Deserts and Beyond

New laptop (well, not really)...

2012-01-28T05:04:00.000-08:00

I've inherited hubby's "old" laptop. It isn't that old, but he needed another one, so I got it. He got a newer, faster one with more memory as he does graphic design. So, I got his old one. UNfortunately, the dogs stepped on its power cord and now this morning, it isn't working and the battery is dead...sigh... so I'm back to using this old one. We'll be giving this one to our son and hubby transferred ALL my photos to our external hard drive, so this one is basically stripped down to almost nothing. One of the culprits (the Weimeraner) is asleep next to me on the couch, snoring away! I'll be posting photos as soon as hubby gets the laptop charged up, which will probably be tomorrow. I'm heading out today to go work with my horses. Santa Ana winds up to 60 mph are expected today, so it will be another interesting ride up the mountain! See you all later!

sunrise~SkyWatch Friday~January 27, 2012

2012-01-26T19:08:00.000-08:00

Sunrise looking toward the mountains from my front yard. I LOVE these mountains! SkyWatch Friday for January 27, 2012. To visit Skywatch Friday, please go to: http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Living Desert trains

2012-01-24T20:36:00.000-08:00

We took the grandson to the Living Desert Reserve a couple of weekends ago to see the trains. One of the docents had (I think...) a Mexican milk snake and he got to touch it! Nope...he wasn't too interested in that. He wanted to go see the trains!!!! They have one of the finest miniature train models I've ever seen anywhere! Ben had to go see all the trains (see him marching off to go see another one)! They run the trains so that they don't run into each other, so there are always a couple of them running at all times for the youngsters! If you have a chance, it's a great place to take the family. There's also a carousel which the kids can ride for $2.00, but he also wasn't impressed with that either. At the end, he asked to go back to see the trains. Here's a link to their website: http://www.livingdesert.org/admission.html

Ducks at the park~Sunday Stills Challenge~012212

2012-01-22T09:39:00.000-08:00

I always enjoy going to our local park to see the ducks there. They are so cute! Somebody had just fed them right before I arrived this morning and the pigeons were busy eating, too. There's a bunch of white ducks...I believe I counted a dozen of them and they seem to like to hang out together. One of them is quite pushy and he has nibbled on my pants leg when I've fed them! They are all quite enjoyable! Sunday Stills Challenge for January 22, 2012.

High winds yesterday!!!

2012-01-22T05:32:00.000-08:00

We had high winds here in the desert yesterday, as well as up in our local Santa Rosa mountains. Wind gusts of up to 66 miles per hour were recorded at the Palm Springs airport. The Humana golf challenge was cancelled for the day. Trees fell on cars and on one apartment building in Palm Springs, knocking out the power there. It wasn't too windy up at the horse ranch, but, driving down the mountain yesterday afternoon was an "E" ticket ride! I've NEVER seen it so windy!!! Dust was blowing everywhere and a couple times, when I stopped to take photos, I thought I was going to lose my car door! I made it home safely off the mountain and one gust nearly took our roof off! And, the huge mesquite tree in our front yard, which shades our porch, nearly fell over. But, all is well here. Hubby reported that several trees fell down over at Desert Springs' Marriott and that along the way home, many tree limbs were out in the streets. It is calm here this morning, thank goodness!

Tree and clouds~SkyWatch Friday~012012

2012-01-19T17:19:00.000-08:00

Tree branches and sky up on tree Highway 74, along Deep Canyon, last weekend. Skywatch Friday for January 20, 2012. To visit Skywatch Friday, please go to: http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Mountains and clouds

2012-01-19T05:39:00.000-08:00

Clouds on the Santa Rosa mountains this week. It was clear the last couple of days, but last weekend had cloudy days. Another storm will move into the valley this weekend.

The pass and clouds

2012-01-17T06:12:00.000-08:00

We have a weather pattern here in the Coachella Valley like this frequently. Since there is a 10,000 foot mountain on the left side of this photo, and an 11,000 foot high mountain on the right, the clouds get caught in the middle. The middle is Banning, Beaumont, Calimesa, and Yucaipa. It was like this all day yesterday. The clouds were just caught there and didn't move. The rest of the Coachella Valley was sunny, but not in the pass. They do make an interesting photo!

