COMING SOON

This blog will soon return with more regular posts including more writing to join the always amazing photography of Kurt Hegre.

Stay tuned.

July Fourth in Hanford

We spent Independence Day in Hanford at the home of our friend Gary. My wife grew up in Hanford so she always enjoys the fireworks show at the high school. Gary lives three blocks from the school so we picked up our pal Mark and headed south for a bbq and fireworks.

We sat around Gary's pool and ate tri-tip while we waited for the cover of darkness so we could blow up things.

Mark had a supply of firecrackers that he kept tossing at us when we passed by. He then grabbed a plastic bottle, filled it with water and dropped a lit firecracker into it. The bottle shot up about ten feet, sending water everywhere.

Mark and Gary were like Beavus and Butthead and began looking for a something to launch a bottle rocket. They found thin 6 foot piece of pipe and dropped the rocket down the tube which then launched it like a screaming mortar which sent sparks out the top of the pipe.

We ended the evening watching the fireworks at the high school which seemed to go on forever.

The Mountains Call Me

A couple of pictures from some recent trips to the mountains. The landscape shot is from a fishing trip up Kaiser Pass Road. The scenery is amazing up there but the drive is a little rough. A one lane road filed with potholes winds up and down rugged canyons.

I was able to catch a few fish, a nice 13-14 inch rainbow in the San Joaquin river just below Florence Lake and several smaller rainbows at Mono Hot Springs and Ward Lake.


The buck was in Wawona, just inside the southern entrance of Yosemite. The area near the hotel is the place to go if you want to see deer. I don't think I've ever driven through the area in the early evening and not seen deer.

I had been fishing the south fork of the Merced river in Wawona for several hours last Friday. The water level was perfect and cool, so wading made the conditions great for fishing. I landed 4 or fish colorful rainbows in the 7-10 inch range. The fish here are wild and usually quite small but very pretty. Just before sunset I saw a large fish jumping at bugs landing on the water. I waded downstream and cast so that my fly would float over the spot where I saw the fish jump. On the first cast the fish leaped up and grabbed my fly and headed downstream with it. I was able to keep him on and landed the biggest fish I've ever caught in Yosemite. It was a 15 inch rainbow.


Having landed the fish, I packed up and headed down the road to Wawona where I knew I could find some deer to photograph.

A good day.

A Return To Blogging

After a break of several months I've decided to return to the blog. Much has happened since my last post. I was laid off from my job of 18 years as a photographer for the Fresno Bee in March. It's been a strange time and I've had to make some big adjustments.

Not having a place to go each day is one of the bigger challenges. Having no camera equipment is another. I turned in a full set of top end digital cameras and lenses as well as an Apple laptop when I left. It took me two months to get a new laptop and pick up a combination of used and new lenses and a Canon Mark III body.

Since getting my camera and lenses I've tried to shoot something several times a week even If I have no assignments.

I'm always looking for things that might make a nice picture or two. My wife, sister in-law and friend Mark caught a great concert by Fresno rock violinist Patrick Contreras recently and I brought along my camera.

Championship Weekend 1

Championship Weekend

Six high school basketball games in two days.

Paradise East

Spent some time on the East side of the Sierra last week. Fished the Owens river, Hot Creek and the San Joaquin river near Devils Postpile and spent some time at Mono Lake and in Tuolumne Meadows.

If I could afford it, I would live over there and fish every day.

Listen To This

Two albums I can't get enough of lately are The Black Keys "Chulahoma" and Junior Kimbrough's "You Better Run".

"Chulahoma" is a six song EP of Kimbrough's music played by the Akron, Ohio duo and "You Better Run" is an anthology of the late bluesman's work.

There's no doubt that Kimbrough's versions of the songs are better but the Black Keys are like the early Rolling Stones in that they can cover the blues without ever sounding like they are mimicking. Their version of Kimbrough's "Meet Me in The City" is ever bit as dark and dirty as anything the Stones ever did with Slim Harpo or Muddy Waters.

In any case, I love both of these albums. Junior Kimbrough was one of the greatest of the Delta bluesman and you, yes all 8 of you, should get this album right now.

You should also have all the Black Keys albums as well. Their latest "Attack and Release" is the best album of the year.

Ouch Photos

This week's sports photos included a couple of painful looking images. By the way, the women wasn't injured by the bat. The soccer player required a head full of stitches.

The Smart Car Is Here

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And It Rocks....