Mr. Mapper

Its moving day

2009-01-19T10:28:00.000-08:00

After a bit of frustration with Blogger I have decided to move my blog to a different host. Thank you to everyone in the Blogger community for visiting my site. My hope is that you will come and visit me on the new site. http://www.mrmapper.wordpress.com/

Blog with you soon!

Mr. Mapper

Foundations

2009-01-13T10:22:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend we did a little exploring on the Folsom Lake (puddle) lake bed. The current water level at the lake is VERY low due to little rain over the past two seasons. This low level has exposed the foundations of buildings that have been covered with water over the past 60 years. Mormon Island, the exposed city was a thriving mining town during the 1850's gold rush. At it peak it had over 2500 residents 4 hotels a large dairy and large scale winery.

When Folsom dam was built in the 1950's the town was razed and the area was filled with water to form what we know today as Folsom lake. During our exploration we found many "treasures" that have been submerged during the past 60 years. Explorers before us had started to make treasure piles on tree stumps and flat surfaces to display their findings. Since Folsom is a state park you are not allowed to remove any of your findings from the park. We did our part to contribute to the piles.

One of the "treasure" piles.

A very low Folsom Lake. Folsom Dam in the background.

Yosemite half moon under bright sun

2009-01-07T16:15:00.000-08:00

Yosemite in Winter

2009-01-05T11:16:00.000-08:00

I spent this weekend in Yosemite with some of my photo friends. We spent many hours standing out in the cold having a great time taking in a the beauty Yosemite has to offer.

Reflections

2008-12-30T08:45:00.000-08:00

As we close out 2008 it is now a good time to reflect on all the good that has happend in the last year and look forward to 2009.

6 down 7 to go

2008-12-22T09:22:00.000-08:00

We have now completed 6 of our 13 Christmas eve services at Bayside Church in Granite Bay Ca. It is an amazing time of reflecting on the true meaning of Christmas. This year we will have between 25,000 to 30,000 people attend one of thirteen services. The impact of these services on peoples lives is amazing.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Not so itsy bitsy spider

2008-12-05T07:46:00.000-08:00

When we were driving through the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada last weekend we can across this huge Tarantula spider crossing the road. It is hard to tell in the picture but it was the size of the palm of my hand. Big enough to see as we were driving down the road.

Butterflies gone wild

2008-11-17T13:47:00.000-08:00

Its butterfly season in N. California and they seem to be landing everywhere in our backyard including my daughters nose!

Reflecting

2008-11-07T09:24:00.000-08:00

The moon as reflected in the back yard pool.

And the moon a little latter in the evening. Don't forget to enlarge the second pic and see the detail in the moon.

Happy Birthday

2008-10-28T08:51:00.001-07:00

On Saturday we celebrated my daughters 14th birthday by bringing her and some of her closest friends on a day trip to San Francisco. We started out the day by catching the cable car to Fishermans warf.

From the end of the Cable Car line we walked to Pier 39 and had lunch at North Beach Pizza.

After Lunch we walked back through Fishermans Warf and of course ever 14 year old girl wants to stop in every shop along the way. We made it to Ghiradelli Square and had her birthday Ice Cream sunday's at the world famous Ghiradelli Ice Cream shop.

Then back on the Cable Car for the return trip downtown. We still had a little bit of daylight left so we drove across the city to the beach to watch the sunset. The end of a great day.

First snow of the season

2008-10-21T15:40:00.000-07:00

Here we are on Tioga Pass entering Yosemite National Park. We were there the first weekend of October and experienced the first snowfall for the season.

The pass is subject to winter closure, due to high snowfall, normally from around the end of October until the end of May the following year, though these dates are subject to considerable variation. In heavy snow years, the road usually closes in early-October and could open as late as mid-July. In light snow years, the road could be closed in December and open as soon as April. The pass is at 9943 feet above sea level.

