Sycamore Grove Park - Livermore, CA (Cellphone Photos)

Today, on the 17th December 2024, my mom and I went for on a walk in Sycamore Grove Park in Livermore, CA. There is still some autumn foliage present despite it being December! I hope you enjoy viewing my photos!

Message from the Photographer: I am still dealing with long COVID, but my doctors and I have found multiple medications that seems to partially and temporarily suppress the symptoms. I am walking a fine line between side effects from the pills and the long COVID symptoms. This was the most exercise I have gotten in months, and I suspect I will be paying for it the next few days. The COVID infection in November 2023 triggered chronic fatigue syndrome and mast cell activation in me. I am working on the RAW photos from my camera, but it has been slow. None of the medications are touching the brain fog.

A scenery photo of autumn foliage shot on Magpie Nature Loop.

A scenery photo of autumn foliage shot on Magpie Nature Loop.

A scenery photo of autumn foliage, cows, farm, mountains, and clouds. The photo was shot on Winery Trail.

A scenery photo of autumn foliage, cows, farm, and clouds. The photo was shot on Winery Loop.

A photo of an abandoned building shot on Winery Loop.

A photo of high voltage powerlines, trees, and autumn foliage. The photo was shot on Winery Loop.

This is all the photos for today. I hope you have enjoyed viewing the photos! Please don't forget to share the blog post with your friends and family members! Also, if you want to get notifications when I post up more photos, "Like" us on Facebook or follow me on Instagram. These links can also be found on the top of the right sidebar.

Nike Missile Site SF-88L & Sausalito, CA (Cellphone Photos)

On the 7th December 2024, my parents and I took a trip to Nike Missile Site SF-88L at Marin Headlands in Golden Gate National Recreation Area in Marin County CA, and Sausalito, CA. It has been very smoggy in the SF Bay Area, so there weren't many photo opportunities. I took photos on my phone and on my Olympus mirrorless camera, and the photos are split into 2 posts. I hope you enjoy viewing my photos!

Parts: Olympus Photos (Coming Soon) | Cellphone Photos

These are the photos I took with my cellphone. The photos were shot at Nike Missile Site SF-88L and Sausalito, CA. The smog was really heavy so there really wasn't any opportunity for scenery photos. 

We begin our trip with Nike Missile Site SF-88L at Marin Headlands in Golden Gate National Recreation Area in Marin County CA.

The Nike Missile Site SF-88L is open on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 12 PM to 3 PM and on the first Saturday of every month, volunteers give tours of the site. Most of the volunteers giving the tours are veterans who have served at this site in the past. This is the first time I've been inside of the site due to the limited time that it is open for.

Before I get into the funny story, if you don't know, on the 5th December 2024, there was a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that shook northern California and the effects of it were felt all the way down to the SF Bay Area. A few minutes after the shaking, everyone's phones went off with a tsunami evacuation warning, which was later cancelled due to the earthquake not being the type that generates tsunamis. One of the volunteers/veterans told a funny story from last Thursday during the earthquake and tsunami warning. Apparently they had a group of visiting cadets from a landlocked area of the US and the cadets have never seen the ocean before. They received quite a jolt at the site as it is on the fault line. At first there were some panic amongst the cadets as they never experienced anything like it. A few minutes later everyone's phones went off with the tsunami warning. The veterans told them "We have to evacuate now", but the cadets had other plans. The cadets insisted on hiking up a nearby hill to see the tsunami coming in. The veterans had no choice but to let them do that. These cadets have never seen the ocean, and apparently thought the fog and smog were the waves. They posted photos and videos to the internet saying they got to witness a tsunami and an earthquake. Some higher up military officials apparently saw it and started calling the NPS and the volunteers being like "Are you crazy? Why didn't you all evacuate? You let them watch the tsunami?" The volunteers had to explain the cadets didn't listen to them and that the tsunami never came.

A photo of missiles at Nike Missile Site SF-88L in Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

A photo of missiles at Nike Missile Site SF-88L in Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

A photo of a missile computer at Nike Missile Site SF-88L in Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

A photo of missiles at Nike Missile Site SF-88L in Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

A photo of missiles at Nike Missile Site SF-88L in Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

We spent the last half our trip walking around Sausalito, CA. There really weren't any photo opportunities here due to how heavy the smog was. The only San Francisco you can see from Sausalito was just a very faint outline of the skyscrapers. 

A sunset and smog scenery photo of clouds and yachts at Sausalito Yacht Harbor in Sausalito, CA. In the background in the center is Mt. Tamalpais.

A sunset and smog scenery photo of clouds, yachts at Sausalito Yacht Harbor, and Sausalito, CA.

