Random Jazz: Donkey Water Edition

Location: Laguna Beach, Deep Creek, Santa Barbara, Colton Subject: Donkeys, beaches, rivers, cemetery

Another edition of random stuff for you, now with 100% more donkey! The photo at the top of the page as well as the next one were taken at a place called Deep Creek out in Apple Valley. It’s a beautiful little river, but the site is made better by a series of hot springs that locals have turned into hot tubs. This particular adventure would have been perfect if I hadn’t dropped my Canon 7D in the river.

Since you’re thinking to yourself something like “what kind of idiot drops his camera into a river?” I’ll explain: I had it on a tripod late at night trying to get photos of the Milky Way above the river. While the tripod itself was doing a fine job of holding up the camera, I didn’t realize how slick the rock was that it was all resting on. A momentary lapse and it all slipped right into the river, as if there was no grip at all. Unfortunately, one of my favorite lenses went with it. I’m hoping Canon can do a repair, but it might be time for a new purchase.

On a previous excursion to the Colton area, I had seen signs warning of wild donkeys, which for some reason I found hilarious. Camping for the night, I woke up the next morning and heard some in the distance. However, I didn’t see any.

I went back a few months later, finished shooting for the day and tossed everything into the truck to head home. Suddenly, donkeys! Since all 40 or so of them were blocking the road anyway, I fished my camera out and shot for a few minutes. Staying in my truck they all acted as normal donkeys would: eating, hee-hawing, etc.

But then I got out of the truck, and it all stopped. 40 donkeys dropped all their donkey business and just silently stared:

I photographed them for a minute and then slowly backed towards the vehicle. I’m pretty sure I was moments away from never seeing my family again, as I’m certain they were planning something via telepathic communication. I started the truck and put it in gear; the crowd parted to let me through. It was quite surreal to look in the rear view and see them staring at me in just the same way as I drove off.

This next single shot is from a quick trip I made to Santa Barbara for my cousin’s wedding. I had planned on photographing around the city all day Sunday, but I was so annoyed by traffic from the day before that I decided to get out early. I made a quick drive through the cemetery on the way out of town and decided to get this one mausoleum, which was one of the oddest grave sites I’ve ever seen.

The photos below are from a weekend I spent staying in the Three Arch Bay community of Laguna Beach with some friends. The first two are from an area of the bay called “Shell Beach.”

Finally, this last one was taken about 20-30 minutes after sunset, looking south across the bay.