Indian Rock Arch, Yosemite's only granite arch, viewed from the south looking north

This photo shows Yosemite National Park's only granite arch, called Indian Rock. It's not identfied on maps or even by the signs along the trail, that this feature is an arch. It forms through the process that erodes granite features generally, exfoliation. Sheets or plates of granite peel off through the the freeze and thaw process. Arches are rarely made of granite because the exfoliation process would have to leave the arch behind as other parts of the rock peel away. Reaching Indian Rock involves hiking three miles from the Tioga Pass Road starting at Porcupine Flat. This view of the arch is from the trail to its south looking northward during the morning. We've posted another picture of this arch in our gallery looking at it from the north looking south, with Half Dome appearing underneath the arch. We've camped near and hiked to this arch more than 5 times. This photo is 2 photos that have been merged to a proportion of 2x1.

There is another granite arch in the Sierra south of Yosemite along a route known as the Sierra Vista Scenic Byway.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!

This picture shows Bob sitting by the arch on the north side.

Double-crested cormorant near Monterey, California

This double-crested cormorant was resting on rocks along the coast between Monterey and Pacific Grove, California. Cormorants are fish-eating birds that can hunt their prey in both salt and fresh water. They can be found along the coast as well as along rivers. This one seemed quite content to rest close to the walkway that follows the coast, despite the people passing by.

Cormorants' eyes work better in air than they do in water. According to a study of the greater cormorant in England, cormorants only see well enough to catch fish about 1 meter (3 feet) in front of them and their snake-like necks allow them to strike quickly at a fish that is within range. The small tooth-like structures in the bill point backwards and keep the fish from escaping after the bird bites down.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!

California's El Dorado National Forest's Bridalveil Falls, between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe

On the drive between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe, along Highway 50, in the El Dorado National Forest, there's a turnout for people to view Bridalveil Falls where Esmeralda Creek flows over the brink on its way to join the South Fork of the American River. We were on our way to the Sierra to get in a few hours of cross-country skiing while California has plenty of snow. The storm that dropped snow on the mountains was followed by a blast of cold air, so the falls had ice coating the rocks away from the main stream. Because we look like well-equipped photographers, we are often asked to take group photos for other people, and that did happen while we were stopped at these falls. The family seemed happy with the result.

This image is a merging of three images taken horizontally from top to bottom using the same settings for each. These were ISO 100, f4, 1/45 sec. It has been cropped to a 4x6 ratio and would make a good 8x12 picture.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!

Whimbrel shorebird searching for food at San Carlos Beach, Monterey, California

A whimbrel is a shorebird with a long decurved bill used for probing into the sand to find edible mollusks. This one was searching for food on San Carlos Beach, in Monterey, California. Some of the other whimbrels were competing for the opportunities to feed even to the point of pushing and shoving a little. When one pushed its bill into a promising hole in the sand, sometimes another rushed in to knock the other bird out of the way and get its bill onto the food instead.

These birds are constantly in motion, so the picture was taken at 1/500 of a second to help stop action. The zoom was about 25x.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!

Marbled Godwit foraging on Monterey Beach

A marbled godwit foraging along San Carlos Beach in Monterey, California.  This shorebird uses its long bill to probe in the sand for invertebrates to feed on. We visited the coast at Monterey after a storm had stirred up the ocean and there were many shorebirds out foraging.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story.

Heermann's gull drinking fresh water on a Monterey, California beach

Heermann's gulls are distinguished by their dark red bills and dark legs. This gull was drinking fresh water that came off the streets of Monterey, California, and flowed down onto the beach. Several other birds were taking advantage of the runoff, too. This beach is San Carlos Beach, next to Monterey's Breakwater, famous among SCUBA divers in California. It's also where we went for a field trip while in college to practice diving for our certification. We had intended to dive the time we got this picture, but a storm had just passed and another was on the way, so the ocean was too stirred up for diving and getting good pictures. The lady at the dive shop described the water clarity as "pea soup", so we didn't go diving but looked for wildlife along the coast.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!

Pair of resting ruddy duck males on Virginia Lake, Reno, Nevada during the winter

This pair of non-breeding ruddy duck males was resting in a similar position on Virginia Lake, in Reno, Nevada. Rick was here after a storm had gone through in December, 2015 and most of the lake was frozen. Most of the ducks and geese rested on the water, but groups of geese were standing on the edge of the ice. When Rick approached the lake to take pictures, several mallard ducks came closer expecting to be fed, but moved quickly away when someone came by walking their dog.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!