Sunday. A low lying fog that had completely disappeared by the time I returned from breakfast this morning: sky clear, bright sun. Another unusually warm day ahead. Go figure.

To bed early, didn't watch anything on television, but settled for a couple of things on the tablet, lights out at a decent hour, awake fifteen minutes before the alarm seemingly well rested. My, my. The Lunar New Year celebration, exhibit, festival, whatever it is starting at noon at the Oakland museum. I keep thinking I've photographed this event before, but can't find anything on HereInOakland or artandlife and now I suspect I haven't. Ah, well. We'll do a little more research before we head for the museum.

Later. I'm not sure why I took the bus instead of driving, but a bus downtown and then a walk for six or seven blocks to the Oakland Museum to enter just before noon and check out the Lunar New Year event they'd been advertising. It wasn't as large or elaborate as I was anticipating. Yes, I've been there to photograph other events, but it turns out not for this one. Enough photographs for maybe half a section on the web sites before leaving. These things happen.

Still, walking back to Broadway to catch the bus, I heard drums in the distance and came upon a Lion Dance group dancing in the New Year for one of the restaurants near the Asian Cultural Center. Pictures. More than a few pictures.

A woman in the crowd mentioned the package of firecrackers they'd rolled out on the sidewalk was a 5,000 piece package and there were such things as 10,000 piece packages as well. The Fourth of July, at least when I lived in Edmonds north of Seattle where firecrackers were (back then) legal, was right up there for me with Christmas. I never really quite kicked the habit when we moved to Yonkers where fireworks were illegal, although easily available. You understand.

Anyway, stayed and shot pictures until finally walking on to the bus and home, tired after a long day's shooting. What for me is a long day's shooting. Again, the sun is out, quite comfortable walking in the sun in a long sleeved shirt and the day has gone well. It's after three, hungry, time for an early dinner and to work on the pictures.

Evening. Nothing on television and so to bed to continue grinding through Vegas on the tablet. Ah, well. To sleep at a decent hour if we can manage it and then up to continue working through the pictures tomorrow. We'll put together a web site section, label it something like The Oakland Lunar New Year On February 22nd and combine the photographs taken at the museum and the Lion Dance dedication.