On my way from coffee this morning with two Davids and Ken I stopped at a bridge across the San Diego River and noticed that in San Diego we do indeed have seasons. With no help from frost, autumn has transformed trees to flames along the river banks.

All of my friends know the BARK PROJECT has me out looking closely at trees. I’m aware that I must look pretty funny up very close to a tree in a half-squat aiming my camera at tree bark. Yesterday when I went with friends to look at tile, I saw three interesting mature palm trees near the entrance to the Arizona Tile Company showrooms. A year ago I wouldn't have paid attention to matters of maturity in palm trees, but that was then and this is now. I know what happens to the skin of palm trees when they have grown older. Back to my earlier point, While Irene, Jim, and Ed went on into the store, I circled the tree a couple times bending low with my camera. Anybody approaching the building or already inside it would wonder what in the world the old man was doing. I was using my little point and shoot Lumix, and it isn’t big enough to be recognized immediately as camera; so I can guess I must have been a puzzling, funny sight. I got a couple of keeper photographs and wasn’t hauled off to the looney bin, so I’m free to go out looking again tomorrow.

Life is good.