Sierra Club’s Daily Ray of Hope Pool

Welcome!We need your help to add images to the inspirational stories and quotes that the Sierra Club sends out every day in our e-newsletter, the Daily Ray of Hope.How it works: Submit your best examples of original photos that you think will remind people why we all work so hard to protect the natural environment, and that will give people a little extra pep in their step! We will select a photo each weekday to appear alongside our Daily Ray of Hope for the day. If you are not signed up for the Daily Ray of Hope, you can sign up here to watch for your photo to appear. We will give you proper credit if your photo is selected.If you have any questions, post them here, or email community.manager@sierraclub.org.Thanks for your help in making the Daily Ray of Hope even Hope-ier!

E-Seal (Mirounga angustirostris) 5 Feb 2012, 8:12 am

jkirkhart35 has added a photo to the pool:

Special Thanks For Mike Baird for Organizing this photo opportunity for Photomorrobay Photogs. Even the power of the ocean does not move this male much.

Source: Sierra Club’s Daily Ray of Hope Pool |

Canon 60D trial run 5 Feb 2012, 5:14 am

Enchanted Tas has added a photo to the pool:

Source: Sierra Club’s Daily Ray of Hope Pool |

sand dunes 5 Feb 2012, 2:21 am

tahitihut has added a photo to the pool:

Hot Springs, saline valley

Source: Sierra Club’s Daily Ray of Hope Pool |

Oh joy! 5 Feb 2012, 1:43 am

Susan Hall Frazier has added a photo to the pool:

The sun does not shine for a few trees and flowers, but for the wide world’s joy. -Henry Ward Beecher

Source: Sierra Club’s Daily Ray of Hope Pool |

tufa pinnacles 5 Feb 2012, 1:16 am

tahitihut has added a photo to the pool:

sunrise, Trona, Ca

Source: Sierra Club’s Daily Ray of Hope Pool |

Monarch cluster 5 Feb 2012, 1:09 am

alicecahill has added a photo to the pool:

We are so fortunate to have beautiful Monarch Butterflies overwinter here on the Central Coast. I recently discovered another cluster of them very high up in some pine trees near San Simeon Creek. They bunch close together at night for warmth and only begin to fly if the temperature rises above 55 degrees. With their wings folded they are hard to see and just look like a group of brownish leaves. But with the warmth of the day the butterflies begin to open their wings revealing their distinctive orange and black colors. Then one by one they take flight. It is glorious to see them flying against the blue of the sky. I never grow tired of this spectacle. It always makes my heart lift and soon my spirit is flying with the butterflies.

Source: Sierra Club’s Daily Ray of Hope Pool |

Monarch cluster 5 Feb 2012, 1:09 am

alicecahill has added a photo to the pool:

We are so fortunate to have beautiful Monarch Butterflies overwinter here on the Central Coast. I recently discovered another cluster of them very high up in some pine trees near San Simeon Creek. They bunch close together at night for warmth and only begin to fly if the temperature rises above 55 degrees. With their wings folded they are hard to see and just look like a group of brownish leaves. But with the warmth of the day the butterflies begin to open their wings revealing their distinctive orange and black colors. Then one by one they take flight. It is glorious to see them flying against the blue of the sky. I never grow tired of this spectacle. It always makes my heart lift and soon my spirit is flying with the butterflies.

Source: Sierra Club’s Daily Ray of Hope Pool |

The Wild Wind, Lee Vining, Ca 4 Feb 2012, 11:55 pm

™ Pacheco has added a photo to the pool:

Just like the wild wind blows… la la la
sings a song sounds like she’s singin….
I scrambled to leave town in a hurry. Rainbows were everywhere. On my way back home, I nervously pulled over and ventured into a storm, wandering drunkenly into the 80MPH gusts chasing this natural phenomenon hovering over my car. I lay close to the ground to prevent my self from actually flying away into the sierra mountain range. ISO cranked and and hand held, i fired away frantically. My face red and whipped by grass and flying debris. Occasionally I would look around to be sure I wasn’t in the path of a fallen tree or worse yet, a tornado. Once my hat blew off so ferociously, it stuck to the side of a passing tree…. like it was glued there, had the tree not stopped it… well, who knows what bear might have had a new hat.
"Coming dear…. yes… I’m coming…. just give me a few minutes."

