Pairs #6: ZIZO with Luna

I've been enjoying playing with different ways of pairing photographs this year, in connection with Helena's '"pairs" photography meme. This week, I thought I would return to a classic pairing of zoom in/zoom out. 

We've been trying to decide what color eyes our Luna has - somewhere between green and brown, I think!
{Disclaimer: this was taken about a month ago - she is so much bigger now!}

ZIZO #33: Christmas Cards & Best Wishes to You!

It's Christmas Eve here in California, and I'm enjoying some time writing Christmas cards. Yes, I know they won't arrive before Christmas, but I'm still happy to send holiday greetings around the world. And I really love receiving the same.  I keep my cards in a basket on the Christmas mantle, and you can see a few of them above. Since it's Wednesday, I thought it was a good opportunity to take a pair of photos for Helena's weekly photo meme "Zoom In Zoom Out." 
It's also a good opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas!
Most years, I send out two different types of cards. Hand made cards for my arty friends that I know will appreciate them and a photo card for family and friends. The latter includes a brief letter on the back of the card. Here's what I wrote this year:
"2014 was a good year. We enjoyed music (everything from Luke Bryan to Drake v. Li'l Wayne) and sporting events (World Cup, Giants winning the World Series and *soon* the Rose Bowl). We rebuilt our decks and remodeled our bathrooms. Clara turned 16 and got her driver's license. Henry transitioned from freshman to sophomore at University of Oregon, moved from the dorms to the Sigma Chi fraternity house, had a summer internship at Coaching Corp. in Oakland and traveled to Memphis where his club soccer team placed third at the national tournament. Maria and Clara volunteered at the Peninsula Humane Society, and they brought Frida home from the kitten nursery. Now, Clara volunteers at Guide Dogs for the Blind and raises backyard chickens for her egg business. She also runs really fast - she was the League Champion in Cross Country. Paul and Maria will celebrae their 30th Anniversary this month!"
I hope you and yours have a wonderful Christmas!!!

ZIZO #32: Fence Flowers and Memes

As I return to blogging, I'm thinking about a blogging schedule . . . 
how often to post and whether to continue following along with different memes.
One of my favorites (and most consistent) memes this year has been Helena's Zoom In/Zoom out photography challenge. I've done 32 out of the 51 weeks this year, which is pretty good for me. I'm not sure what Helena has in store next year, but I'll definitely take a look and consider playing along. 
I also enjoyed  "Good Fences", hosted each Thursday by the Run*A*Round Ranch blog. I find fences so visually interesting that I  was am really drawn to this meme. You can see this week's offerings at this link.
I found this beautiful fence full of flowers at the tree farm last weekend and like that it fulfills both challenges.
As one year ends and a new one begins, I'm wondering. What memes did you like and participate in this year? What are your plans for 2015 memes?

ZIZO #31: Chinatown Murals

I have a nice three-part zoom in < zoom out photographic offering this week for Helena's awesome meme. See other people's offerings here. I found this beautiful mural in Oakland's Chinatown district. My son Henry is working there this summer, and I went in to meet him for lunch. I took my camera along with me to capture some items for the 2014 Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt (coming this weekend), but I couldn't resist this mural, along with a couple others.

Kim Huong is the name of a local restaurant. I love the juxtaposition of the dragon and butterfly. And that green combination.

The grungy, urban feel of this mural, accented by boxes and fire hydrant really drew me in. For all of these photographs, I invite you to click on them so you can see them larger and in more detail. Come back this weekend to see what I found for the Scavenger Hunt while wandering through Chinatown.

ZIZO #30: Frida Cat

Welcome to this week's entry for Helena's Zoom In Zoom Out photography meme, where participants present a close up and a shot taken from farther away. My zoom in this week was an easy choice - taken while my kitten was napping. But I really couldn't decide on my zoom out shot. Should I choose this one?

Or this one?

Or how about this one?

Aw, heck, I'll just include them all! Isn't she cute? She's half way between a tortoise shell and calico and is fitting in just fine. To check out other zizo pairs, click here.

ZIZO #29: Nibbler

Once a week, I go to the local Humane Society to walk dogs. I've been doing it about a year and recently received my purple lanyard, which allows me to walk any of the dogs at the shelter. Each dog has a color level, associated with their size and behavior. Green dogs are dogs which any of the trained volunteers can walk; yellow dogs tend to be timid and need extra understanding; purple dogs tend to be big and strong. This is Nibbler, a big happy (and very strong) overgrown purple puppy. Clara and I love working with him. He's smart as a whip and is actually fairly easy to handle if you know what you're doing. He wants to please and loves treats! I've learned so much about dogs in this volunteer job and wonder how much is applicable to life in general. No matter what the color level of the dog, each one is wonderful and would be perfect companion for the right person. I sometimes wonder if the same thing isn't true for humans . . . 
These photos are part of the zoom in zoom out photography project, hosted by Helena. To see more of this week's entries, click here.

