"The Silk Mill"-Petaluma

The "Carlson Courier Silk Mills' was constructed in 1892 and then expanded on two occasions with those being completed in 1922.  It is on both the National Register of Historic Places as well as the California Register of Historic Places.  It is a two story Georgian Colonial Revival Style brick building.  It was first used for silk processing and then later as a fishing line manufacturer under the Sunset Line and Twine Company.  It was involved in the production of fishing line, but also parachutes and parachute chords for space flights, including the Apollo mission. In 2006 the company moved its operations to the Midwest, leaving the building vacant.  The current owner, BB Patel, CEO,  and his son Perry Patel are now beginning the renovations of the building.  Robin and I were given the privilege to come in and capture the renovations as they begin on this incredibly historic building.

Redwoods, Rhododendrons, Mist, A Sunset, and the Sea

The far northern coast of California is one of my most favorite of all places.  In the Springtime Rhododendrons begin to bloom, the mist envelopes the Redwoods in the morning hours and it becomes magical.  You expect to see a Unicorn coming out of the mist down the path where you are photographing.  You can hear the songs of the birds that inhabit this beautiful and mystical place.  Within a short driving distance you begin to see the Pacific Ocean along Highway 101.  There are small towns like Trinidad, its bays, and its memorial lighthouse.  You then can travel up the coast a little further and find Crescent City, its wonderful coastline, and perhaps be given the opportunity to capture one of God's magnificent sunsets.  Then you get up the next morning and start all over again, if you are blessed.  It was a wonderful 7 hour drive, one way,  a couple of weeks ago.  God blessed me with His many beautiful creations.  He is everywhere, if we would just take the time to see.  To God give all the glory, Amen.

Moss Landing Sea Otters

This is one of God's incredible, wonderful, funny, and very entertaining creatures.  You can pretty much be assured that you can watch these loveable creatures anytime by just stopping at the Moss Landing Marina near Monterey.  What a joy.

The Defenders of Wildlife says this about Sea Otters: "The heaviest members of the weasel family, sea otters are the second smallest marine mammals.  Unlike other marine mammals, they do not have a layer of blubber to keep warm.  Instead, sea otters have the densest fur in the animal kingdom, ranging from 250,000 to a million hairs per square inch, which insulates them."   Our God is so awesome, creating everything around us and knowing exactly what they needed to have to survive in their environment.

We have spent literally hours watching them.  You can't help but smile when following them.  There are usually at least one other car that has stopped to try to capture their antics.  We have recently been blessed with a Sony camera with an awesome 50X zoom fixed lens with Zeis optics.  We have never been able to zoom in as close nor as clear as we can now.  Thank you Jesus for this blessing.  Enjoy.  I know they will bring a smile to your face.