the on-deck circle....none of the girls wanted to swing their bats in the circle because they didn't want to mess up the happy face. We lost the game today, but win or lose, the girls always have a great time. That's one of the reasons I love coaching at this level.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Pleasanton Dusk


Pleasanton Dusk
Originally uploaded by Wayne-K
As I was driving to a Boy Scout meeting last night, I noticed the beautiful sunset and loved how the clouds were lit up by the setting sun. As I was leaving the meeting, the clouds had lost the brilliant red color, but were still pretty stunning.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Solution for Male Pattern Baldness


Who Needs Hair?
Originally uploaded by Wayne-K
Ever since Adam was created by God, men have been experiencing male pattern baldness. Personally, I think the stress caused by Eve eating the apple caused Adam to lose his hair, along with his mind.

Guys if you're losing your hair (due to women-induced stress, genetics, etc.), here's one possible, permanent solution.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

No Poop Zone


No Poop Zone II
Originally uploaded by Wayne-K
The neighbor across the street has this sign posted outside his fence. Just out of curiosity, I researched the city municipal codes and technically, it is within a dog's legal right to poop there....his/her owner just has to clean it up.

Here's an excerpt from the municipal code:

7.36.030 Canine defecation—Removal thereof.

A. Any owner of any dog shall have the duty to remove immediately any feces left by such dog on any public place and to dispose of such feces in a sanitary manner.

B. Any owner of any dog in or on a public place shall have in such person’s immediate possession a device, equipment, or container for the picking up and removal of animal feces. For purposes of this section, such device, equipment, or container shall be deemed to be in a person’s immediate possession if such device, equipment, or container is in a person’s hand or is on the person, such as within a pocket.

C. No person shall fail or refuse to show to the chief of police or to any police officer such device or equipment if the device or equipment is not visible.

D. The provisions of subsections B and C of this section shall not apply to any disabled person when the person’s disability requires a dog to accompany the person or to a person using a dog in emergency or rescue activities.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Teamwork


Boys 4x100m Relay
Originally uploaded by Wayne-K
A winning team requires more than speed, endurance, and athleticism. A winning team requires teamwork. Working together toward a common goal is how individuals and groups achieve success. It works on the track....and in life.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Neighborhood Fence


51/365 - Neighborhood Fence
Originally uploaded by Wayne-K
The theme for my photography project this week is "Fences." I rode my bike around the neighborhood this morning, up and down every block, and looked for interesting, East-facing fences (that were illuminated by the morning sun). This is the one I settled on...not the best shot, but I was satisfied with it. I like diagonal compositions, so I composed this with the fence cutting across the frame at a diagonal. The tree in front of the fence cast some shadows, which added another element to the photo.

There were a few other more interesting fences in the neighborhood, but I passed on them because they were too close to windows on the houses (and I didn't want to look like a weirdo taking pictures into people's windows on a Sunday morning).

Saturday, May 15, 2010

I Upside Down Heart You


I Upside Down Heart You
Originally uploaded by Wayne-K
My son had a basketball game at the Foothill Community Gym in Walnut Creek, CA today. This is a picture of a security camera mounted on the corner of the building. It's a pretty simple image, but I liked the colors...blue sky, green roof line, gray textured stuff, and red brick. The upside down heart was interesting too....

Friday, May 14, 2010

Japanese Tea Set


49/365 - Tea Ducklings
Originally uploaded by Wayne-K
Still life photography is definitely not my cup of tea. I'm looking forward to getting back outdoors for some nature photography!  I bought my wife this tea set at a little store in Pacific Grove, CA for our 16th wedding anniversary.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Generic Dishes

My inspiration for today's still life photo was the wave of generic products that hit the market in the 1980's. The packaging was basically white, with black lettering stating what it was. For example, generic beer was packaged in a white can with black lettering that said "Beer"..no fancy logos or bright colors.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Still Life

The theme for my photography project this week is "Still Life." Taking pretty pictures of things inside the house is definitely not my forte. I guess that's the good thing about this project, it forces me outside my comfort zone....I keep telling myself that, anyway.

Here's a picture of a dinner place setting. It's amazing how challenging it is to photograph dishes. It must have taken me an hour, with multiple compositions, backgrounds, and perspectives. If not for my daughter helping with the composition, I'd probably throw these stupid inanimate objects out the window. Oh, did I mention....photography is fun!!

Please Read Me a Story


Please Read Me a Story
Originally uploaded by Wayne-K
My daughter needed some books from the library for a school project. I was up to my eyeballs working on a proposal, but decided the library was a higher priority than paying the mortgage. It was worth the trip....she got her books and I got some photos of the beautiful bronze statues outside the Pleasanton library. Although it rained all day, the sun peeked out for a moment and gave the statues nice side lighting, bringing out the great textures.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there! You have the toughest job in the world, so enjoy your special day today!!

Friday, May 7, 2010

Bunny Loves Battleship

I'm testing the blog entry feature in Flickr. Anyway, this silly rabbit joined me all week on my toy photo shoots. He was a great sport and smiled nicely for all poses.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Toys

The theme for my photography project this week is "Toys."  Now that the kids are older, we're a bit toy-challenged in the household.  Thankfully, we have a little niece and youthful minded friends to help provide photo subjects.

In the long awaited rematch, the rabbit beat the tortoise by a hare:

Check out my Flickr page for more pictures (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wayne-k/).