A long walk around the ballpark during our last visit to see the Giants in 2011.  With record setting injuries, they missed the mark this year, but we were happy to go and cheer them on anyway, as they held their heads up high and played hard for an exciting win.  I watched it from a dozen locations as I took a five-inning walking tour around the park, looking for a different perspective or two to capture with one of the two cameras I toted around.  AT&T park is so fun to wander in, and is clearly one of - or thee - most beautiful ballparks in the nation.  See more photos from this tour through the photos link on my baseball blog page:  http://baseballnotes.net   Go Giants!  We'll be back...

OK, we're here and ready for the game.  Such a palace, such a ballpark.  Does God live here?

 We didn't get the Division Crown nor entry into the playoffs, but we were pleased to be a part of the crowd that helped break the 128 year record for most attendance during a Giants season.

McCovey Cove and the lower promenade - beyond the right field wall.  Hit one here and you get on the Splash Hit counter on the Right Field Wall.  Less than 60 homers have gone there over 10 years - 

and of course Barry hit over 75% of them...

The Cable Car behind Center Field on the Upper Promenade

Can't wait to go back in 2012!

Original Version on upper left 

I'm still playing with and learning editing, alteration, applying creative textures and effects, and more.  All terms that apply to endeavoring to create.  That is, create from an original photo:  tweak it, upscale it, find artistic elements to apply to come up with something new or different, or take some commonly applied action or look that comes up special or unique when applied to MY photo.  

Thank You iPhoto, Photo Shop Elements, and Aperture for your assistance in my efforts to bring out something different in my photos.  Color Efex joins the team soon, along with Topaz, and the fun and possibilities expand and continue...

Simply put, it's just great to make basic adjustments to a photo - brightness, sharpness, saturation, etc., to see how good it can look and remain a relative "purist", but also to create alternate versions using special tools and programs to explore endless possibilities.  As to the latter, I'm just a beginner, not intending to become an advanced photo editing artist, but rather just a minimally competent one to help always keep my options open.  Cheers and happy shooting, photographers all...

the papaROYzzi

Container Gardening.

Not vegetables.  Flowers.  A growing passion of mine for the last several years, attested to by the now over 60 pots, boxes, and planters now surrounding our house.  

There are many plants I've put on the two sides of the house and the front and back hills to rebuild our landscaping over the last nine years.  Once in the ground though, these plants get watered by our automatic sprinkler systems and groomed by our gardner.  The containers, however, are largely hand-watered, fertilized, dead-headed, and ultimately replaced each Spring - the annuals and others I lose - by me.  I keep adding more perennials and small plants each year to bring down the annual costs and labor to get things up and running again for the summer.  It's an ongoing learning process, but so rewarding to see the blooms come pouring over the edges of the planters each time something I've jammed into a container takes - and takes off.  I plant a few things in the ground in the Fall, but the containers are left to do battle or go dormant during the full eleven months following my April planting ritual.  In another month or so the annuals will start to wither.  I'll wave goodbye to several short-term friends, trim and shore up several perennials in hopes they make it through the winter, and eagerly await next Spring when several new friends will come aboard and add to the symphony of color that plays all summer long.  Can't wait to play with dirt and hand shovels again next year. . .

the papaROYzzi

Blue Hour Full Moon Shoot.  It should come up over there the group thinks.  Meanwhile, the cameras are ready and wondering where the humans went...  It's always great fun hooking up with a half-dozen friends and MHPC members to do a shoot.  The camaraderie is as fun as the photo challenge, with our without a couple of beers later.

                                                                                               While we wait for Mr. Moon to rise, I shoot the barn and outbuildings nearby and below the horizon we are monitoring.  Barns and farm animals always seem to make nice photos.

We finally get the big fella to peak over the horizon and begin to rise.  This is one of the very few shots I get that's worth saving and viewing.  Even with two DLSR's and two zoom lenses, plus shooting at a variety of camera settings, I'm humbled to discover I have to study up a bit more on this subject and come back and try harder.  Still loving digital though:  no film wasted, and the time spent was educational and fun.  

papaROYzzi

How Do You Celebrate the Last Week of Summer?

Not the last warm week of the year, but

the one before school, football, and Labor

Day, give or take a few days.  Me thinks

a BBQ with nice wines and cigars, then

maybe a dinner on a beautiful restaurant

patio where killer desserts never disappoint.

End the week strong with a few friends over

for a Scotch blend tasting and yet another

BBQ - can't get enough of those long overdue

hot weather nights...   Could be fun - no wait -

it was fun!  I'm now ready to welcome and usher

in the gridiron action, rain, and ultimately witches

and goblins.  Sorry, though, to see no Giants with

us this year for the Fall Classic.  

 What's Fun About the Bard?

Well, the often beautiful walks from civilization into the wooded areas where stages are set up.  Followed of course by those engaging stages and settings, and in this summer's case, the beautiful drive home over the Golden Gate Bridge from the Marin Shakespeare Festival.  We stayed overnight and saw two plays, and enjoyed a picnic with the play's director and other attendees.  Did I mention the productions?  Who can mind seeing Macbeth for the 10th time?  "I bear a charmed life," it was said in Macbeth, and I concur every time I attend and listen to the beauty of the language of Shakespeare.  We missed Saratoga this year, and shan't get up to Ashland for 2011, though we hope to squeeze in another favorite before Fall - Santa Cruz Shakes.  We'll do the Bard again, over and over, until "All our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death."

papaROYzzi

Yes indeed, another fine San Jose Jazz Festival.  I'm late in posting on it, heck late in posting in general while I bring this blog site up and running.  But what's up with the 20 years plus festival cordoning itself off and charging to get in again?  I thought it me return to, or remain, a classic free SJ event.  I guess the musicians they want to bring in require payment, so yeah, I'm OK with it if it continues to bring up the quality of this Jazz event in light of the other fine ones in the area (Monterey, Stanford, etc.).  We only visited for one night and saw two great Latin Jazz bands plus The Ohio Players (Jazz?), who were quite entertaining.  Great music, great food, fun crowd, and as always, a special event and accomplishment for the evolving city of San Jose.  Wanna go next year?  Email me and we'll mark it down!

papaROYzzi