The Petaluma Spectator © Frank Simpson

A Walk In A Park…A dog park to be precise

Frank Simpson — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:17:31 +0000

Petaluma’s Rocky Memorial Dog Park…

I freely admit that I know nothing about dogs. To be sure, there are big dogs. There are little dogs. There are dogs that bark…and those that don’t. That is the sum total of my dog knowledge and experience.

So why a post about Petaluma’s Rocky Memorial Dog Park? The answer is simple. I have been more or less restricted to quarters with a troublesome shoulder for two weeks and jumped at an invitation from neighbors to ride along with them to the park with Charley, their 85 pound Chesador.

It was quite an experience. A great cure for my cabin fever, if you will.

What the heck! Who am I kidding?

It was great fun watching the dogs running free, playing, socializing, and having an all around good time.

This is also the case for the “humans” in the park. As one person put it: “This is a wonderful place for both canines and humans to socialize and exercise. It’s better than the coffee shop. There are walking paths, fresh air and the ability to watch dogs of all sizes, shapes, colors and personalities. The dogs love the park, the open space to run and play. You can hear them barking and howling from the cars and trucks as the owners pull into the parking lot.”

Rocky Memorial is quite large, almost 8 acres and is well maintained by the users. It was named after Rocky, a famed Petaluma Police K-9 that saved an officer’s life and later died in the line of duty while working in Colorado.

Perhaps the scene is best described by a few photos. Check out the slideshow below

SLIDESHOW

Note: To stop the slideshow and focus on a particular photo, simply place the cursor over the slideshow frame or window

Click to view slideshow.

Filed under: General, On The Lighter Side Tagged: dogpark, Rocky Memorial Dog Park

All A Twitter Over Our New Kindle

Frank Simpson — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 03:26:52 +0000

Or…in the alternative…how we took the leap of faith from Hi-Fi to Wi-Fi.

To be sure, our household has its share of electronic devices and technology toys. However, we tend to pick and choose…and to resist many. A few examples will serve to explain:

We have a cellphone, but it is decidedly not smart
Music, movies, and what used to be called TV are delivered via CD or DVD
Our computer is a one year old desktop (our fourth) with 23 inch monitor
No “I” anything, tablets, notebooks, or laptops

However, modernity does tend to insert itself into our home from time to time. After all, risk is the currency of life.

Recently, the distaff side of our household started musing about possibly buying an e-reader of some kind. After casually, if not surreptitiously, looking at the various offerings, the e-reader urge finally took us to Staples where we settled on and purchased a Kindle.

We brought the proud purchase home and began the usual climb up the learning curve. To put it simply, we of the keyboard & mouse generation were initially puzzled as to how to turn it on. Skipping ahead, there is a very good instruction manual…but it was loaded on the Kindle. Eventually we found the manual online and finally got the unit lit…so to speak.

However, to readily access the finer points in the manual, we (being ancient members of the keyboard & mouse generation) printed off the manual.

Yes, we went to hard copy to learn how to use the e-reader.

Such is irony…

I can report a general satisfaction with the Kindle, although we are still struggling with the finer points of Wi-Fi downloads. 3G works fine in most instances but some sources only use Wi-Fi. Wow! Is that geeky enough for you?

In any event, it is now time to return to reading…”Hey, it’s my turn to use the Kindle!”

Read Kindle Touch Review Here Before You Buy E-Reader (pctechmojo.com)

Filed under: General, On The Lighter Side Tagged: Amazon Kindle, Kindle, Wi-Fi

Street Scenes & Signs…Bridging 2011 to 2012

Frank Simpson — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 14:45:49 +0000

I thought it fitting to launch the New Year with a slideshow of hitherto unpublished ”street” photos, mostly of a whimsical nature. One, however, is not so whimsical.

It is a scene that will be repeated again and again in 2012…

The Foreclosure & Short Sale Blues

The Foreclosure & Short Sale Blues (Petaluma, CA) © Frank Simpson

SLIDESHOW*

Note: To stop the slideshow and focus on a particular photo, simply place the cursor over the slideshow frame or window.

Click to view slideshow.

*Slideshow Photo Notes

Tomato Still Life–I have no idea who left the cans on the bench. They were just there.
Teame Gold–For those not familiar with Petaluma, the photo documents the current status of a sign that used to read “Steamer Gold.” Time and the elements have modified it.
Revolution–a sticker prominently displayed on a litter can next to McNears in Petaluma.

PHOTO ALERT:To see two rather esoteric, if not exotic, (non-street scene) photos, go to Colors…to Black and to White

Filed under: General Tagged: Foreclosure, Petaluma California, Short Sale

12th Month…Seasonal Greetings From Petaluma

Frank Simpson — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 13:49:43 +0000

NOTE TO READERS & SUBSCRIBERS–Barring the landing of extraterrestrials, this will be the last post for the year. Looking ahead to 2012, I am not sure how I will use this site as I intend to focus more on my photo blog. Given the viewing activity on past posts, I will not delete this site at this time.

I offer the following “Christmas Card” to and from Petaluma, CA. It is a constructed photo collage of various scenes from Kentucky Street buildings in Petaluma set as a frame for a scene from our garden.

Filed under: General

What the….!???

Frank Simpson — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:01:09 +0000

“What the….!???” is the declamation I frequently utter when I come across certain scenes in my daily passages around and about Petaluma. Those familiar with my postings over the years will expect another round of graffiti and trash photos. Fortunately, that will not be the case today. I have mostly evolved from such urban documentation.

“What the….!???” #1

First, I offer this photo from Lucchesi Park (a locale that has served up many interesting photo ops over the years) for your consideration…

: Lucchesi Table Lamp © Frank Simpson

How did the lamp come to take up residence on a picnic table in the park?

