as seen: landscape near ono, california

©kjm

Six reasons why I'm smiling:

1. I worked really hard for the past two days on a shoot for Cottage Living - long days, and I think I made some really nice photos. So today's drive seemed like a cold beer at 5pm.
2. It's my first time really seeing Redwood trees. When you stand next to one for the first time, you think all the trees you've ever seen in your life have been shams - hollow shells in comparison.
3. I took more great roads today - California highways 254, 36, and A16, if you're keeping score at home. Slowgoing, lots of turns, and virtually empty. One mountain stretch, between Bridgeville and Dinsmore, went miles without even a painted center line. How often do you see that? Guard rails? Nope.
4. No cell coverage for almost my entire day.
5. Good music. Some really eclectic radio stations, with a certain soft spot for The Greatful Dead (is that like reverse payola?). And I burned a cd last night with some of my favorite road tunes - like Green On Red's 'Keep On Movin'' and Van Morrison's 'Caravan,' which takes me right back to my earliest roadtrips with Andy.
6. I found floaty pens for Diane and Marilu. It's a bit of a scam, collecting floaty pens. Once your friends know that you collect them, they just start pouring in, from all over the world. The one I found today was from the gift shop at the Chandelier Tree, one of the redwoods that you can drive your car through. It's classic floaty pen material - it'd be a crime if they didn't sell one.