Ave Maria

lyrics - ave maria

Fog in the morning

San Simeon. It's synonymous to William Randolph Hearst, the publishing magnate. He built a castle up the mountains in this seaside town. After visiting Hearst Castle you can spend a few minutes walking on the pier, just off the Pacific Coast highway. Here you can mingle with the early morning fog. You can simply walk on the deck and watch the waves hug the shore. A few people can be found surfing (yes, even that early!) or sifting through sand in search for clams.

Mykonos

This is one of the beaches at Mykonos. I have visited this beautiful Greek island twice and this picture was taken during my first visit there in 2003.

I like the white sheer sheet that played with the breeze. The blue waters keep the same color throughout the year. Rain or shine. Food is excellent although it's more pricey compared to similar menus here in the United States. I guess you can figure out why.

Last song

Things we never said come together
the hidden truth no longer haunting me
tonight we touched on the things
that were never spoken
that kind of understanding sets me free...

Pacific Ocean

This is the Pacific Ocean. And this is Port Hueneme, California. In these waters, a plane once crashed and all passengers and crew perished. I still feel the horror and the anguish that were present. Sometimes I drive by if only to revisit a beach I used to frequent decades ago. I remember that afternoon when the Alaska Airlines plane lost control and plunged into these waters...

Rush hour

On way to work. The sun hasn't come up yet. But look at the morning sky. The brake lights, traffic lights, and the towering street lights that will soon go off. It takes me 10 minutes to drive to work. By the time I start the car to go home, it'll be dark again. The day seems forever... sometimes. But it's a job.

Almost morning

The street light will soon be off--and so will the silvery moon. I went to pick up the morning paper when I saw this. The moon: it's so far-fetched like our dreams. Yet there is another source of "light" among us here on earth. They're all around us: the people we know and trust. People who smile so we will have a good day, and a scene like this one that makes you think that after all the world's sham and drudgery, it's STILL a beautiful one!

Night shot

LIKE a refuge, sometimes I find soothing times in the garage--at night. So quiet, one can hear his own heartbeat. The car just sits there, without a word. Or a sound. Nearby is the water heater with its recirculating motor doing its job. The faint light casted my shadow on the hood and I thought I'd share this moment with you. Whatever it is that moves you, do it. I miss many things--things, people.

Back view

This "crack" belongs to a statue in a museum in Naples, Italy. Visited the place in July 2005--including a tour of Pompeii and witnessing the damage and destruction done by Mt. Vesuvius around 67 A.D.

Hmmm...

So serene... (This was taken at the Ventura pier one afternoon last summer.)

Afternoon delight

Imagine yourself barefoot, walking on the sand that was just embraced by the waves... And imagine yourself as you run away from the waves as they rush to slap your feet--happily! The water is cold, believe it or not. You'll shiver, but you're not alone. The photographer's there--to lend a helping hand. Or a light jacket.

TAIL UP

The humid temperature of Florida makes it home to some tropical plants that are just as exotic as the natives of a tropical paradise somewhere. I noticed a squirrel up on the tree and hoping to get a shot, I stopped and wait for it to show itself fully. Just as I pushed the shutter, its head was hidden by a big leaf but its tail POINTED UP to "compensate" for it.

Misty green

This is a golf course. Time was a little before 10 a.m. and by then I must have taken about 15 pictures depicting the place itself, and its golf players. Earlier, as the day started to roll I saw people with their golf clubs and roller carts. They swung their clubs, screamed "FORE" while some stumbled and missed good shots. I didn't miss a phone call--I felt it, heard it, answered it. It was great to hear "music"...

Silent sentinels

You can sleep at night knowing that someone's out there lookin' out for your welfare. This picture was taken in Titusville, Florida overlooking the Indian River. Beyond it is Cape Canaveral--where the U.S. sends of the space shuttle flights.

Another plane out there

This plane was flying at over 500 miles per hour when I took this shot from our plane's window. Although I don't quite remember exactly where this was taken, I suspect it must have been over Texas somewhere. The view was awesome as usual. That's why I always get the camera ready and having a window seat, sights like this are invaluable.

Going upstairs?

Shadows are fascinating--they give us great images that makes us think. The source on this one is the sun, that's why one has to be quick to capture the moment.

Same goes to our friends. One time they're there, the next time they're not. Oftentimes we overlook certain things and before we realize it'll be too late. Surely, we tend to look back, mostly at pictures. Sometimes they're the only ones left.

And we end up refocusing ourselves. But why?

Lonely dog

Once upon a time, there wasn't much to wait for and now the whiff of perfume doesn't exist nor does it heighten the excitement. Maybe the volcanoes have ripped through the whole village and the inhabitants fled, if only to justify its absence. I still wonder to this day--what happened.

Early garden

the smell of spring mimics your perfume
sifting through the woods like a graceful deer
and among the wayside flowers i browse
through a myriad of beautiful colors.
you can find reasons to get lost
in the forest.
reasons that are easy to understand,
yet difficult to believe they exist.
the sun has yet to travel towards the west,
leaving us another day.
making us feel we are alive despite little
pitfalls, little woes.
look at the trees: they sway to and fro
with the wind. but there's no wind now
and i feel a surge of freedom:
a basket of fresh flowers picked from
your garden.

3.20.06

Touch me

Yes, touch me! Caress me with your fingers, and let your clammy palms arouse the winner in me. Lay down and smile, close your eyes and feel the outside as you look into my soul. Then touch me again... and again.

Tippy toe

Man is destined to search. And for varied reasons. Like a ballet dancer, this man tippy-toed if only to make the move more poetic. After all, life is what we make it.