ZIZO #28: Sea Anemone?

 

Helena hosts a weekly photography meme where bloggers post a pair of photographs - one zoomed in and one zoomed out. It's a wonderful way to capture the world. I took this close-up recently. And it reminds me of a sea anemone. But it isn't.

It's a fantastic dahlia, from the Dahlia Garden in Golden Gate Park.

And I wasn't the only one who decided to photograph these beautiful blossoms!

Do you ever run into other photographers stalking your ZIZO's? And did I fool you today?

ZIZO #27: Rubber Chicken!

Aria can be tough on toys, so it's nice when we find one that will last. She loves her rubber chicken! Sharing with Helena's Zoom in Zoom Out meme  and proud of myself for keeping up for the whole year so far! Also happy to rediscover snapseed for editing photos on my iphone. Instagram changed their processing steps and confused me (where did the frames go?), so I decided to retry snapseed, and I sure do love it!
Also, thanks to those of you who linked up to the June linky for the 2014 Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt or stopped by to see what everyone was up to. The linky is here and will be open for the rest of the summer. There will be another linky at the end of July. 

ZIZO #26: Laverne Needs a Bath

We're in a bit of a  drought here in California, and the chicken's aviary has become quite dusty. I've read that chickens give themselves dust baths and generally don't need to be bathed. But, seriously, Laverne, you're looking really scruffy. And Clara is thinking about giving you a bath. Clara's friend, Ashley, who shows chickens and runs the egg program at the high school has volunteered to come over and help. I'm planning to stay back. . . and take lots of pictures! Linking up with Helena's zoom in zoom out meme.

ZIZO #25: Garden's First Fruit

It's that time of the year where the garden has gone a bit brambly. The amount of work to be done outpaces our somewhat itinerant interest in gardening. Regardless of our presence, nature marches on, and the trees begin to bear fruit.

The plum tree is always the first to blossom and the first to bear fruit. The pear and apple won't produce until early fall. I often use Helena's zoom in zoom out meme to capture the garden's progression, so I decided this would be a good week to capture our garden's first fruit.  How is your garden getting along this year? 

Zoom In/ Zoom Out on a Weathered Fence

Since finding the "Good Fences" weekly meme, sponsored by Run*A*Round Ranch Report blog, I notice so many gorgeous, photogenic fences. While wandering down Main Street the other day, I spied this weathered beauty fronted by some lovely lavender. When I got to the end, I captured its wonderful end post:

The two photographs together make a wonderful pair for Helena's Zoom In Zoom Out meme, which encourages followers to take two photographs one close up and one wide angle.
I'm linking up to both Good Fences and ZIZO.

ZIZO #23: Devil's Slide Trail

On Sunday afternoon, Clara and I went for a walk on the Devil's Slide Coastal Trail. I thought it was a good opportunity to take my zoom in zoom out photos for this week. The first ZIZO gives you an idea of what makes this trail so special:

It used to be a highway which went right along the Coast. A very steep and windy bit of highway. It came with spectacular views.

But it was also prone to closures due to rock slides and sink holes. Which was how this stretch of road got its nickname "Devil's Slide." So, the road was replaced with a pair of tunnels through the mountain.

By walking, instead of driving this stretch (it's on the way to my work), I was able to capture some wonderful sites. Beautiful plants . . . 

A touching road-side memorial:

And, also a final ZIZO pairing. Can you figure out what it it is from the zoom in?

I hope you enjoyed this walk along the Devil's Slide Trail. For other ZIZO pairings, check out Helena's blog here.

ZIZO #22: At the Beach (x3)

Today was Memorial Day in the U.S., and we had a day off. It was a glorious sunny day on the coast, and Clara and I took the dogs down to the beach. I wanted to find a good zoom in
Can you guess this second one?

It's part of a sand castle:

Or how about this one?

Did you guess correctly?

Thanks for visiting today. I hope you enjoyed my day at the beach. For more ZIZO pairings, check out Helena's blog here.

ZIZO #21: Merlin

"My name is Merlin, and I have six toes. I am polydactyl."
You never know what you'll find when working in the kitten nursery. Clara and I met this wonderfully fun kitten last Friday. I thought he would make a perfect entry for this week at Helena's  zoom in < zoom gathering. You can stop by to see other pairs at this link.

ZIZO #20: At my art desk

I haven't been spending much time in blogland, but I have been having lots of fun in my guest room/ art studio.  I took this zoom in < zoom out pair as part of the ongoing meme hosted by Helena of Helena's Creative Maven. I do have lots of fun creations to share: some progressive faces from the Face in the World Swap; lots of gratitude tags from The Art of Practising Gratitude; and a few other things. Plus, I'm gearing up for the 2014 Summertime Photography Scavenger Hunt beginning on June 1, 2014.  So come back soon!