Fall Morning in Yosemite Valley

2008-10-20T17:08:00.001-07:00

Bodie

2008-10-16T12:05:00.001-07:00

Bodie State Historic Park is a genuine California gold-mining ghost town. Visitors can walk down the deserted streets of a town that once had a population of 10,000 people. The town was founded by Waterman S. Body (William Bodey), who had discovered small amounts of gold in hills north of Mono Lake. In 1877, the Standard Company struck pay dirt and a gold rush transformed Bodie from a town of 20 people to a boomtown.
Only a small part of the town survives, preserved in a state of "arrested decay." Interiors remain as they were left and stocked with goods. Designated as a National Historic Site and a State Historic Park in 1962, the remains of Bodie are being preserved in a state of "arrested decay". Today this once thriving mining camp is visited by tourists, howling winds and an occasional ghost.

UP UP AND AWAY!!!!!

2008-09-09T09:53:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I woke the family at the unpopular time of 2:30 am to make sure we arrived on time for the start of the annual Great Reno Balloon Race. Our arrival was timed perfect for the start of the "Glow Show". As you can see from the pic some of the balloons fired up to give a great Glowing show. These balloons took off into the dark night (early, very early morning) sky. A spectacular sight. When dawn broke the remaining balloons took off in mass Ascension and over 100 balloons filled the sky.

The old and the new

2008-09-02T11:02:00.000-07:00

The Bridgeport Covered Bridge is reputed to be the longest single-span wooden covered bridge in the world. Built in 1862 by David Isaac John Wood with lumber from his mill in Sierra County, this bridge was part of the Virginia Turnpike Company toll road which served the northern mines and the busy Nevada Comstock Lode. Utilizing a combination truss and arch construction, it is one of the oldest housed spans in the west and the longest single-span wood-covered bridge in the United States.

As you can see behind the covered bridge there is a new modern day span crossing the Yuba River.

Signs of fall

2008-08-27T16:30:00.001-07:00

The sunflowers are in full bloom and that means that fall is right around the corner.

Stones of History

2008-08-13T16:08:00.000-07:00

Some may think I am a little weird, but one of my favorite places to take pictures is old cemeteries. I often find myself thinking about the people that were laid to rest and what life must have been like back in their day. Take a look at the date on the stone. He died in 1886 and was born 58 years earlier in 1828. Life was much different in 1828.

Whoo...Whoo..

2008-08-11T10:54:00.000-07:00

On a trip up to Foresthill Ca. this weekend we spotted this great owl up in the tree. Check out those claws!

Hey wait a second!

2008-07-21T21:09:00.000-07:00

Go ahead and enlarge this pic. Anyone see anything unusual about this group of construction workers?

Perfect balance

2008-07-09T10:41:00.000-07:00

Here is a shot of one of my hidden talents. Balancing rocks! Anytime I see a large rock sitting on the ground I love to see if i can balance it in a unique position.

Down at the pond

2008-06-10T20:35:00.001-07:00

Transportation from a time gone by

2008-05-27T13:17:00.000-07:00

A different perspective

2008-05-13T09:29:00.001-07:00

The Golden Gate Bridge from a different perspective.

A California Treasure

2008-05-02T14:44:00.000-07:00

This week I was working up along the North Coast of California in the town of Eureka. I took a few minutes out of my busy schedule to shoot a few photos. This one is of the Carson Mansion in old town Eureka. The mansion is now used as a Private club.

The Carson Mansion is a large Victorian house located in Old town Eureka California. Considered one of the highest executions of Queen Anne Style architecture ,the home is the most recognizable landmark on the California North Coast. It is one of the most written about, and photographed Victorian houses in California, and perhaps in the United States.

for more info check out http://www.ingomar.org/

Baby bird

2008-04-11T07:36:00.000-07:00

Found this baby bird posing for me on the front porch of my house. He just sat there letting me take his picture.

Another from the garden

2008-04-07T10:32:00.000-07:00

The orchids in our yard are in full bloom!

Lilies

2008-04-01T15:01:00.000-07:00

Easter Lilies on my parents back porch.

Looking up

2008-03-31T09:23:00.000-07:00

The underside of an orchid in my yard as I am looking up toward the sky. As always, enlarge for a better view.

ABC Wednesday letter "J"

2008-03-25T16:24:00.000-07:00

"J" is for Jet. all taken at the Capitol airshow in Sacramento 2 weeks ago. As always enlarge photo for a better view.