A sunset and smog scenery photo of clouds, San Francisco (in the distance on the left), San Francisco Bay (left), Scoma's of Sausalito & The Trident (left), sidewalk (center), Bridgeway (right), and buildings (right) taken in Sausalito, CA.

This is all the photos for today. I hope you have enjoyed viewing the photos! Please don't forget to share the blog post with your friends and family members! Also, if you want to get notifications when I post up more photos, "Like" us on Facebook or follow me on Instagram. These links can also be found on the top of the right sidebar.

Parts: Olympus Photos (Coming Soon) | Cellphone Photos

Pleasanton, CA Costco Grand Opening (Cellphone Photos)

The brand new Pleasanton, CA Costco opened at 8 AM on the 27th November 2024. I did not get up that early to go see the ribbon cutting, and my parents and I waited a few hours before going. We were still stuck in traffic on the way there and had to circle the parking lot a few times before we managed to find a spot. It was crowded inside!

I know this isn't really photography related, but I took photos with my cellphone and wanted to share it.

A photo of my parents and I waiting in traffic to go to the new Costco. The traffic was backed up all the way to Stoneridge Drive.

Getting closer!

Almost there! None of the surrounding businesses were allowing Costco shoppers to park.

Photo from when we were circling the parking lot trying to find a spot. In the distance is the new Costco Petrol Station.

A close up photo of the new Costco Petrol Station.

A close up photo of the new Costco Petrol Station.

A photo of the new Costco and parking lot.

A photo from inside the new Costco. It was crowded!

A photo from inside the new Costco. It was crowded!

A photo of the checkout lines and the new food court inside the new Costco. Pleasanton PD officers were on site.

A photo of the new food court inside the new Costco. Pleasanton PD officers were on site.

A photo from inside the new Costco. It was crowded!

A photo from the clothing and gift card section inside the new Costco.

A photo from the frozen section inside the new Costco.

A photo from one of the sample stations inside the new Costco. It was crowded!

A photo of the alcohol and produce section in the new Costco.

The new Costco was selling arcade machines.

The new Costco is selling giant teddy bears.

The new Costco is selling giant Pikachu Squishmellows.

One of the staff members made some LEGO art for the new Costco.

This is the toilet paper and bottled water section in the new Costco. This corner was not as crowded. There are toilet paper rolls piled as high as the ceiling.

A photo from a sample station in the new bakery of the new Costco.

A photo from a sample station in the new bakery of the new Costco.

The new tyre center at the new Costco.

A photo of the entrance of the new Costco.

The new Costco was doing new member sign ups right in front of the entrance.

A photo of a Cadillac vehicle in front of the new Costco advertising Costco Auto.

A photo of a Cadillac vehicle in front of the new Costco advertising Costco Auto.

A photo of the new Costco Petrol Station and parking lot.

A photo of the new Costco Tyre Center in the new Costco.

This is all the photos for today. I hope you have enjoyed viewing the photos! Please don't forget to share the blog post with your friends and family members! Also, if you want to get notifications when I post up more photos, "Like" us on Facebook or follow me on Instagram. These links can also be found on the top of the right sidebar.

Livermorium Plaza - Downtown Livermore, CA (Cellphone Photos)

On 23rd November 2024, my parents and I went to Livermore, CA to take photos of autumn foliage. It is a tiny bit past season for autumn foliage, but I was still able to get some good photos. At night, we went to Downtown Livermore for dinner. I took photos with both my camera and my phone and the photos are split into 2 parts. I hope you enjoy viewing my photos!

Parts: Livermore Autumn Foliage (Coming Soon) | Livermorium Plaza (Cellphone Photos)

At night my parents and I went to Downtown Livermore for dinner. We got a few burritos at Tequila's Taqueria, and the food is good. The food at Tequila's Taqueria is moderately spicy, which I like and they have veggie options as well for me. I feel it is quite an authentic experience. My parents and I then walked around Downtown Livermore, which was when I found there is a Livermorium Plaza. Livermorium Plaza is dedicated to Element #116 on the Periodic Table. The plaza opened in 2022, and I had never heard of it before. Livermorium is a synthetic heavy element named after the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, CA. I as told the lights on the ground at the plaza symbolizes the electron rings around a Livermorium nucleus, and that the city gave it the address of 116 South Livermore Avenue.

I am a bit of a science geek as well, so I definitely geeked out a tiny bit at the plaza, and took photos of it. The elements #114 Flerovium and #116 Livermorium were named at the same time and was a joint project between the US and Russia. Flerovium was named after Russian physicist Georgy Flyorov. Livermorium was named after Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory because the laboratory synthesized the curium (#96) required for the nuclear reaction with calcium (#20) to create the Livermorium. Livermorium is a highly radioactive synthetic element with a half-life of about 53 milliseconds.

