The bay, the hills, the shadows take on a blue-ish tinge as the sun sets and the City wraps itself in twilight.

Picture taken last night of the cruiser tied up at Piers 15-17 over the weekend. When the Exploratorium takes over Piers 15-17 (Port Authority and City willing), the deal requires that the Exploratorium keep the piers maintained and clear for the occasional Navy ship to dock.

The cruiser leaving this morning with the help of two tugs.

I guess it must, but we noticed on our way home from the Dissident Chef’s truffle dinner on Friday that the Embarcadero Center’s lights are on, which means the wild rumpus has begun!

I told the younger sib that I’d probably just order something for my giftee over the Web. I’ve never been one to push my way through Union Square crowds to get the most absolutely fabulous gift from one of the trend-o stores. The stores are crowded enough in August. After Thanksgiving they’re like heart-palpitation-making — squeezed — and I am so not there.

(I have, however, got him the most spectacular, cannot be duplicated without great effort bday gift which he can unwrap at the aforesaid Thanksgiving celebration, as his bday is the following day. …)

I took the opportunity tonight to shoot a multitude of shots using the various modes on my relatively new Canon PowerShot A570.

The “Night Snapshot” mode captured the building best.

The Lights at the Embarcadero Center: a twenty-year tradition. [Click the photo for the closeup version.]

Update>And just as quickly gone. Clear, sunny day. And I have fish to fry. Back later.

Lovely sailboat out on the Bay this afternoon.

We’re off to the Fillmore in a shake to see Kristofferson and Kitaro, Taj Mahal, Floyd Red Crow Westerman, San Francisco Taiko Dojo, Peter Coyote and Charlie Hill for the Longest Walk II. Maybe Buffy Saint-Marie, another writeup shows her on the lineup too and not Kitaro. Well, remains to be seen. I’m there for Kristofferson.

Sunny day outside, if you’re not paddling on the Bay.

I need to get a new camera. The lens on this one is damaged in some way, cleaning doesn’t help, and, especially when you’re taking photographs of sky &c., smudges are noticeable. Alas.

Oh, and a few in the set show the new Airbus A380 airborne.

Big!

Updated: Photo set

The Blue Angels are here for Fleet Week. Scouting today, practicing tomorrow, a show on Saturday and one on Sunday, both at 3 p.m.

I was lucky enough to catch a good shot of the Diamond Formation. Two other planes have been flirting with the sky, flying crisscross over the Bay to the east then north, then back again and again. They’ve been at it for almost two hours now, distracting me from my pickup chores.

Loud.
Fast.

Reminds me of an old friend’s installation ceremony and afterblast when she became a Grand Matron of the Eastern Star years and years ago now. We were not Eastern Star or Mason, but she wanted us there, so we went. Her family was there.

“And this is my grandson Steve,” Marian said. “Steve’s in the Air Force. He flies planes. What kind of plane is it you fly, Steve?”

“An F-16, Grandma.”