Where do I begin? Today’s gathering with WordPress developers, bloggers and big thinkers infused my brain with so many yummy nuggets I couldn’t possibly get them all down, and keep your attention at the same time. To boot, I’m fresh off the highway, slightly delirious (always a prime time to write) and on the verge of collapsing into my Mac’s precision aluminum unibody enclosure.

What I can tell you about WordCamp San Francisco is that it was no ordinary conference. I make my case:

+ Presenters referenced everything from The Simpsons, to South Park‘s underpants gnomes to the annual Talk Like a Pirate Day (Sept 19). Suffice it to say they were pop culture savvy (as they should be), and highly entertaining.

+ Shirt included in ticket price—American Apparel’s 50/50 variety—is the best in production today (I wouldn’t lie to you… buy one now. This makes #4 in my wardrobe, and I doubt I’ll stop there).

+ Is it a coincidence that I happened to be seated by Reno-based folks, twice? I think not. Some unknown force in the world (WordPress MindControl 1.o?) was certainly playing matchmaker, and now my creative connections extend to Red Sage Design and Reno Collective.

And this is just a taste of the magic that happened today—even despite my grogginess from a previous night immersed in Point Break Live! action. And here’s where I leave you hanging for part two of the “camp & campy” post…

It’s that time of year again for Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care. The time when nature’s babies are born, and the unfortunate circle of life leads some of these critters into helping hands. As of last week, the South Lake Tahoe center was caring for 6 baby western gray squirrels, 5 chipmunks, 7 raccoons, 5 great-horned owls, 4 barn owls, 3 steller’s jays, 1 fox sparrow and (last but not least) a baby bald eagle. While you must be trained to physically help the animals, you can volunteer and donate otherwise.

As for me, who was trained three years ago, I need to make a call to see if they’ll have me back.

Just a few pictures of Tahoe goodness for all you blog readers out there… This past week has been prime for landscape snapshotting as a rare slosh of clouds came rolling through last Friday, creating what I like to call Tahoe neopolitan: sunset-stained clouds + baby blue sky + eggplant-tinged lake = a trifecta of beauty (see exhibit A).

Exhibit B showcases that classic Tahoe cerulean sky (nary a cloud in sight except for the one-legged potato), snapped above Eagle Lake, just a short hike from Emerald Bay, yesterday.