Both Palms...

Just got back from a 3-day photography excursion to LA...lots of pics...and lots of traffic...I mean really, a lot of traffic.

It's all anyone talks about. Planning your day based on traffic. Choosing "when" to drive based on traffic. Deciding "where" to drive based on traffic.

But never deciding "if" you should drive. Everyone drives. All the time.

Got up at 4:30 AM to drive from LA to Joshua Tree to photograph wildflowers. Saw traffic going the opposite direction on I-10, coming into LA, at 6:00 AM on a Saturday. Got slowed down in traffic at 1:00 PM coming back. On a Saturday! Traffic on the 10. Traffic on the 405. Traffic on 101. Jeeminy Christmas!

Met friends for dinner on Friday night. They were a tad late...and guess why. One friend with whom I grew up in Oregon said "sorry I'm late; there was traffic!" I replied "isn't that like being in Portland and saying 'sorry, it was raining'?"

Traffic.

It was a great trip, though. Took 3 rolls of B&W and 240 digital shots. Lots of subjects: long exposure tail lights and xmas lights, beach pics, pier pics, flower pics, desert pics. Loving lots of them some and loving some of them LOTS.

Some LA moments (besides traffic)...

Saw 2 guys (brothers?) making an 'Amazing Race' audition tape under the SM pier. Scream and shout, film, review, scream some more, film, review, repeat.

Uncle Tom telling me about geneology research & our great-great-ad-infinitum-somebody-or-other 'Nimrod'. 'We found our connection; 6 generations back.' Me - 'So you're a nimrod 6-times removed.' Tom - '...and you're 7.' Cousin Tabea laughed, paused, and when I looked at her, said - 'oh...yea...me too...'