Kayaker on Twin Lakes, Mammoth, California

Shot on August 30, 2009. Sometimes, all you need is to get away from the city. Or get away from other people. Or get away from yourself. The most difficult of all three.

Tahoe Gazebo and Dock

I had to double check this slide to make sure it wasn't shot in Japan. It's a boat dock and gazebo-like structure in Lake Tahoe, California.

Great Wall of China

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Lao-tzu, Chinese philosopher (604 BC - 531 BC)

Monet in the Mini Mall

I like this photo for a couple of reasons. It reminds me of a painting (Monet?), and it was shot in the courtyard of a retail mall near Temecula, California. Art is where you find it.

Ramona, California

This was the setting for the very first Highland Valley Studios Music and Arts Festival, held in Ramona, California, on June 6, 2009. Several bands set up on the back porch of the house and had this view for inspiration as they played. Many talented artists, from jewelry makers to sculptors to painters showed their wares in the nearby barn. A lonely bull grazed in the fields nearby. A good time was had by all.