epic sunset

I really enjoy having a seat for the nightly Pacific sunset show. Needless to say, I have a million sunset photos, but when I saw this one I ran out of the house with dinner half cooked to see what I could find. The whole neighborhood lit up with an ephemeral glow as the sun sunk into the earth lighting the storm clouds from below. A lucky find for a girl with a camera.

A fiery goodnight

the sea and her people

These are my very first shots of California. I came for a visit to see what was up before deciding to move out here a quick 5 months later. Miriam slipped me a roll of FujiFilm ProX 800 for my old AE-1, which was perfect for this low tide day at Surfers Point. Click on the images to view larger.

Jan. 2009 Gisselle gets hers. Ventura, CA

Spiderman discovers Sea Anemones 

in it for the long haul

  

This is Andi, a steadfast member of those whom are the closest to my heart, she and I have history that touches the deepness of true friendship. Today she told me she's getting married, and I can feel how happy she is. The wedding will be sure to have me sobbing throughout the entire ceremony, but that's ok, because these two are are the real deal. 

This was one of my favorite days with them.

Lake Michigan. Chicago, IL

la sirena y el corazón

Did you ever play that Mexican vocabulary game, Lotería when you were a kid? 

I did. And, while it helped me recognize a drunk passed out in an alley or a river boat when I saw one, I still don't know my Spanish like I should. 

There's still time... 

What I love the most about that game is the art on the cards, it reminds me of the classic, iconic Mexico I remember from my childhood.

La Sirena, a birthday gift for the man who can't help but be called to the ocean.

El Corazón, paper, ink, vellum. The first piece of art I ever exhibited and sold.

running and bowling

 A couple weeks ago, I was lucky enough to meet and spend an afternoon with the Patagonia Ultrarunning Team as they were in town to crush the Coyote 2 Moon Ultramarathon. But first, let's run an easy nine or so miles in the Santa Monica mountain range, along the famous Ray Miller trail where you descend over the ocean to Highway 1, where we will be waiting.. with beer.

Later that night, we joined the rest of the race runners for the annual pre-race bowling game. I don't know how bowling in costume came to be a customary thing, but the race director also made custom bowling shirts with a nickname for most.

 

 

  

 

this is what you came for

The Coyote 2 Moon Ultramarathon is a local 100 mile/100k race through the Sespe wilderness with around 28,000 ft elevation gain, on mostly single track trails. The start times are staggered by speed, so the idea is everyone finished around 10am on Sunday morning. Some start as early as Friday afternoon, running for a day and a half, over two moons. This year, George and Aaron give it a go.

George and Aaron suit up

The looming weather is evident and it starts to sprinkle. We all know somewhere this is going to be a long night that could take any form of crazy. The boys take off, and we wait for them at the first aid station. 

Something so noticeable about all the runners is that no matter how long they've been running, or where they are in the race (the staggered start is designed to have the fastest running with the slowest) everyone is smiling to themselves.

 

Jeff Browning, leading the pack

George makes a quick stop at the first aid station to shake the rocks out of his shoes
and grab a quesadilla

By 8:00pm on Saturday night, the weather conditions continued to deteriorate. Snow fell and accumulated, with streaks of rain and wind. 
The runners didn't look phased. 

Scott Wolfe and Clark Zeland laughing from having so much fun

"Seemed like no time passed until we could see the huddle of lit up tents that was the Aid Station.  We entered to find a full on disco party in effect - had some more soup, slammed a beer and a whiskey shot, boogied with the locals and then headed back into the storm which was getting even worse" Field notes, George Plomarity.

In the end, Aaron's wife, Robin, some good friends, and I were all at the last aid station we'd see the guys before the finish line. We waited there for four hours, all huddled up in the car listening to the rain hit the roof in a deluge. We were mostly soaked, and wondered if they would make it by midnight, like we estimated. They did, strong, drenched, covered in mud and smiling. 

"We approach the aid station, kind of bummed as we are thinking our time was slow and we were about to be cut off - I look up at AJW (one of our ultra team guys) and he slaps me on the back and say "Welcome to the finish line"  - I am seriously bummed because I feel so good and ready to go but know that time just cut me off - I try to explain this to AJW and he looks at me all weird and says, "dude, they just called off the race"  Turns out it was only 11:45 and we had just done the last section in record time!! not that it mattered as the weather really was kicking into high gear and no one was being let back onto the course

In the end we made it mile 40, ahead of schedule and feeling strong but the race was called due to weather. Kind of a good thing, because as soon as the reality hit me so did the shivers - turns out I was in minor hypothermia and could not stop shaking for hours... I got out of my wet clothes, into some warm dry ones and jumped into the heated car for the ride home

Seriously radical adventure..."