Anchor Steam 2009 Christmas Ale: Good Beer & Classic Design

I recently read an article in the Chronicle Newspaper (actually on SFgate.com) that was a small expose on the Designer of the Anchor Brewing Company's beer labels, Jim Stitt. This is a gentleman who has been designing the labels for roughly 4 decades! A true graphic artist. In his own words, "It is a hand made beer, so the label should be hand drawn.". This in the age of computers - very refreshing.

Each year Anchor Brewing Co. comes out with a slightly different recipe for their "seasonal" Christmas Ale and a unique label that typically highlights, illustratively, a specific tree type. In the past they've had Redwoods, Pines, Palms and Birch Trees. This year, to commemorate their 35th season of their Christmas Ale they chose a very special tree. They chose the Cuppressus Macrocarpa, or the Monterey Cypress (pictured below).

Now this is not just any old Monterey Cypress that Jim Stitt chose to draw, he selected a very special one. This year he drew the Cypress that is located at the intersection of Stanyan and Fell streets here in the City. A tree that is lit up every year just after Thanksgiving and known as the unofficial Christmas Tree of San Francisco. This basically is the Gateway into the Sunset District and I pass by this tree every night - saw it about 2 hours ago!

So you might be saying, that is a lot of typing without any mention of the brew itself. Well it is the season for darker heavier beers (at least for me) and this one does not disappoint! A spicey brew that is about as dark as they come. I could barely get the kitchen light to show through my pint glass when held up to it. I find it to be best when poured into pint glass and let sit for a few, warm up a bit and let the spicey flavor come out. If too cold, I find the full flavor can be a bit masked. It has a mild carbonation that enables the brew to go down smooth.

There you have it, good beer and good design coming together with a dash of Sunset Pride!!! Happy Holidays to you and yours.

DISCLAIMER: This in no way nullifies my declaration of beer loyalty to the BOONT Brewery out of Anderson Valley who by far crafts the most sublime beers on Earth. Sorry Anchor, you are my home town brewery, but only a close second to BOONT!!!

 

December Surf

Wintertime is in full effect in Northern CA and our beach is doing it's thang!!! A great weekend of shooting photos, bodyboarding, family time and some Holiday shopping wedged in between. Fall/Winter is truly my favorite time of year here in Northern CA.

I recently made a comment to a couple of buddies of mine that there is a dearth of guys out on boards that do not seem to know how to surf very well (ie: "bouys"). I can't count how many times I have seen perfect head high peaks roll in with guys perfectly positioned to paddle and drop into them and then pull back suddenly and not take the drop. Obviously a lot of beginners out which is usually not the case for our beach break.

Regardless, still fun out there and have been scoring some fun waves!

I guess you have to start somewhere...

SUSTAINABILITY - I promise to look up the definition after I write this. However I'm pretty sure that I can take a good guess at what the intent is when used regarding design and the environment.

I was listening to NPR this morning and got focused on the GRAND OPENING for the new Las Vegas City Center project ("Welcome to the capital of the New World"). Was so interesting to hear the developers / architects interviewed describe some of the structures / buildings within the project as "sustainable". What? did I just hear that...

DISCLAIMER: I've been to Las Vegas (formerly the Las Vegas Rancho) once before and yes it does have a certain allure and I'm sure some day I'll go back (for no more than 48 hours though). I am also someone who is not necessarily anti-development. I have worked for developers and assisted them in positioning and branding their residential and retail properties - more urban in-fill projects. I have even worked on a retail center in Northern Vegas.

HELLO... Earth to said Architects and Developers... there is nothing sustainable about building any part of a massive development in the middle of the desert!!! The amount of WATER and POWER needed to "sustain" Las Vegas in general is ridiculous! They do not call it the Cadillac Desert for nothing.

Sorry, but just a rant! I can't knock these folks too hard for at least trying to move in a more responsible development direction. I suppose abandoning Vegas altogether is out of the question? Well, with the Vegas home prices literally defining the verb TANKING who knows it may just happen.

Links to some of the Architect's / Designer's / Developer's websites:

- Rafael Vinoly Architects

- Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects

- Leading Hotels of the World

- Studio Daniel Libeskind

- David Rockwell

I've been BLOGGED!!!

OK so blogging is relatively new to me. One of the aspects I'm most curious about is WHO is reading my BLOG and how are they finding me? Well I did a very informal search on google to see what I could find. I stumbled upon the BLOGGED site (click on screen shots for detail) listing my BLOG (about 5 clicks deep into the search), with a 7.8 rating no less by an editor. Or at least this is how they describe the review process, "Editor reviews are provided by professional editors who evaluate a blog based on the following criteria: Frequency of Updates, Relevance of Content, Site Design, and Writing Style.". I was surprised at this discovery and can only think this must be some gimmick or "standard review" to get me to sign onto whatever the site has to offer - who knows!? Looks like I'll be turning in my resignation letter tomorrow, who knows where this blogging could take me - NOT!!! I would like to update the look of my BLOG though, perhaps that will get me to the 8.0 I'm so eager to attain.