More canal pics, part 2

2012-01-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

We drove down to our daughter's for breakfast yesterday morning and I decided to stop and take more photos of the All American canal. This part of it is about 3 miles east of yesterday's post. There were clouds in the sky again and it was a crisp morning. The golfers were out and there is a bridge over it at one point. As you can see, however, there are no fences along the canal. There are fences along the housing developments, but not along the canal. And, yes, people DO fish along it. Apparently there are carp in it.

All American canal, Indio, CA

2012-01-15T07:48:00.000-08:00

I was out in Indio yesterday morning for my horsemanship lesson and on my way home, I crossed the All American canal. I had my camera with me, the clouds were just right, and I had time to take some photos. The All American canal comes from the Colorado River and traverses our desert, bringing water to the farmers and cities of the Coachella Valley. There are plenty of signs around it warning people to stay OUT of the canal, but every year somebody falls into it and drowns. On my way to my lesson, I saw a father and his son fishing in it. OYE VEI!!!! I stopped to take a photo of the algae on the sides of the canal. This makes it nearly impossible for somebody to climb up the sides and get out!!!! We used to have the water district lady come to our classrooms and warn the students about the dangers of the canal, but with budget cuts, she doesn't come now. I remember her telling the class that the calm water is deceiving. There is an undercurrent which is moving constantly because of the pumps which suck the water down, down, down into them...THAT's where people get into trouble and drown. Beauty is deceiving, right? There are NO fences along the canal and there are a LOT of homes along it in Indio.

Tehachapi tree

2012-01-13T05:55:00.000-08:00

We found this tree when we stopped in Tehachapi, on our way back from northern California and I stopped to hop out of the car to snap this picture of it. Then we took the road down to the Tehachapi loop and along the way, a bobcat crossed the road right in front of it! He was FAT!!!

Dry Creek abandoned house~Whimsical Windows and Delightful Doors~010912

2012-01-08T18:35:00.000-08:00

During our trip to the wine country in December, we passed by this abandoned house in Dry Creek. Just look at all the windows! It was condemned and a "No Trespassing" sign was posted. Don't you wonder what stories an old house like this could tell? Whimsical Windows and Delightful Doors for January 9, 2012. To visit WWDD, please go to: http://iwishiwereaphotographer.blogspot.com/2012/01/whimsical-windows-delirious-doors-6.html

Going for a ride

2012-01-06T18:12:00.000-08:00

There are several boards at the horse lesson place and this lady has 3 horses, all rescues. On this afternoon, she saddled up her Arabian gelding and off they went! I was talking to her while she was tacking him up. She only began riding 3 years ago!~ Isn't that amazing? Ha! Maybe I'll be riding again soon! (I guess there's hope for me, after all!) My problem is that with my back injury (from a fall 2 1/2 years ago) my legs cramp up, which is why I haven't been back on a horse for 2 1/2 years. But, she sure looks like she's enjoying her afternoon!

Desert sunset~SkyWatch Friday~010612

2012-01-05T19:59:00.000-08:00

I took 3 lessons in basic horsemanship this week, since I was still on vacation from school and I had the chance to do so. I learned a lot during my lessons and found that I was doing some things wrong, or incorrectly. It's hard to adjust from training dogs and cats to working with horses. Horses are a prey animal and their first response to danger is flight. That's why they make such good racehorses...they run! Anyway, I signed up for these lessons out at a horse rescue in northern Indio, which is actually located between our son and daughter's homes there! It's very dusty out there and I'm always covered with dust when I'm done, but I tell you...the sunsets out there are incredible! I took my cameras with me on Tuesday for my first lesson and took these photos. Today's sunset wasn't spectacular, as there were no clouds in the sky to make it interesting... :-( SkyWatch Friday for January 6, 2012. To visit SkyWatch Friday, please go to: http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Healdsburg window~Whimsical Windows and Delirious Doors~010312

