use real butter

My favorite thing to say or play when I was a wee tot was “let’s pretend!” Even my Po Po (Chinese maternal grandma) who spoke little English, knew what that meant. After I got home from pre-school, I would insist on eating my lunch under the table pretending to be the neighbor’s dog and Po Po obliged me. These days I don’t pretend anymore unless I’m playing with kids and I let their imaginations weave the adventure. I’m not sure when I stopped pretending some time in my youth, but I find I don’t need to pretend anymore. Life is pretty exciting as it is – more compelling than a make-believe world. Life is also far more challenging in the real world.

this beautiful planet

Last week I sat in the dark on my laptop watching updates suddenly come streaming in on Facebook. There is always some chatter after midnight, but not like this. Thrust mechanism, subduction zone. Mw=8.9. Japan. And then the ocean raced in.

Heartsick.

In my past life, I studied the Earth. Whenever there was a sizable earthquake, grad students and faculty alike would go down to the seismograph on the first floor for a gander at the wave forms coming in on the N-S, E-W, and U-D drums. I thought about seismic events in terms of stress and strain, co-seismic and post-seismic signals, convergence rates, recurrence intervals, seismic gaps. You become keenly aware of how much the Earth is a mover and shaker, how she never sleeps. After graduate school, my office was across the hall from the LA Times newsroom in the Seismology Lab at Caltech. If for some crazy reason you missed an earthquake, you’d know soon enough from the throngs of reporters and camera crews crowding into the room asking the question you can always count on hearing, “When is the BIG ONE coming?”

Some of my friends are busiest just after a major seismic event. They scramble to gather satellite data, retrieve GPS measurements, take field measurements – to better understand the earthquake cycle… to ultimately save lives.

I have seen a lot of people curse and hate earthquakes and tsunamis on Twitter and Facebook of late. Yes, I completely understand where those emotions come from and I too want very much to keep people safe from these violent and incredible phenomena. But I think it’s important to remember (and I believe the Japanese appreciate this better than most) that the Earth is dynamic: these very processes that can take lives with such indifference are also part of what makes life on this planet possible. Ours is a special planet. Understanding our complex home is essential to mitigating the loss. To think otherwise is just pretending. In the meantime, we are in this together.

fiery sunset

Last week went to the birds, literally. The Sandhill Cranes have begun their northward migration from the Bosque del Apache in New Mexico passing through Colorado. I took it upon myself to pay them a visit in southern Colorado. Sandhill Cranes are jittery creatures. You can only get but so close before they launch into the air and far away from you. The same goes for large birds of prey and pronghorn antelope. That’s why a long lens comes in handy. Really handy.

jeremy for scale

I wouldn’t have bothered shooting the trip at all without this 200-400mm f4 Nikkor lens courtesy of Pro Photo Rental in my arsenal (if you want to rent pro equipment, these are the guys to call). I don’t photograph wildlife in general unless they happen to traipse through my viewfinder on their own accord. That requires patience and skill and talent that I can’t seem to muster. But it’s fun to play at wildlife photographer once a year. And sometimes I get lucky.

in the great san luis valley

morning call

There are parallels between hunting and wildlife photography. We stalk the animals. We anticipate their behaviors and actions. We sit around waiting – a lot. When Jeremy told his colleagues at the conference that I had left to go shoot the Sandhill Cranes in Colorado, they thought I had gone to SHOOT me some birds! I don’t even know if the cranes would taste good, but there were some cute ducks that flew past which did trigger thoughts of Peking duck with hoisin and green onions as my stomach growled on empty. But if I miss my target, I get several more chances. Of course, hunters aren’t concerned with focus, exposure, shutter speed, or composition. They have plenty of other things to worry about (ask my friend Tamar).

take off

a pair in flight

You can see other photos from the shoot on my photo blog.

