Seafaring Shepherd

A German Shepherd dog frolics in the surf at Ocean Beach in San Francisco.

Squirrel Paparazzi

I followed him and snapped this shot. He seemed annoyed, and after glaring at me for a moment, proceeded up the tree.

Ocean Beach on a Sunny Afternoon

Ocean Beach in San Francisco, California.

Mystery Plant Follow-up

Carpobrotus Edulis is the name of this plant. It is also known as Iceplant, Hottentot Fig, or Fig-Marigold. According to this website, it thrives on neglect! That is, it doesn't require much water, basically just sunlight. Hottentot Fig are beautiful and are found throughout the bay area, though they are not native to California. According to UC Davis' site, they are African plants that were brought to California in the early twentieth century.
I first noticed these plants when I visited San Francisco prior to moving here. Actually, my dog seemed to take a special interest in them first and they then caught my fancy as well.
In my obsessive quest to find out what these plants are called, I discovered some interesting botany websites. One of them is http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/, where you can actually post questions regarding plants, etc. in their forum. The curators at UC Berkeley's Botanical Garden were also an extremely helpful resource in researching this plant's origins.

Mystery Plant

I have seen this plant almost everywhere around the bay area, from Golden Gate Park to Emeryville Marina to Walnut Creek. I have been unable to identify it, but am on a quest to do so.

Seagull at Ocean Beach in San Francisco

Sealions on Pier 39

Center Street, Berkeley

Restaurant Row on Center Street in Berkeley, California.

Berkeley Public Library

The Civic Center Building in Berkeley, CA

UC Berkeley Life Sciences Complex

The Life Sciences building at the University of California, Berkeley.

An etching appears on the outside of the Psychology building, to the left of the doorway.

Silvery Tree

I was quite impressed with this tree, located on the grounds of the University of California, Berkeley. It is very old, and because much of its bark has been stripped away, its trunk now appears a beautiful tri-color. I have always been fond of very tall trees, as the street I lived on when I was little was lined with trees which towered into the sky and formed an arch above the road.