The universe said to me:

"I have a favor to ask, Mizzy. Could you please wait until after you take your baby steps, experience wild serendipities, and manifest eyebrow raising miracles, before you start telling people you’re an intergalactic tidal wave of wanton love and magic for whom all the elements bow?
Patience sweetie,
The Universe"

Fine, have it your way.

Source: Sierra Club’s Daily Ray of Hope Pool |

Lone baby Harbor Seal Phoca vitulina http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harbor_seal 4 Feb 2012, 4:17 am

mikebaird has added a photo to the pool:

Lone baby Harbor Seal Phoca vitulina
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harbor_seal

At Piedras Blancas light is everything. The beach was crowded with a mass of elephant seals, a must-see exhibition. The main goal this morning was to capture a battle of the Alpha Males as they defend their territory during the height of the mating season and before the females head back out to sea.

Photo © 2012 “Mike” Michael L. Baird, mike {at] mikebaird d o t com, flickr.bairdphotos.com, Canon EOS 5D Mark II 21.1MP Full Frame CMOS Digital SLR Camera with Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras, without Circular Polarizer until about an hour after sunrise, then after with the polarizer on, at least partially engaged, on a Wimberley Head II from tripodhead.com on a Gitzo GZGT5540LS Gitzo Series 5 tripod, Systematic Tele Studex 6 X Carbon Fiber 4 Section Tripod Legs with G-Lock, Maximum Load 55.0 lbs. Maximum Height 59.4, Leveling base, RAW, IS was off with this massive tripod and no wind. Autofocus using single-center focus point (almost always focusing in the eye first and then recomposing) , one-shot (not AI Servo) mode, burst mode.

This was a photomorrobay.com Yahoo! Group event
tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/photomorrobay/surveys?id=2712771
The call said “Photograph Elephant Seals Battling at Twilight/Sunrise. Fri., Feb. 3, 2012. A Photomorrobay Meet-up. Shooting starts at 6:40 AM. Optional carpools to the San Simeon Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Overlook 34 miles north. We leave the Morro Bay Azure Street Morro Strand State Beach parking lot at 5:59 AM sharp arriving by 6:40 AM when the best shooters start. A high-tide at 6:15 AM brings the Alpha Male battles close to the boardwalk for a 7:00 AM Sunrise. If you can’t get up so early, the best shots I’ve saved came from between 7:40-9:00 AM, but don’t be later than that or you may be disappointed. We had great light and action on Feb. 2, 2008 as you can see at www.flickr.com/photos/mikebaird/sets/72157603842878843/ and on Jan. 22 and 28, 2011 at www.flickr.com/photos/mikebaird/sets/72157625885509136/ and www.flickr.com/photos/mikebaird/sets/72157625803343179/ I’d suggest an SLR digital camera with a long 200 – 400mm lens and tripod. There is a railing for handheld brace-shooting. Beginners to Experts welcome. There will be no instruction. When the light and action are right everyone is shooting and not talking. See Friends of the Elephant Seal’s www.elephantseal.org/ for more information. No restrooms are available at the site. Lunch usually happens on the return (Cambria Main Street Grill?) Post three of your best photos at the "Photomorrobay" www.flickr.com/groups/photomorrobay/ Flickr Group, and as many as you like at the "Elephant Seals, Northern, of Piedras Blancas" www.flickr.com/groups/elephantseals/ Flickr Group. Vote the attendance poll tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/photomorrobay/surveys?id=2712771 to indicate your attendance or carpool offer or carpool need plans. If your plans change, please re-vote. Rain cancels. Re-check the poll Friday 10PM and Sat. by 4AM. Called by Mike Baird mike [at} mikebaird d o t com 805-704-2064”

To use this photo, see access, attribution, and commenting recommendations at www.flickr.com/people/mikebaird/#credit - Please add comments/notes/tags/names to add to or correct information, identification, etc. Please, no comments or invites with badges, unrelated images, flashing icons, links to your photos, multiple invites, or invites with award levels and/or award/post rules. Critique is always welcomed.

keywords: 03Feb2012,

Source: Sierra Club's Daily Ray of Hope Pool |

Northern Elephant Seals (M. angustirostris) at sunrise early light at Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, CA 03 Feb 2012. 4 Feb 2012, 4:09 am

mikebaird has added a photo to the pool:

Northern Elephant Seals (M. angustirostris) at sunrise early light at Piedras Blancas, San Simeon, CA 03 Feb 2012.