ABC Wednesday Letter "I"

2008-03-19T07:37:00.001-07:00

The letter "I" stands for incredible and inspirational. Both words capture my last two days. I just got back from a two day whirlwind trip to Mexico to visit with our high school and college group from our church. Every year our church sends our high school and college group to the Mexicali region of Mexico and this year we sent over 800 students. The students are impacting lives of the people in this region in amazing ways. This week the students will build 15 homes, 2 chapel churches, rehab 15 more homes and hold 23 vacation bible school camps through out the region.

A small group of us (4) from the church flew down on Monday morning as part of an encouragement team for the students. I really think they encouraged us more than we encouraged them. We visited many of the home building sites and camps sites during our short two days. All I can say is it was both incredible and inspirational.

Monday Morning Blue(S)

2008-03-17T07:20:00.000-07:00

Blue Angels that is. We went to the Capitol air show in Sacramento this weekend and saw the Fantastic US Navy Blue Angels. What a show.

ABC Wednesday Letter "H"

2008-03-11T16:15:00.000-07:00

"H" is for hummingbirds. I love taking pictures of these fast moving creatures in my yard.

rainbow water drops

2008-03-11T07:05:00.000-07:00

Down by the Bay

2008-03-06T07:26:00.001-08:00

Shot taken on the former Military base Treasure Island in San Francisco.

ABC Wednesday Letter "G"

2008-03-04T16:59:00.000-08:00

"G" is for Guitar. I just wish I had more time to play.

ABC Wednesday Letter "F"

2008-02-26T16:35:00.000-08:00

Letter "F" is for Fire Pumper. This 1859 Fire Pumper named Citizen #1 is a hand built tub by Cowing & Co. of Seneca Falls, New York. It now Resides at the Historical Fire House located in Columbia State Historic Park Ca. We were lucky enough to be visiting the park on a day that they rolled this historic pumper out of the fire house so we could all get a better view.

As always enlarge for a better view!

The leaf left behind

2008-02-25T07:24:00.000-08:00

I thought this was interesting. A lone leaf that had fallen from the tree in the fall is still balanced on the limb. when I got closer I noticed that the leaf had petrified and was now solid and fused to the limb.

ABC Wednesday Letter "E"

2008-02-19T18:30:00.000-08:00

"E" is for engine. Shot at the Union Pacific Railyard in Roseville CA.

Gobble Gobble

2008-02-19T09:08:00.000-08:00

Well I know it is not Thanksgiving time but on Saturday a family of turkeys came walking by our back fence. So what else could I do but shoot them! (with a camera of course)

Whats that above my head

2008-02-15T07:42:00.000-08:00

I was down at the pond by my house the other day trying unsuccessfuly to take a picture of a snowy egret. I looked up for a monment and look what I found above my head sitting in a tree. A very large hawk just sitting there posing for me. He sat about 12 inches tall.

ABC Wednesday Letter "D"

2008-02-12T16:01:00.000-08:00

"D" is for Drum.

Just the Flax

2008-02-12T07:25:00.000-08:00

Just a pic of our New Zealand flax plant in our back yard.

Snicker makes a new friend

2008-02-11T11:55:00.000-08:00

On Saturday our puppy, Snicker made a new friend through the fence in our backyard. A pony!

ABC Wednesday Letter "C"

2008-02-05T16:45:00.000-08:00

Letter "C" is for "CRAZY CARTWHEEL" Here is a pic of my oldest daughter doing one of her "Crazy Cartwheels".

Layers of History

2008-02-04T07:34:00.001-08:00

Layers of paint covering this old railcar. You can imagin how many miles this car has traveled and how much beautiful scenery it has rolled by.

ABC Wednesday Letter "B"

2008-01-29T16:45:00.000-08:00

Letter "B" is for Bridge. One of the most famous in the world!

Back to the railyard

2008-01-29T07:45:00.000-08:00

Another pic from my trip to the railyard.

A view from above

2008-01-28T07:32:00.000-08:00

I was working in my office in Southern Ca. last week and on the way home I shot this view from the plane.

ABC Wednesday back to the top letter A

2008-01-22T17:02:00.001-08:00

"A" is for Airplanes.

These wheels have seen many miles

2008-01-22T07:47:00.000-08:00

Old rail yard

2008-01-21T08:54:00.000-08:00

Over the next few day's I will be posting some shots I took this weekend on a visit to our local railyard in Roseville Ca. I hope you enjoy them.

