Photo ABCs

Spotted Sandpiper

A Spotted Sandpiper, photographed on Christmas Day near La Jolla Cove.

The photo was taken shortly before sunset, and the bird was feeding on a very dark and wet rock, thus the dramatic lighting.

Xilitla Cemetery

Day of the Dead, Xilitla, Mexico, 2018.

Xilitla Cemetery

Marigolds adorn a grave on Day of the Dead in Xilitla, San Luis Potosí, Mexico.

Day of the Dead, Xilitla, Mexico

Marigolds, in the Day of the Dead tradition, lead the spirits back to their homes, thus, the cemeteries in Mexico are filled with marigold plants during Day of the Dead.

Merry Christmas!

A short break from Day of the Dead pictures.

It was a rainy Christmas day in San Diego, until mid-afternoon when the sun came out. A Brown Pelican provides a nice silhouette just after sunset near La Jolla Cove.

Xantolo, Xilitla, Mexico

A young man prepares for the parade of calaveras of Day of the Dead, or Xantolo, in Xilitla, Mexico.

Xantolo, Xilitla, Mexico

Many of the "women" in the parades in Xilitla were men dressed as women, such as this one, with an unusual mask.

Xantolo, Xilitla

On October 31, Xilitla has a raucous parade with revelers dressed in outlandish costumes, like this one.

Xantolo, Xilitla

This child's mask apparently did not prevent this car from receiving what appears to be a parking ticket!

Photographed on October 31 of this year. While Day of the Dead is typically observed in Mexico on November 1 and 2, in Xilitla, the festival of Xantolo takes place over a number of days, and on October 31 there is a very raucous parade full of outlandish costumes.

Day of the Dead (Xantolo), Xilitla

A group of students with their faces painted for a dance performance during Xantolo, or Day of the Dead, in Xilitla, San Luis Potosí, Mexico.