Message from the Photographer: I am very much still dealing with long COVID, which is why we picked such a close location. Livermore, CA is pretty much in my backyard. I am still dealing with chronic fatigue and many other health problems. I'm mostly house bound and frequently bedridden these days. It might take me a while before I can finish processing the photos I took with my camera.

A giant rotating ball with water symbolizing the nucleus of Livermorium. The ball is covered with facts about Livermorium. I don't know why they wrote 100 milliseconds for the half-life, because the information I got from The Royal Society of Chemistry says the half life of the most stable isotope of Livermorium is 53 milliseconds (source). The lights and rings around the ball symbolizes the electron rings around the Livermorium nucleus.

The sign for Livermorium Plaza. Take note that the city gave it the address of 116 South Livermore Avenue.

A sign talking about the history of the element Livermorium and the Livermorium Plaza.

This is all the photos for today. I hope you have enjoyed viewing the photos! Please don't forget to share the blog post with your friends and family members! Also, if you want to get notifications when I post up more photos, "Like" us on Facebook or follow me on Instagram. These links can also be found on the top of the right sidebar.

Parts: Livermore Autumn Foliage (Coming Soon) | Livermorium Plaza (Cellphone Photos)

Half Moon Bay, CA (Cellphone Photos)

Yesterday, on 5th October 2024, my parents and I went for on a trip to Half Moon Bay, CA, spending most of our time at Francis Beach in Half Moon Bay State Beach. We had a heat wave inland, plus I needed some outdoors time due to claustrophobia. I hope you enjoy viewing my photos!

Message from the Photographer: I have been struggling with long COVID since November 2023, and I have been dealing with chronic fatigue and many other health problems. I'm mostly house bound and frequently bedridden these days. Unfortunately, claustrophobia hits hard quite frequently. Yesterday, I had a little bit more energy than usual so I decided to go for a trip to Half Moon Bay, plus it was way too hot inland due to the heat wave. I didn't bring any camera equipment with me (I have too little energy for that), but was able to take a few photos with my phone.

The destination for this trip was Francis Beach in Half Moon Bay State Beach. We weren't the only ones with the idea to go to the beach to escape the heat wave inland. There were so many people and the beach was crowded!

A scenery photo of Francis Beach, people, and Pacific Ocean (right).

A scenery photo of Francis Beach, people, Pillar Point & El Granada (in the distance), and Pacific Ocean.

A scenery photo of the volleyball courts at Francis Beach, people, and Pacific Ocean (right).

A scenery photo of Francis Beach, people, El Granada (in the distance on the left), mountains (in the distance), and Pacific Ocean (left).

A scenery photo of mountains, trees, and houses shot on Half Moon Bay Coastal Trail near Francis Beach.

A scenery photo of mountains, trees, and houses shot on Half Moon Bay Coastal Trail near Francis Beach.

A scenery photo of Francis Beach, volleyball courts, people, Pillar Point & El Granada (in the distance), mountains (in the distance on the right), and Pacific Ocean.

Next, I was hungry, so my parents and I walked over to Taqueria Tres Amigos at the intersection of Kelly Avenue and State Route 1 for dinner. We didn't drive because we didn't want to lose our parking space. The food was delicious, and they had a number of vegetarian options available. It was sunset by the time I finished my meal, and I took a few photos on the side of State Route 1 of the town of Half Moon Bay.

A sunset scenery photo of the town of Half Moon Bay, mountains, trees, and State Route 1.

A sunset scenery photo of the town of Half Moon Bay, buildings, trees, and State Route 1.

We then walked back to Francis Beach in Half Moon Bay State Beach to see the sunset over the Pacific Ocean.

A sunset scenery photo of Francis Beach, people, Pillar Point & El Granada (in the distance), mountains (in the distance on the right), and Pacific Ocean.

A sunset scenery photo of mountains, trees, and houses shot on near Francis Beach.

A sunset scenery photo of fog, mountains, trees, houses, Francis Beach (right), and Pacific Ocean (right).

A sunset scenery photo of fog, Francis Beach, people, Pillar Point & El Granada (in the distance), mountains (in the distance on the right), and Pacific Ocean.

This is all the photos for today. I hope you have enjoyed viewing the photos! Please don't forget to share the blog post with your friends and family members! Also, if you want to get notifications when I post up more photos, "Like" us on Facebook or follow me on Instagram. These links can also be found on the top of the right sidebar.