Another perspective

2008-01-18T07:05:00.000-08:00

Another perspective of the same flower I posted a few days ago. Have a nice weekend everyone!

ABC Wednesday Letter "Z"

2008-01-15T19:35:00.000-08:00

Well we made it to the end of the alphabet, the letter "Z". Letter "Z" is for zipper.

Winter flowers

2008-01-15T07:29:00.000-08:00

We received this beautiful flower arangement the other day and of course I could not just let it sit there. I had to snap a few pics!

New family member

2008-01-14T07:16:00.000-08:00

Here is our new family member Snicker. She is a Labradoodle so that makes her full name Snickerdoodle. A Labradoodle is a cross between a Labrador retriever and a Poodle. She is as cute as can be!

Don't Jump!

2008-01-11T08:03:00.000-08:00

Well I have not had much time to shoot any new pictures in the past few weeks so I am digging into my archives. I always liked this shot. I felt like he was looking over the edge to figure out if he should jump or not.

ABC Wednesday Letter "Y"

2008-01-08T21:14:00.000-08:00

"Y" is for Yorkie. His name is Willy.

Waiting for the wave

2008-01-07T08:21:00.000-08:00

With all the wild weather we have had here I have not been able to shot and photos. So this is from a few weeks ago when I was in Monterey.

We weathered the storm pretty well. We had a minor flood in our living room when our window sprung a leak. The rain was coming down sideways right toward the window. We lost part of our fence and a few broken tree branches, but nothing compared to the troubles others had.

STORM!!

2008-01-04T10:03:00.000-08:00

We are having quite a storm here in N. Ca. Being a amature weather nut I get pretty excited when we have storms like this. Right now we are experiencing sustained winds of 45mph with reported gusts of 90+mph. Along with the wind we are getting pounded with very heavy rain. My family all think I am crazy that I am so excited. We even have waves and white caps in the pool!

The Palace

2008-01-03T07:44:00.000-08:00

Shot at the Palace of fine arts in San Francisco on a cold overcast summer day.

ABC Wednesday Letter "X"

2008-01-02T07:55:00.000-08:00

Talk about a hard letter. These giant letter "X"s can be found on the towers of the San Francisco Bay Bridge. This bridge connects San Francisco to Oakland.

Over 21,000 people

2007-12-27T09:44:00.000-08:00

Well Christmas is finished and over 21,000 people attended our 11 Christmas Eve services at our church. It was an amazing experence. Each service ended with candlelighting and the singing of silent night. I had the pleasure of photographing 3 of the 11 services. These are just a few of the hundreds of shots I took.

ABC Wednesday Letter "W"

2007-12-25T21:23:00.000-08:00

"W" is for water. A bit of a different view of something we often take for granted.

The reason for the season

2007-12-20T21:56:00.000-08:00

We just returned from the 1st of 11 Christmas eve services at our church. Yes, you read that right. 11 services. By midnight on the 24th over 20,000 people will have attended one of our services. Tonights service was truly nothing short of amazing the music was incredible and the message was truly inspiring. We were all reminded what the true meaning of the season is. Jesus.

ABC Wednesday Letter "V"

2007-12-18T20:39:00.000-08:00

"V" is for Vibrant. Last year my wife and I had the chance to travel to Costa Rica for vacation. If you have never been I would highly recommend it. There are photo opportunities around every corner. I took this shot during our last day when we were staying at a small hotel that was on the grounds of a coffee plantation. The property was filled with fantastic vibrant plants and flowers. We spent hours that last day just walking the grounds.

For the birds

2007-12-17T21:20:00.000-08:00

Don't forget to enlarge

Dusk in Monterey

2007-12-17T08:23:00.000-08:00

Last week in Monterey offered may great photo opportunities. This week I will be working in the Fort Bragg area up along the northern coast of California. We have a few big Pacific storms coming in this week and they are expecting heavy rain. I don't know if I will have much chance to shoot this week but I will try.

Monterey wildlife

2007-12-14T09:04:00.001-08:00

Monterey is such a great place. I found these guys hanging around on a rock just off shore.

Monterey sunset

2007-12-13T08:27:00.000-08:00

It may look like a warm sunset shot but the temp was a brisk 40 degrees at sunset and with the wind blowing off the water it made it feel even colder.

