Just Washington DC . . .

Last month I went on vacation to Washington DC for the first time.  The City was incredible and I feel I only scratched the surface of everything that I would like to see and do.   Here is a slide show of my week in Washington with Just Mom and Dad.

And yes, I went to Georgetown Cupcakes on the first day we arrived in town.

Just Been Hibernating . . .

Six months since my last official Just Jon post...I thought I should come out of hibernation.  Just like Rover the Desert Tortoise - all winter sleeps must come to an end at some point.

Don't worry; I have been resting up on one of my favorite places in San Francisco - The Golden Gate Bridge.

Sure, napping in the bike lane was probably not the smartest choice, but I have never claimed to make the best decisions when I am tired.

And the reality is; it was actually quite relaxing laying there on the concrete.  The gentle vibrations of each passing car or bus was like a mini massage on my back.

What was not so relaxing?  The intense stares from the people walking by me on the bridge.

"What?"

"You've never seen someone lay down in the bike lane on the Golden Gate Bridge before?"

"This isn't a David Blaine Magic Special...Keep Walking!"

OK, I know; I looked like a crazy person.  But come on, aren't most people in San Francisco a little bit crazy?

In case you were wondering...the above photo is what the bridge looked like from down on the ground.

Quite lovely actually!

The following are a few more shots from today.

I love the shadow the bridge casts on the water in the above photo.

This next shot was taken at Baker Beach.  Baker Beach is one step removed from The Castro.  Translation - Expect to see naked people.

The next shot was taken at the new Golden Gate Bridge visitor center.  They have a new structure for an expanded store front and several new displays to look as shown in the below two photos.

I don't know when my next post will be, but keep checking back.  In the meantime you can also connect with me on www.94thday.com.  There you will find more photos, my music recommendations, and YouTube videos I think you will enjoy watching.

Just Remember . . .

On this anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy I share with you a brief video I took at the 9/11 Memorial in New York last year.  This is the South Pool.

Just Sutro Baths . . .

It's time to check another thing off the bucket list.

The Sutro Baths!

This past weekend my friends and I went on the Lands End trail hike down to the ruins of the Sutro Baths.

The Lands End trail starts near The Legion of Honor and winds along the Western coastline just south of the Golden Gate Bridge.

I am sure if we climb to the top of this hill just off the trail we will be able to see the Golden Gate Bridge.

Or maybe we'll be able to just see fog...

lots and lots of fog!

According to Wikipedia; "the Sutro Baths were a large, privately owned swimming pool complex build in the late 19th century.  The building housing the baths burned down in 1966 and was abandoned."

Above is an exterior image of what the complex looked like in 1900.

Also from 1900, the above photo shows what the interior of the baths looked like.

And here is what is left of the baths.  Just some concrete foundation walls.

These hikers made it to their final destination in one piece even though there were signs like the one below along the trail.

Between these two columns would have once been a wall of French windows overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Should I take a dive in?

On second thought; NO WAY!   That water is a green cesspool of yuck!

Just 30,000 . . .

Last week, with little fanfare, this blog crossed another milestone.   It's 30,000 visitor!

Back in May of 2008, 18 people received an email from me that simply said,


"I have started to Blog!  

I haven't written in quite some time so I am a bit rusty.  I am sure there will be lots of grammar and spelling errors.  

If you are bored and have nothing to do, here is something to read and look at.  

=)

Jon"

Back then the blog had a different web address www.itsjustjon.blogspot.com.  The topics were all over the board and when I go back now and read some of those first posts I cringe.

When I first started Just Jon; being a blogger felt like I was part of a unique community of people connected by the Internet.

As the years have progressed, I find that now almost everyone I meet has their own web site.

When I look at other people's sites I sometimes like what they have done more than what I do.  Because of that, over time, I have altered the look and content of Just Jon.  That being said there are still moments in hindsight where I think I would do things very differently if I could start over.

When I first started Just Jon Twitter was still a fledgling little site and Instagram and Pinterest did not exist.

Those three entities I think altered the blogging world by creating the ability to micro-blog.  Short instantaneous outputs by would be journalists, photographers, and critics around the world; connecting and sharing their thoughts and visions.

I find that "Micro-blogging" is sometimes more satisfying and frankly easier than regular blogging.

So what does all this mean?

Just Jon was going through a "Mid-Blog" crisis whether you realized it or not.  

Did I still want to do this?

Was anyone other than Just Mom and Just Dad even reading this?

How many Facebook friends have blocked my status updates because they were annoyed by my self promotion?

Which then lead to the following questions:

Why can't I just start over and do things differently?  

What do I like most about the blog?

Just as I had made peace with crossing the 30,000 threshold and stopping "Just Jon" I get an email from Loyal Reader Mary wanting to know why I haven't been posting as much lately.

Mary shared some kind words of encouragement as she always has from day one.

In the end I will say that my favorite part about Just Jon is sharing my amateur photography. I know I want to channel my creativity in a new (or additional) direction that does not have my name and face plastered all over it.  I am in the process of figuring out what that looks like.  

If you click around "Just Some Other Blogs Worth Reading" listed to the left on this site you may just find the beginnings of what my next adventure will be.  (Hint - it's got a 9 and a 4 in the blog title.)

So thanks again for visiting Just Jon 30,000 times; and cheers to both continued and new endeavors.

Just Dog Shaming . . .

Anyone who has ever owned a dog will understand.

This is the funniest thing I have seen on the Internet in a long time.  I literally laughed out loud!

If you have a "bad dog" you can publicly shame them on this site!

www.dog-shaming.com

Just Muir Woods . . .

I spent the afternoon in Muir Woods and here are my pictures of the beautiful redwoods!  Oh, and in case you were wondering; after bridges I have a thing for trees.

My Favorite Shot

My Second Favorite Shot

I Spy With My Little Eye...A Deer!

Bambi Is That You?

Tree Reflection