Tag: creativity

A short story about a search in the dark.

Back in Middle School, a bunch of classmates and I spent a summer weekend camping on Catalina Island. At the Parsons Landing primitive campground to be exact.

We hiked all over the north part of Catalina and saw bison, cliff dived into the ocean, sat around a campfire, and even went on an afternoon snipe hunt. (We saw bison? That’s correct! A small herd of bison was transported to this Southern California island by Hollywood for the filming of The Thundering Herd, a 1925 silent movie.)

The snipe hunt fascinated me. We headed up one of the trails above the campground searching right and left and occasionally beating a bush with a stick. Everyone knew from the start that the snipes weren’t real, but we all had fun “hunting” them anyway. At least for a little while. I think what made the snipe hunt fun was the shared joke, and the fact that we were heading up a trail that was new to us.

An idea for a short story came to me some time ago, based loosely on that snipe hunt experience. Of course, I changed many elements for my fictional story. It was necessary that I make the setting of the story a dark night.

You’ll see why when you read my new story, The Snipe Hunt, by clicking here!

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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

To read a few thought-provoking stories I’ve written, click Short Stories by Richard.

A look inside Escondido’s Blacksmith & Wheelwright Shop.

Should you find yourself at Escondido’s Grape Day Park on a Saturday afternoon, be sure to walk over to that green corrugated metal building near the old train depot museum. You’ll be able to enjoy a look inside the Bandy Blacksmith & Wheelwright Shop and see instructors, students and Bandy Blacksmith Guild members at work!

I happened to be walking by a couple Saturdays ago, so I took these photographs.

Students were learning the basics of blacksmithing near one of the forges, and several friendly gentlemen were busy inside the woodworking shop building a dray wagon that will eventually hold a portable blacksmith shop for public demonstration.

You can learn much more about the Bandy Blacksmith Guild by clicking here. Perhaps sign up for a class!

The history of the Tom Bandy Blacksmith is complex and interesting. You can read about that history and learn how the present structure ended up in Grape Day Park by clicking here.

When I read the page concerning past projects of the Bandy Blacksmith Guild, I was surprised that guild members produced most of the metalwork for the Maritime Museum of San Diego’s replica Spanish galleon San Salvador. (Yes, the same ship that took part in Comic-Con last week! If you’d like to see photos of San Salvador being built, click here.)

Another past project of the Bandy Blacksmith Guild was the restoration of the San Diego Centennial Cannon, which I once photographed inside the Whaley House Museum. You can view a photograph of that historic cannon here!

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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!

One last walk during Comic-Con 2022.

A pretty good crowd was walking around outside Comic-Con this Sunday mid-afternoon. The more popular offsite activations still had long lines–two hours in many cases! But some of the lesser offsites were already coming down, being dismantled, loaded back into trucks.

Comic-Con 2022 went by all too fast!

I had the energy for one more walk. Back to work tomorrow.

I hope many of you enjoyed looking at some of my photos this past week. Now I think I’ll take a few days off from blogging, to catch my breath.

But I’m sure there will be many more cool San Diego sights to come!

If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, click here!

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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

Sunday morning walk around Comic-Con!

It’s Sunday, the last day of Comic-Con 2022. Things are beginning to wind down a little bit, but thousands are still enjoying the annual pop culture convention.

In the morning fans were heading to the San Diego Convention Center, and many families had driven in from around the city on what is typically a more family-oriented day.

The offsite lines aren’t as bad as Saturday, but they’re still fairly long. I’m afraid I didn’t have the patience to wait. I like to keep moving. Perhaps I’ll go on one more walk around Comic-Con this afternoon and analyze the situation again.

This is what I saw…

People head in toward the San Diego Convention Center on Sunday, the last day of Comic-Con.

Congratulations Rachel Smythe! Eisner Award winner for best webcomic.

Cool cosplay!

The IMDboat has already wrapped up. Or, I should say, is unwrapping.

These friendly folks are launching JAM. It’s a spoken word app for your phone. You can record or listen to mini-podcasts about a minute long! “Your story. Your voice.” Brilliant idea!

Check out the JAM homepage if you’d like to join!

Here comes Batman. He forgot to use a grappling wire.

Creative steampunk and flames cosplay!

UH OH! Looks like the dragon escaped from the House of the Dragon’s castle.

No, it’s just friendly T. rex and his buddy.

As the morning progressed, the crowd heading toward the convention center grew.

Walking during Comic-Con, a few minutes before some of the outdoor activations open.

A somewhat longish line at the Abbott Elementary offsite.

Minimalist cosplay. Nezuko’s box.

Another smaller box, with a head poking out of it.

The Dragon Ball offsite gave away lots of great swag!

Hela and her small red sidekick.

I was tossed a tiny rubber ducky that squeaks!

If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con so far, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, click here!

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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

A crazy, amazing Saturday at Comic-Con!

Walking on a Saturday near the San Diego Convention Center during Comic-Con is something you’ll never forget. It is one of the zaniest, most colorful, most fantastic experiences imaginable.

If you dislike crowds, you might disagree. If you’re delighted by a flood of human activity and creativity, you won’t mind an occasional bump or pause. Your eyes will be so preoccupied you probably won’t notice.

Cosplay is everywhere. Fifth Avenue near the Gaslamp Quarter arch is where you’ll likely see the most costumes.

Everywhere you turn there are a million things to see.

Enjoy a bunch of photos. Come walk with me…

If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con so far, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, click here!

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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

Another cool batch of cosplay photographs!

As usual, there’s a whole lot of cosplay to enjoy during Comic-Con this year!