ABC Wednesday Letter "U"

2007-12-11T21:33:00.000-08:00

"U" is for Umbrella

Point Pinos Lighthouse

2007-12-11T08:03:00.000-08:00

I am working in Monterey this week and took some time last night to go out and take a few shots. I will be sharing some of them over the next few days.

This shot is of the Point Pinos Lighthouse in Pacific Grove. Point Pinos is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the West Coast. Since February 1, 1855, its beacon has flashed nightly as a guide and warning to shipping off the rocky California coast.

The Slide

2007-12-10T07:45:00.000-08:00

Ok one more drop. This drop looks like it is about to make the big drop down the long slide.

Another Raindrop

2007-12-07T08:05:00.000-08:00

This raindrop caught in the fuzzy hairs of our still blooming tomato plant caught my eye.

Drops

2007-12-06T07:31:00.000-08:00

Some backyard waterdrops after the rain.

ABC Wednesday Letter "T"

2007-12-04T16:29:00.000-08:00

"T" is for Tiki, as in Tiki Hut. We have this fun hut in our tropical inspired backyard and love spending time in it during our hot summers. A great place to hang out with friends and family.

The work of a woodpecker

2007-12-04T08:03:00.000-08:00

This tree trunk found on a trail by my home is a favorite pecking spot for woodpeckers. As you can see they have done quite a number on this tree.

A warm glow

2007-12-03T07:25:00.000-08:00

When walking in downtown Portland during the Thanksgiving holiday I saw this stark looking building with just one light glowing from a window. I offered a bit of warmth to this cold building.

Grave Creek

2007-11-29T07:07:00.000-08:00

Another shot from our Thanksgiving drive home. Heres a little background:

The Grave Creek covered span at Sunny Valley, about 15 miles north of Grants Pass, can be seen by motorists traveling Interstate 5.

Features of the wooden structure include six gothic style windows on either side, concrete abutments, a Howe truss, rounded portals and a shake roof.

The old wooden river crossing is the last covered bridge on the northsouth Pacific Highway system. Existing records on the Grave Creek Bridge show a contract awarded by the Oregon State Highway Department to J. Elmer Nelson in April 1920.

Just four months later, traffic passed through its portals. The 105-foot Howe truss is supported by "dumb bell" concrete piers. Total cost of the construction, including the engineering fees, is listed at $21,128.

When Interstate 5 was built nearby, ownership and maintenance of the Sunny Valley Loop Road, which includes Grave Creek Bridge, passed to Josephine County. In the late 1990s, the bridge was closed to traffic and was reopened in 2001 after repairs to the approaches and housing.

ABC Wednesday Letter "S"

2007-11-27T20:07:00.000-08:00

"S" is for Shasta. Mt. Shasta that is. Mt. Shasta rises 14,179-feet above sea level(4,322 m) and is the second-highest peak in the Cascade range and the fifth highest peak in California. This picture was snapped during our 11 hour ride home from Washington state.

Spinning thingy

2007-11-27T07:49:00.000-08:00

Outback on the relatives back porch they had this eye catching spinning thingy. It is meant to look like the ball is traveling up or down the spiral. I thought it made a interesting picture.

The lone leaf

2007-11-26T06:57:00.000-08:00

During our Thanksgiving holiday in Washington state I noticed a tree in the backyard that only had one leaf left hanging from a branch. I liked the way it looks against the crisp and clear blue sky.

ABC Wednesday Letter "R"

2007-11-20T19:03:00.000-08:00

"R" is for the Route we are taking today. We are on our way From Granite Bay Ca. to Camas Washington to celebrate Thanksgiving with Family. The ride will take about 10 hours and the car will be filled with many songs, laughs and maybe some naps. (the passengers of course) I will probably not be posting anything till we get back. Wishing all a happy Thanksgiving.

Flying South

2007-11-20T07:17:00.000-08:00

lately we have had a pretty steady stream of geese flying over our house to their Southern Wintertime home. You can hear them coming long before you can see them.

Fall has Fallen

2007-11-19T07:19:00.000-08:00

As you can see in this picture most of the colorful leafs have fallen from the trees, but even in a half naked tree their is beauty.