Should I be worried that I'm loosely categorized under "Parenting"? I hope they don't read my previous post.

Pelican Inn, my Daughter's first Pub experience

So I could not quite tell if my Daughter enjoyed the rainy hike up Dipsea Trail near Muir Woods in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area this past weekend. I was determined to get out rain or shine, it was definitely on the rainy side of the equation. We only got up the trail about 20 minutes before I inquired as to whether or not she was enjoying herself lashed to my back. The only response I got was, "car". Did not want to misinterpret this response so we headed back down.

I decided to drive back the way we came through Muir Beach. The Pelican Inn (not too impressed with their website), a small english styled bed and breakfast, is right off the road and I thought it might be fun to go take my daughter by. I've only been there once previously with a buddy and was impressed.

We entered through the main doors of the B&B and were warmly greeted by the hostess. I stated that we were weary travelers of the road as well as muddy trail path of Tam and needed a place of respite. I inquired if it was OK to bring my Daughter into the pub, "Sure, of course" she said. Perfect.

What a cool throw-back of a spot. If you are wanting to transport yourself back a 100 years with a cozy warm environment accented by tasty pints of beer and good folk music, this is your spot! And family friendly too. My daughter really liked the place - a very different environment than what she is used to.

After engaging the bartender in conversation for a short time and ordering a Lagunitas IPA, we grabbed a padded bench seat in the corner and hung out with candles surrounding us casting a warm glow - perfect after a wet hike. Crayons and coloring paper were immediately brought to us - a nice touch. They obviously get enough kids in here.

Can't wait to come back. I can only imagine what this Pub is like on a friday night with some live folk music, darts-a-fly'in and folks enjoying each others company and conversation. Would love to stay here over the weekend. They supposedly have wonderful rooms to stay in.

My daughter's first Pub experience was a huge success! The only downer, they forgot to bring me the Sheperd's Pie I ordered. The bartender apologized profusely and gave me the pint on the house - right proper of them! I gladly accepted.

A 10 minute detour...

So the cold snap has not let up! Frigid out at the beach and even colder inland. Can't recall a spat of a weather this cold for quite some time. Regardless, the snow on Mt. Diablo is having a hard time melting in these conditions. When it has snowed in the past it is usually gone within 24 hours.

On my way into San Francisco for a meeting I decide to take a quick 10 minute detour to snap some more pics. Was glad I did because these are definitely better than my ones from the other morning. And found another good vantage point from which to shoot from in he future.

Thanks Mother Nature!

Photography: All about Time & Place

Let me start off by saying that I by no means consider myself a professional photographer. I love photography and have shot consistently over the past (8) years - enough to pick up a few skills, compose some nice shots and gain a confidence in showing my work. I still have a lot to learn though especially as it relates to the technical side of photography.

One thing I have learned over the years and can confidently state is that good photos don't necessarily find you. You have to go out and seek them. Whether it be a specific location, subject matter or activity, I find the more work you put into seeking/scouting your shots up front, the better the pay-off.

I've also learned that having a full time job can some times get in the way of my photographic pursuits. Don't get me wrong, I love my job - wouldn't change a thing. There are times when duty calls (work) and I'd really like to be out and about pointing my camera at cool subject matter.

Case in point, this past Monday I was on my daily commute to the East Bay, when all of a sudden I popped out of the Caldecott Tunnel and into a winter wonderland! I had forgotten about the cold front moving in and did not pay close enough attention to the radio when they stated that snow levels would drop to 2000 FT. I'll listen better next time because in hindsight I realize that I missed out on something very special. I have never seen Mt. Diablo covered with as much snow as I did that morning. Incredible!

Alas...I was only able to shoot Mt. Diablo this morning, early before work. Certainly not as compelling had I shot it on Monday morning but enough to get the point across and to scout a perfect spot for when the next Arctic cold front sweeps over us. I'll be there snapping away!

Did you get some good shots of Mt. Diablo with snow? I would love to see them or hear about where you chose to shoot from. Here is a link to some nice shots from a woman on FLICKR. I like her shots, they remind me of Montana.

Sessions No 3 & No 4

Safe to say most of the surf community around these parts would agree this has been a pretty dismal Fall surf season. The surf and good surf conditions really have not been in alignment and shown up with much gusto until this past weekend. So it hasn't been since August that I have been out with my waterhousing to snap some water shots. Felt good to get out. The pic above was from a session of overhead + surf the biggest I've been out in so far - a bit sketchy at times. The pic below was from a session up in the far reaches of Northern California.

