SATURDAY MORNING BALLOON

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Out of the fog this morning almost touching down in the yard. They seemed to be looking at the vineyards.

CHICAGO-MACKINAC RACE WRAP 2012

Ken Scott assembled this video.

ORCAS AT PLAY

Can you imagine steering to Bermuda with this show on the stern? Many thanks to AJ Evans who forwarded the link.

Killers at play: extraordinary photos of orcas chasing down yacht

Date: July 24, 2012

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Orcas surf in the wake of a fishing boat off the coast of Loreto, Baja, Mexico.

Click for more photos

Killer whales play in yacht’s wake

Orcas surf in the wake of a fishing boat off the coast of Loreto, Baja, Mexico. Photo: Loreto Cast N’ Reel Charters

Extraordinary pictures of orcas surfing the wake of a boat off the coast of Mexico show the marine mammals playing in jet bubbles and chasing down a yacht.

A fishing company from Loreto, Mexico, runs charters off the Baja Coast. Cast ‘n Reel owner Ashley Ross said it was “magical” to be able to snap the shots they did about a month ago.

“As far as we know this is the first time orcas have surfed the wake of a boat here in Loreto.

“They never played so closely to us. They usually keep their distance until we turn the engines off. Then they circle the boat and even swim underneath,” she said.

“The orcas that we find here are magical. To see them so happy in their natural state is priceless.”

New Zealand orca expert Jo Halliday said it was not uncommon for orcas to play in the same way dolphins did.

While orcas were normally found in cooler waters near both poles and in the Pacific, Halliday said they were quite happy in temperate waters as well.

While there was no evidence of orcas attacking humans, people should still keep their distance, Halliday said.

While commonly called “killer whales”, orcas are actually large dolphins.

THE RUSSIANS CAME AND THE AMERICA’S CUP ARRIVED

The America’s Cup circus arrives from Newport by train in San Francisco. 120 cars.

Ft. Ross was a Russian outpost from 1812 until 1842. California was still Mexican. I find it a fascinating piece of history.

NATURE

I don’t think there is anything I can say that makes the photographs any more meaningful. Although not everyone agrees.

CHINATOWN, SAN FRANCISCO

Anyone who was not chinese had a camera around their neck; I looked just like every other tourist. It is stepping into another world; the sights and colors are exciting. I started out with a different thought for this post and as I began to look over the photos a pattern emerged; the banks. The effort they had made to integrate into the culture I found striking. The churches were another institution that made great efforts to integrate, the exception being the catholic church.

On the square was music and singing, for me one of the areas that made the cultural distinction. It would definitely not be my choice in music.

SATURDAY NIGHT IN PENNGROVE

I have a new camera and last night, Saturday night, in downtown Penngrove, Jake and the band played in the local hotspot. This gave me an opportunity to shoot in very low light conditions. It has been a long time since I was in a place with characters like this; each with a great story. Slim, was ready for anything. A sheath knife on his belt on saturday night,; it would not surprise me if he had an ankle holster with a pistol. In fact I was surprised not to see a six gun on his hip.

The man in the yellow shirt and cowboy hat had recently lost his wife. He was being consoled by the women to his left. It was too soon for his daughter’s likes. The wives and girlfriends of the band cheered every chord. Everyone told us Jake was too good to be playing here. Did Billy Joel write a song about this place?

Every face you see has a story behind it.

NO RECORDS HERE

The 104th Chicago to Mackinac Island Race will break no records. “Il Monstro”, the volvo 70 is 95 miles from the finish as I write. “Natalie J” the TP 52 is just over 100 miles to go. A this point in the race the competitors are sailing past some of the prettiest scenery anywhere in the world. And at a speed that will allow them to enjoy it.

JACK LONDON AND OTHER THINGS

If you were or are an American boy, you probably read at least one of Jack London‘s Books. He lived life fully like Hemingway, Fitzgerald and other authors who can later. His life was seemingly full of contradictions. I liked his books, but probably would never have read them had not it been required summer reading when I was in school.

He bought a large tract of land near Glen Ellen, now a state park. He built a huge interesting house which burned within weeks of completion; never to be rebuilt. His wife built a smaller version after his death and lived out her years on the land they had purchased; today a state park.

FIGHT FOR A JUST CAUSE, LOVE YOUR FELLOW MAN, LIVE A GOOD LIFE

Filoli, a house built in 1915-17 Woodside, California 30 miles south of San Francisco, on 650 acres, 15 of which are formal gardens. The name is an acronym of William Bourn’s credo.