Fall in the water

2007-11-15T07:06:00.000-08:00

I noticed this lone leaf floting in the water with the reflection of the wispy clouds overhead. I thought to myself this might make for an interseting shot. I was pretty happy with the outcome. This shot was not photoshoped other than just one small shot of brightness.

ABC Wednesday Letter "Q"

2007-11-13T20:13:00.000-08:00

"Q" is for Quarters from all 50 states. Since 1999 the US Mint has produced a different quarter every ten weeks. Over the last 10 years they have produced 45 different coins and only have 5 more to go. It is always fun to look at your change and see if you got a new quarter.

Gallop

2007-11-13T07:45:00.000-08:00

We have a large open field behind our house with 5 horses that use the field to graze. I caught this one galloping back to the barn for dinner.

HOPEWALKS

2007-11-12T07:34:00.000-08:00

This weekend our family participated in HopeWalks. You can find a great discripton on Photowannabe's blog. There were 800 people taking part of this event and I loved being involved.

God's artwork

2007-11-09T07:31:00.000-08:00

Some times you just need to slow down and and look at the amazing detail God has created in our world. I guess that is why I love macro shots so much. My backyard has been a butterfly bonanza the past few weeks. At times I would have 10-15 of them fluttering around at once. Amazing!

Fall Beauty

2007-11-08T07:25:00.000-08:00

I love all the changes fall brings. So many colors and contrasts.

ABC Wednesday letter "P"

2007-11-07T07:43:00.001-08:00

"P" is for pepper and pomegranate. I thought these peppers were so interesting. I found them during a walk through a garden during our Apple Hill trip. I never realized that they grew pointing up.

The pomegranate was picked from my parents back yard. I just loved the detail in top and thought it looked like a crown.

Enlarge for more detail

Happy Hummers

2007-11-06T07:32:00.000-08:00

More from the blooming hibiscus. Even the Humming birds are happy!

Don't forget to enlarge to see the detail.

Still Blooming!

2007-11-05T07:40:00.000-08:00

Even though we are in the month of November our Hibiscus is still blooming like crazy!

Calm and Cool

2007-11-02T07:42:00.000-07:00

Durring our recient trip to apple hill we visited a apple farm that had a craft fair with various arts and crafts vendors selling their goods. I notice these two (yes there are two dogs here. one on top of the other) dogs sitting as still as can be in a chair. They were just sitting taking in the sunshine.

13

2007-11-01T07:35:00.000-07:00

Last Friday my oldest daughter turned the big 13. I can't believe we now have a teenager. Where does the time go? On Friday night we had a party for her and her friends. She wanted to have a birthday party with a theme this year and chose the theme of endurance. Those of you not familiar with the TV show endurance, it is a show similar to the show survivor but endurance is a show featuring teen's instead of adults. We set up six different endurance themed games throughout different areas of the house plus the backyard. They had a blast.

Our backyard already has a tropical feel to it so the staging of the backyard was easy. You can see them sitting in our "tiki hut" beyond the flame where they were having the elimination ceremony.

ABC Wednesday Letter "O"

2007-10-31T07:22:00.000-07:00

"O" is for Ocean. I took this shot some time ago at Natural Bridges Beach in Santa Cruz Ca. It was one of those magic photo moments when the natural light was just perfect. I like the shot so much I use it as my desktop background on my computer.

Sisters

2007-10-30T08:49:00.000-07:00

My girls going for a late afternoon walk.

Down the country road

2007-10-29T08:29:00.001-07:00

Fall colors down a country road.

Life rolls on

2007-10-26T08:05:00.000-07:00

Well this week has been a big week for my oldest daughter. Today she turns the big 13. Yup now we have a teenager in our house. Actually it seems like we have had a teenager living in our house for some time. Tonight is the big birthday bash with her friends. The other big event is that she got her braces off her teeth this week. An amazing before and after!

So just like my girls rolling down the hill at Apple Hill, (they just could not resist going for a roll) life rolls on.

Have a great weekend.

A few more butterflies

2007-10-25T07:16:00.000-07:00

A few more butterflies for your enjoyment. In the second shot, I was taking a picture of the small purple flowers and my butterfly friend came fluttering into the frame. Nice timing. I like how he is out of focus. the third shot looks like he has his headlights turned on. If you enlarge the shot you can see his antennas look like they are lit up on the end.