Every imaginable character from popular entertainment (movies, television, comic books, video games…) can be seen roaming the streets and sidewalks in downtown San Diego. Most of the outdoor cosplay is found in the Gaslamp or around the convention center.

I passed hundreds of awesome costumes yesterday and this morning. Every so often poses were struck and my camera shutter clicked!

Star Wars cosplay at Comic-Con.

Mighty Thor.

Maleficent.

Good old Captain America.

Sailor Moon.

Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver.

Spider-Gwen.

Zenitsu Agatsuma of Demon Slayer.

A cool Spider-Man family at Comic-Con!

Another Cap and Spidey. Two very popular cosplay characters.

Chun-Li from Street Fighter.

Who ya gonna call? Ghostbusters!

Black Widow and Hawkeye.

Princess Peach.

Iron Patriot.

A very scary Batman.

Captain Marvel.

MTV astronaut!

The second Indiana Jones I’ve seen this year at Comic-Con.

Riddler has a diabolical scheme.

It isn’t every day you see flappers at a con.

Ciel Phantomhive.

Squid Game.

Dr. Artemus Peepers.

The Umbrella Academy cosplay.

Uh, oh. I didn’t catch who these folks are. Mad Max? Leave a comment if you know please!

Old school Hawkeye.

Here’s another one where I need help. Everyone knows Captain Marvel on the right. Who’s that on the left?

Jedi and his young Padawan practice using the Force on me. I’m an easy target.

How many Lokis are there in the multiverse, anyway?

Doctor Strange has been stripped of magic. He’s gonna use his fists.

Butterfly Lady of Children International uses her smile superpower to help kids in poverty.

Chainsaw Man looking for devils to saw.

Cloud Strife.

Vision.

Doctor Strange casts a magic spell!

If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con so far, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, click here!

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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

More photos of fun outside Comic-Con!

Is it possible to have too much fun?

When it comes to Comic-Con, the answer is NO!

Here come photographs from my Friday wanderings outside Comic-Con…

Captain Kirk has beamed down to the Starfleet Outpost.

A street performer flies through the air. No cape required!

They’re not vampires, I learned. They are dark wizards. I got my copy of Forgotten Runes.

Better watch your back.

Hello nice FX person! Over an hour wait? I’ll try again later.

The Rookie has his eyes on the Friday Comic-Con crowd.

Does one play Dodgeball with a mini beach ball? Well, it is San Diego!

Uh, there’s a Tyrannosaurus rex running loose out here.

Cool lucha libre guy. When’s the next match?

Crunchyroll graphics at the Rady Shell box office.

I hear electronic dance music. What’s going on over here?

A rehearsal for the Crunchyroll dance party appeared to be underway.

A Deadpool food truck!

A cool guy demonstrates a droid that he made, in the lobby of the Manchester Grand Hyatt!

Awesome Demon Slayer car wrap!

This karate kid is the winner!

You can’t possibly have too much fun at Comic-Con!

If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con so far, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, click here!

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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

Even more awesome Comic-Con cosplay!

It wouldn’t be Comic-Con without tons of awesome cosplay all over the place!

Today, Friday, it was easy to spot cosplay every which way while walking near the San Diego Convention Center.

When the opportunity arose, and action poses were struck, my camera was clicking away!

This is one of those things that makes walking outside Comic-Con such an adventure every year. The experience is exhilarating, surprising, and you don’t want it to ever end!

Sho’Nuff of The Last Dragon.

Plastic Man.

Captain America.

Hawkeye. (She told me she’d beat Green Arrow, no contest.)

The Mandalorian cosplay.

Old school Daredevil.

Watch out Wonder Women. Joker is sneaking up.

Daredevil and Spider-Man combine forces. Villains can’t escape detection given both Spidey sense and Daredevil’s multiple super senses.

Imperial Clone Shock Trooper.

Look at all the Mario characters!

Mysterio is casting an illusion as he stands beside a mesmerized Spider-Man Noir.

Why is Mysterio’s helmet opaque? That darned fish bowl fogs up.

SCP MTF cosplay.

Gandalf and Saruman.

Cosplay inspired by The Haunted Mansion, and the Celestial Knight!

If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con so far, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, click here!

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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

Hemingway in Comics previewed at Comic-Con Museum!

There’s a modest exhibit at the Comic-Con Museum that previews a much larger exhibition that is coming later this year. Those visiting the museum to see Spider-Man during Comic-Con should head down to the lower level and check out Hemingway in Comics!

I love reading literature, and Hemingway is one of my favorite authors, so I was pleasantly surprised when my curious eyes spied this comic art today.

The styles that are represented are quite varied, and the fictional stories involving the celebrated American author can seem fantastic and implausible, but that is art! And it’s all very cool!

I really look forward to seeing the full exhibition when it opens at the Comic-Con Museum this coming September.

Read the sign below to learn more….

If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con so far, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, click here!

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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

The art of Optimus Volts during Comic-Con!

Local artist Optimus Volts can be found during Comic-Con at the Chuck Jones Pop Up Gallery.

I wandered into the pop up gallery yesterday afternoon, where I met Optimus Volts at a table displaying his work.

In addition to creating several really cool sculptures, he’d painted comic book covers and baseball cards, reimagining them using his own unique vision. Many of the superheroes and baseball players were given sugar skulls and surrounded with imagery associated with Mexico’s Day of the Dead!

Check it out!

Yes, that’s a baseball card of San Diego Padres hero Tony Gwynn!

Optimus Volts and other artists will be meeting the public and selling pieces of their work inside the Chuck Jones Comic-Con Pop Up Gallery through Sunday! The pop up gallery is located at 530 Sixth Avenue in the Gaslamp Quarter.

If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con so far, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, click here!

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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!