San Francisco Street Art / 8 Year Retrospective / Part 1

After my recent visit to the Kommunitas Allery, I started to go back to my archives of Street Art photography, singling out the shots that I have really appreciated over the years. I have realized that there are just too many for one posting. So I'll try a post a collection each month.

Now what defines Street Art? That is a tough one to define and please everyone at the same time. The definition for me is any act of self expression layered into or on top of the Urban Fabric of our fine City of San Francisco. Stickers, stencils, tags, pieces, graffiti, readymades, you name it - as far as I'm concerned they all fall within the definition, no matter how senseless or benign they may be interpreted.

The following are just a few that have caught my eye over the years. If you know anyone responsible for these or if you remember seeing these also, would love to hear from you. Enjoy!

^ A favorite from the tail-end of DOT-COM boom

Bus Shelter @ 5th & Mission

^ A clever reminder that we are a country at war

Sidewalk near Duboce Park

^ Always liked this guy's style

Doorway on N-Judah Line, Inner Sunset

^ Have a happy emergency

Emergency call box, Upper Market Street

^ The Original

Outer Sunset, Judah Street Restrooms

^ Fence tag

Laguna & Page

^ Amoeba Parking Lot

Upper Haight Street

^ Mission District alley

^ Utility box

3rd Street & Townsend

^ Rowdy @ empty retail

South of Market, near 9th St & Howard

^ C&M Bar

48th Avenue, Outer Sunset

^ Retail window

South of Market, near 9th St & Howard

Peta Ad, McCruelty, I'm hatin' it!

During my urban hike through the South of Market District in San Francisco I ran into this ad on roughly 5th and Bryant. The politics of it are not what strike me as interesting. What does though is how in the hell they have not had McDonalds on their ass to take it down. They are known to be very sensitive about their BRAND and how it is used and perceived. I would think that this would really... ruffle their feathers! Sorry had to type it!

Does anyone know anything about this ad? Does anyone know the agency that did it for Peta? Would be interested in knowing more information about it.

KOMMUNITAS an Urban Allery

While waiting to get my windshield replaced down South of Market, I decided to take advantage of the 2 hours of time to roam around the area and shoot some photography. I've always enjoyed aimlessly wandering around this neighborhood shooting pictures because inevitably you are always bumping into interesting... well... stuff.

People, art, filth, grime, industry, businesses, restaurants, poverty, wealth, vacated spaces (especially nowadays), new condos, old condos, train yards, new cars, old cars, delivery trucks, gutters, cyclone fences, rust, broken glass, flyered telephone poles, quiet clubs, weeds sprouting out of cracks, the lone community garden, wandering souls. I'm never let down when I criss-cross these streets, there is always something to point the camera at. The area is always changing but in some weird way it kinda stays the same... stuff just seems to shift around.

I decided to go by an alley that I knew had a considerable amount of Graffiti / Street Art in it. I was surprised to find the pic above posted on the fence at the front of the alley. What I thought was just a random stroll to a non-descript alley was actually a visit to one of the cooler Galleries (or an Allery) that I have been to in awhile. It is actually managed or curated by KOMMUNITAS. Go here to not learn much about it. Or go here to learn more about the individual that runs KOMMUNITAS.

The work / art / graffiti / street art that I have found here over the years has always been exceptional and worth a visit. I'd highly recommend stopping by. Please note the colors of my uploaded images do not do the art justice. It did not help that it was overcast as well that morning.

Have you been to this alley before? Do you know the names of these artists? What do you think of the work? Do you know other great areas in SF to see art like this? Drop us a line I'd love to know. Also stay tuned as I will be posting an (8) year retrospective of some of my favorite street art that I have documented over the years of living and working within San Francisco. 

A few more images for your enjoyment.

For information on Jimmy McGriff, click here to check out some of his albums. Gotta love some of those covers!!!

Sonoma Coast Camping Trip

We pulled it off! My wife and I are excited that our first "car camping" trip up along the Sonoma Coastline with our daughter was a great success. All family members on tail-end of colds and with CA Winter just starting to show it's face we were not sure what to expect from our daughter. Our biggest fears being:

Would sleeping in a tent be too foreign and create nothing but a sleepless night of crying?

Would it be too cold for her at evening time and night time in the tent?

The answer to both questions was no! She had a blast. We had a blast. The weekend was filled with campfire, hiking in the redwoods, tossing the ball around, setting up the tent, eating together, little beer and little vino, meeting friendly camp neighbors - great family time! We can't wait to do it again.

We stayed at the Stillwater Regional Park run by Sonoma County - site 19 to be exact. A great campground with good facilities and great hiking close by, making it very family friendly. We were supposed to stay at Reef Campground (10 minutes South) but the State decided to close it due to budget cuts. Sad.

A few pics from our trip.