Month: September 2023

Super Blue Moon

All The hype about the Super Blue Moon got me curious so I went out to check it out. And it did live up to the hype. A Blue Moon, also known as a Harvest Moon happens when there are two full moons within the same month. A super moon happens when the moon is closest to earth which only happens 3 or 4 times a year. So having both occur at the same time is pretty special and it was indeed beautiful.

Fort Ross, Imperial Russian Settlement 1812 – 1841.

It is commonly know that imperial Russia sold Alaska in 1867 to the United States of America. But Russia also occupied land in Alta California, belonging to Spain/Mexico at that time. In order to keep the Russian population in Alaska healthy, Fort Ross in Northern California was established in 1812 to grow vegetables and fruits and other vitamin containing food items. Especially during the winter months, it was impossible to sail through the Bering Sea from Russia to Alaska and so the supply of agricultural products from Alta California was important.

The Fort was not the only Russian Settlement in Northern California. Small settlements stretched from today’s Point Arena to Tomales Bay, including Port Rumyantsev in Bodega Bay, a sealing station on the Farallon Islands (18 miles out to sea from San Francisco). Today, Fort Ross enjoys about one million visitors per year. Surprisingly, here and there in especially Sonoma County, Russian Orthodox Churches can be found. Fort Ross also had one of the first will mills to grind grain. A replica can be admired today, an interesting simple engineering design that can be easily disassembled and transported to a new location.

The cannons in the Fort supposedly were only used to greet visitors.

Today, kids love to play on those cannons.

In the corner of the Fort, a simple Russian Orthodox Church with it’s bell right in front of it.

The kitchen building is rather cosy

Supply arrangement

Backroad to Raymond

Friedhelm and I took a little trip in the Sierra foothills to Raymond. After taking the good (wrong) road, (my fault) going we took (Friedhelm’s) the correct way back. It really was a great evening and fun photographing.

Friedhelm und ich machten einen kleinen Ausflug in die Ausläufer der Sierra nach Raymond. Nachdem wir den guten (falschen) Weg (meine Schuld) genommen hatten, nahmen wir (Friedhelms) den richtigen Weg zurück. Es war wirklich ein toller Abend und das Fotografieren hat Spaß gemacht.

Kontraste

Auch wenn das Bild ein wenig nach “Natur in einer zubetonierten Welt” aussieht, ganz so schlimm ist es nicht. Ein Garten mit vielen Blumen liegt direkt gegenüber dieser Begrenzungsmauer. Also genug Nektar für dieses Tagpfauenauge.

Even if the picture looks a bit like “nature in a concrete world”, it’s not quite that bad. A garden with many flowers is directly opposite this boundary wall. So enough nectar for this peacock butterfly.