Above and below at Morro Bay
The wispy clouds above Morro Rock in California on the morning of November 4th, 2016, appealed to me.
At the same time, down below, I saw what I take to be a western gull, Larus occidentalis.
© 2017 Steven Schwartzman
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Portraits of Wildflowers 
Excellent.
rabirius
January 30, 2017 at 5:10 AM
It’s a good place to visit.
Steve Schwartzman
January 30, 2017 at 5:39 AM
Indeed it is.
melissabluefineart
January 30, 2017 at 6:20 AM
Have you been there? If not, you can add it to your West Coast list.
Steve Schwartzman
January 30, 2017 at 6:25 AM
I have. Driving up the coast, from Carmel to Eureka, was a favorite pastime of my grandmother and my mother, with me in tow. It is a drive I plan to take my daughter on, too! I’m a little sleepy, so I forgot to mention how much I love the seagull photo. It is very striking.
melissabluefineart
January 30, 2017 at 6:39 AM
The seagull thanks you.
This is the second time in a month that Eureka has come up. The first was in a conversation with someone originally from northern California. I told him I bought a tire at the Sears in Eureka when I was driving from Oregon back to Austin in 1978.
After you move back to the Northwest, you can take that coastal drive again, this time with you being the mother.
Steve Schwartzman
January 30, 2017 at 6:53 AM
It’s funny how Eureka can turn up. We always laugh when the old guy in Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation refers to South Eureka. Ha! As if.
Yes, I’m really looking forward to that.
melissabluefineart
January 31, 2017 at 7:24 AM
I hope you won’t have to wait long. Once you arrive, you’ll have to yell “Eureka!”
Steve Schwartzman
January 31, 2017 at 7:40 AM
Indeed I will! 🙂
melissabluefineart
February 1, 2017 at 7:49 AM
Fantastic capture of that seagull!
Have a great week,
Pit
Pit
January 30, 2017 at 9:02 AM
It was an obliging gull. I see that I ended up with three dozen pictures of it.
Steve Schwartzman
January 30, 2017 at 9:13 AM
Sometimes they are!
Pit
January 30, 2017 at 9:28 AM
In a few pictures it turned its head away, but mostly it stayed in good positions for me to photograph it.
Steve Schwartzman
January 30, 2017 at 10:07 AM
🙂
Pit
January 30, 2017 at 10:15 AM
Those are both great photos — the clouds so wispy with a swirl that seems almost alive! the gull has personality!
Playamart - Zeebra Designs
January 30, 2017 at 4:29 PM
It was that wispy vortex of cirrus clouds that got to me. (And did you know that cirrus and Spanish cerdo are related?)
I can’t say I attributed personality to the gull, but perhaps it did to me.
Steve Schwartzman
January 30, 2017 at 4:50 PM
cirrus and cerdo? related? ha, now that’s fun trivia!
Playamart - Zeebra Designs
January 30, 2017 at 5:36 PM
It was a fun enough connection that I couldn’t resist writing that linked post and titling it “If pigs had wings.”
Steve Schwartzman
January 30, 2017 at 6:45 PM
The solidity of rock and the wispiness of clouds always makes for a pleasing combination. It’s interesting to see such a different gull, too. No matter the species, they always seem to have those knobby knees — and raucous voices.
shoreacres
January 31, 2017 at 7:40 AM
The distinguishing feature that stood out for me was the “red subterminal spot (this is the small spot near the end of the bill that chicks peck in order to stimulate feeding).” I know little about birds but I don’t recall seeing a red area like that on any other kind of bird.
Steve Schwartzman
January 31, 2017 at 8:16 AM