Was it there to illuminate a nighttime game of frisbee?

Was it an example of buyer’s remorse after a nearby garage sale?

“What the….!???” #2

Next, I offer a “What the….!???” scene from our front yard.

A little background will be helpful in understanding the following photos. For thirty years or more there was a large cypress evergreen at the end of the driveway. As time would have it, it grew larger and taller, increasingly blocking the view of the street when backing out of the garage. Pruning helped reduce the hazard over the years. However, it finally became necessary to have it removed.

In our ‘Hood, the vegetation near the sidewalk often serves as trash receptacles for pedestrians. Cypress evergreens are particularly useful as trash cans as you can insert something through the branches and the item(s) will disappear and be secured by the inner branches. From time to time, I would spot an empty beer can or soft drink bottle while pruning and remove it. Given the tight weave of the inner branches, I did not venture very deep inside the tree during my pruning.

Last week a crew came to remove the cypress. In the progress of their work, they discovered a large “What the….!???” deep inside the branches…

Yup! A fly swatter!

It had been there for…who knows how many years.

Other items embedded in the tree included a tennis ball, coffee cup, and, of course, an aluminum can…

Filed under: On The Lighter Side Tagged: Petaluma California, Pruning

The Eleventh Hour…The Eleventh Day…11 11 11

Frank Simpson — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:11:30 +0000

Veterans Day!

Formerly known as Armistice Day when World War I hostilities ceased on the

Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month

Veterans Day this year is a numerology special…11-11-11. In honor of the day, I offer a photo, made on November 4, 2011, which I call The State of the Union…

101 E Washington Exit Southbound

The caption describes the physical location of the flag…placed there by….Who knows? It is a site where you can often spot homeless people.

Perhaps a homeless veteran planted the flag between the freeway sign and the sign post.

Such is the ambiguous nature of our times.

On a lighter note, there are 11 new photos on THE PETALUMA SPECTATOR PHOTO BLOG. I have selected 3 of them (numerologists should have fun with this choice) for an identification challenge in support of some of our local NGO’s, the library, and the Animal Shelter. For more information as to the rules of the challenge, go to 11 Photos for 11 11 11 Plus A Challenge

Filed under: Petaluma Community Tagged: National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, Veterans Day

Petaluma’s Trestle Restoration…In need of a cosmetic cover?

Frank Simpson — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 06:29:00 +0000

I have, for the most part, overlooked subjects that formed the basis of many a blog post here and elsewhere in the past.

Sometimes, however, there are scenes that cannot be ignored and require further exploration.

Consider these photos from a walk after lunch Downtown on October 11, 2011…

Click to view slideshow.

I am assuming that the area is in full compliance with local codes to prevent people from venturing out on the trestle.

Until the project moves forward, perhaps the general appearance in the area could be improved by the application of a tarp or new plywood to cover up the gaping holes.

Filed under: Blight Tagged: Petaluma California

Petaluma Photos 2011

Frank Simpson — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 03:24:15 +0000

2011, in many respects, is a year I would like to forget on so many levels. To facilitate the departure of 2011, I am releasing my annual photo series now.

Unlike previous years, there are two albums or slideshows, presenting, perhaps, two distinct sides of the same coin.

Go to…

Filed under: Petaluma Community Tagged: Northern California, Petaluma, Petaluma California, Photos of Petaluma

Help! I Cain’t Find Kentuky Street

Frank Simpson — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 14:06:15 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

In Signs…On, Of & From The Road I drew attention to Hugh’s upcoming Antique Faire in Petaluma.

Hugh is having an Antique Faire In Petaluma? Hugh Who? Hugh Laurie? (See next photo)

I have been up half the night trying to find Petaluma’s ”Kentuky” street using all the resources of the Internet.

Alas, I failed.

There ain’t no “Kentuky” street in Petaluma. I’ll miss the opportunity to see Hugh Laurie…

Sigh…

Filed under: On The Lighter Side

Signs…On, Of & From The Road

Frank Simpson — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 03:13:19 +0000

Lately I have been engaged in organizing my photo archives…trying to inject some order in the 26,000 photos (plus or minus) in the current inventory. It is a bit of a diversion from my ongoing “Faces & Profiles” photo project.

In going through the files, I took note of some of the unusual signs we photographed as we traveled around the country by motorcycle or van. The technical quality is not always the best as many were shot through windshields or from the back of a motorcycle. I have selected a few from past trips as well as from recent adventures about town for your amusement.

Before turning you over to the slideshow, I want to take a moment to remind you of Hugh’s Antique Faire in downtown Petaluma…

Hugh is having an Antique Faire In Petaluma? Hugh Who? Hugh Laurie? (See next photo)

SLIDESHOW

Note: To stop the slideshow and focus on a particular photo, simply place the cursor over the slideshow frame or window.

Click to view slideshow.

REMEMBER PETALUMANS–NO DIVING FROM THE BALSHAW BRIDGE

Diving from Petaluma's Balshaw Bridge is prohibited! Really? Did somebody actually try to do it?

Filed under: On The Lighter Side Tagged: Balshaw Bridge, Hugh Laurie, Petaluma California

The Petaluma Spectator © Frank Simpson

A Walk In A Park…A dog park to be precise

All A Twitter Over Our New Kindle

Related articles

Street Scenes & Signs…Bridging 2011 to 2012

12th Month…Seasonal Greetings From Petaluma

What the….!???

The Eleventh Hour…The Eleventh Day…11 11 11

Petaluma’s Trestle Restoration…In need of a cosmetic cover?

Petaluma Photos 2011

Help! I Cain’t Find Kentuky Street

Signs…On, Of & From The Road