**Jump for more butter**

I love a road trip with a good companion. Jeremy is my ideal companion. I love a photo shoot with a good shooting partner. Jason is a great shooting partner. But sometimes things come up and I have to go solo – like this week’s shoot. I left Jeremy at his conference and headed back north for a few days.

the road from new mexico to colorado

The fact that the American West is so big and spread out is both a blessing and a curse. More blessing than curse though. Sure, it takes a long time to get from point A to point B. I cherish the wide open space between them. People talk about what a small world it is, but if you drive the empty roads under big skies and through sprawling landscapes and really have a look around, you understand that the world is quite enormous and you are but a measly speck. It’s awesome.

fresh snow

Empty roads, wide shoulders, views for hundreds of miles. Out here, you can slow down to 15 mph and cruise for antelope or birds of prey. Pull over, step out, and take a breath of that clean air. The only sound is the wind racing across the high plateau. If you pass something interesting, it’s easy enough to take your foot off the gas and turn yourself around. Go back. Check it out. How many times do you continue driving and then think “I wish I had stopped”? When I tell myself I’ll go back later, most of the time I end up not returning. I’m trying to be better about this.

hasta, baby

**Jump for more butter**

I’m back in California! But this time it’s Southern California. It’s been a while since we’ve been back to see good friends, eat at favorite restaurants, visit old haunts, and hike local trails. We had a couple of days before Jeremy’s conference began. Because today (Monday) marks 18 years that we’ve been together here’s a sampling of the shenanigans we’ve been getting into for the past 48 hours.

a glorious sunrise from denver international airport

at the huntington: north vista lawn

in the rose hills foundation conservatory

a favorite of mine: horsetail plant (equisetum)

sundial

the grandeur of oak trees

I have always referred to The Huntington as The Huntington Gardens, but it is The Huntington Library. For me, it’s easy to get excited about the plants and overlook the art and library collections and exhibitions. After wandering the grounds and marveling at various plants, we popped by to see the “Beautiful Science” exhibit in the Library West Hall. It highlights astronomy, natural history, medicine, and light with original books from the Huntington’s collection – some as old as 400 years!

following the progression of astronomical ideas

galileo discusses earth-centered vs. sun-centered systems

my favorite was the light exhibit

optical fibers

james maxwell: the father of electromagnetism

old filament designs

We also visited the Long Beach Aquarium in which we spent the morning petting sharks and rays, watching sea otters and sea lions frolick, and marveling at colorful fishes and other sea critters.

jellies are so beautiful

little kid completely fascinated by the big tank of predators

more foofie frilly beautiful jellies

scratching his teeth on the glass (that’s what the marks are from)

i also love sea anemones

awesome little sea dragon

The weather was mercifully mild over the weekend although it began warming up today. Taking advantage of that cooler weather, we hiked into the Angeles National Forest – our former backyard.

the san gabriel mountains

a few flowers still in bloom

the shady parts of the trail

What a great way to work up an appetite! So far we’ve had Chinese, Thai, Sushi, and Vietnamese. I don’t actually know where a good Vietnamese restaurant is in So Cal. I only know of a great couple who make amazing Viet food. A White on Rice Couple, to be precise. I think they need to charge admission to their garden. It’s better than The Huntington!

chinese buddhist vegetarian food

thai: mee krob

thai: sizzling beef with spinach and cucumber

sushi: toro sashimi

sushi: hamachi sashimi

fresh veggies from the garden (okay, except the asparagus)

cooking our lunch *sizzle*

oh wow! all those persimmons on one tree!

and pomegranates?! this is truly paradise

And the added bonus was that we got to spend time with Sierra and Dante. Dante is a sweet boy, but he’s more interested in snacks. Sierra likes the attention and she is a huge goofball. Sierra is our pup away from home. We love her! We think Sierra and Kaweah would make a great pair of friends.

sierra puppy

I promise a recipe in the next post. The schedule is just too jam-packed right now to keep up with it all, but I hope you enjoyed some of the photos. Happy 18 years, Jeremy! xo