Massive Alpha Males were most active today, breeding, and engaging in battles in between to defend their territories and harems.
There was much posturing, grunting, bellowing, chasing, crashing into each other, biting and thrashing until the dominant male was established.

At Piedras Blancas light is everything. The beach was crowded with a mass of elephant seals, a must-see exhibition. The main goal this morning was to capture a battle of the Alpha Males as they defend their territory during the height of the mating season and before the females head back out to sea.
Photo © 2012 “Mike” Michael L. Baird, mike {at] mikebaird d o t com, flickr.bairdphotos.com, Canon EOS 5D Mark II 21.1MP Full Frame CMOS Digital SLR Camera with Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras, without Circular Polarizer until about an hour after sunrise, then after with the polarizer on, at least partially engaged, on a Wimberley Head II from tripodhead.com on a Gitzo GZGT5540LS Gitzo Series 5 tripod, Systematic Tele Studex 6 X Carbon Fiber 4 Section Tripod Legs with G-Lock, Maximum Load 55.0 lbs. Maximum Height 59.4, Leveling base, RAW, IS was off with this massive tripod and no wind. Autofocus using single-center focus point (almost always focusing in the eye first and then recomposing) , one-shot (not AI Servo) mode, burst mode.

This was a photomorrobay.com Yahoo! Group event
tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/photomorrobay/surveys?id=2712771
The call said “Photograph Elephant Seals Battling at Twilight/Sunrise. Fri., Feb. 3, 2012. A Photomorrobay Meet-up. Shooting starts at 6:40 AM. Optional carpools to the San Simeon Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Overlook 34 miles north. We leave the Morro Bay Azure Street Morro Strand State Beach parking lot at 5:59 AM sharp arriving by 6:40 AM when the best shooters start. A high-tide at 6:15 AM brings the Alpha Male battles close to the boardwalk for a 7:00 AM Sunrise. If you can’t get up so early, the best shots I’ve saved came from between 7:40-9:00 AM, but don’t be later than that or you may be disappointed. We had great light and action on Feb. 2, 2008 as you can see at www.flickr.com/photos/mikebaird/sets/72157603842878843/ and on Jan. 22 and 28, 2011 at www.flickr.com/photos/mikebaird/sets/72157625885509136/ and www.flickr.com/photos/mikebaird/sets/72157625803343179/ I’d suggest an SLR digital camera with a long 200 – 400mm lens and tripod. There is a railing for handheld brace-shooting. Beginners to Experts welcome. There will be no instruction. When the light and action are right everyone is shooting and not talking. See Friends of the Elephant Seal’s www.elephantseal.org/ for more information. No restrooms are available at the site. Lunch usually happens on the return (Cambria Main Street Grill?) Post three of your best photos at the "Photomorrobay" www.flickr.com/groups/photomorrobay/ Flickr Group, and as many as you like at the "Elephant Seals, Northern, of Piedras Blancas" www.flickr.com/groups/elephantseals/ Flickr Group. Vote the attendance poll tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/photomorrobay/surveys?id=2712771 to indicate your attendance or carpool offer or carpool need plans. If your plans change, please re-vote. Rain cancels. Re-check the poll Friday 10PM and Sat. by 4AM. Called by Mike Baird mike [at} mikebaird d o t com 805-704-2064”

To use this photo, see access, attribution, and commenting recommendations at www.flickr.com/people/mikebaird/#credit – Please add comments/notes/tags/names to add to or correct information, identification, etc. Please, no comments or invites with badges, unrelated images, flashing icons, links to your photos, multiple invites, or invites with award levels and/or award/post rules. Critique is always welcomed.

Captions:

keywords: 03Feb2012,elephant seal, Northern Elephant Seal,M. angustirostris, piedras blancas, san simeon, Mammal,blancas,

Source: Sierra Club’s Daily Ray of Hope Pool |