2012-01-03T19:49:00.000-08:00

Here's an interesting window from Healdsburg, CA. It's a yarn store! We stopped in Healdsburg for breakfast and went walking around the town square afterwards. To visit WWDD, please go to: http://iwishiwereaphotographer.blogspot.com/

Buena Vista Winery, Sonoma, CA

2012-01-01T12:17:00.000-08:00

Hubby and I stopped at the Buena Vista Winery before leaving Sonoma this week. It's about 2 miles off the main road in Sonoma and the road is curvy and narrow. It's up in beautiful country, though, and well worth the drive, if you have time. Buena Vista Winery was actually founded by the father of California winemaking and hubby has always wanted to visit it, but never had the time. He knew it had an old stone building and he spent some time inside just wandering around. Here are some pics, then, of the Buena Vista winery.

Sonoma

2011-12-29T08:23:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning we headed up to Healdsburg for breakfast and then to Sonoma before driving over to Napa for our Christmas family dinner. I always love stopping in Sonoma, but we got there about noon and the parking was really crowded. We drove around the town square a couple of times before a spot opened up. Our daughter and son-in-law wanted to find a little cooking shop, but it has gone out of business, so they headed over to the Sonoma Cheese Factory. Hubby and I walked around the park. The plaza there in Sonoma is the largest in California, and is just over 8 acres. Sonoma was the seat of the Bear Flag Revolt in 1846 and served as the capital for a while.

Solvang, CA

2011-12-27T20:02:00.000-08:00

Solvang is a small Danish-themed town in California, about 30 minutes outside of Santa Barbara. We frequently stay in Buellton, which is next to Solvang, on our trips to northern California. My sister-in-law lives in Napa and we are heading up there for an after-Christmas dinner tomorrow night. We love to stay in Solvang and eat breakfast at the Little Mermaid restaurant. We always have the abelskevier (round pancakes) and relax before hitting the road. Don't they look yummy? I forgot to take a photo before I devoured them, so I'm sorry for the messy plate! Yum, yum!

Arizona afternoon~SkyWatch Friday~122311

2011-12-22T20:18:00.000-08:00

As we were driving back to Scottsdale from Wickenburg the other afternoon, I stopped to take just a couple of photos of the saguaros in the late afternoon light. Clouds were to the north of us, up toward Prescott. But this area of the desert was clear and the light was golden. SkyWatch Friday for December 22, 2011. To visit SkyWatch Friday, please go to: http://skyley.blogspot.com/

UPDATE on blog

2011-12-22T16:40:00.000-08:00

Okay. After emails from a couple of readers, I went ahead and updated my storage to 20 GB on Google. It was only $5.00 a year, which isn't that much and now I'll have lots of room for photos and my header. Thank you for your comments and suggestions! Problem solved! Now, I need to find my header photo!
~~Cheryl Ann~~

I lost my header and Google storage question~I'm HEADERLESS

2011-12-22T07:24:00.000-08:00

Yes, I've lost my header photo. I tried deleting it and putting up a new one yesterday and Picasa tells me I'm at my 1 MB limit and I have to purchase more storage! WHAT??? I don't want to start deleting posts and photos, and it's only $5.00 for more storage, but it's the principle of the thing....(I'm STUBBORN...)...any ideas or suggestions? What program do you use to store your photos? I use Picasa/Google. I only have it because I need some sort of program to crop/resize/lighten photos and I don't have Photoshop....any suggestions? If not, when we get home, I'll just order the $5.00 storage from Google.

Cave Creek regional park

2011-12-21T06:58:00.000-08:00

By noon yesterday, the sun was peeking out from behind the clouds and I was ready to head out. Hubby was lollygagging around ...sigh...but finally got it together. I'd heard about the regional park at Cave Creek, so we headed over there. For $6.00, you can enter the park and hike and take photos. There is a visitor center there with two very friendly folks and I stopped and bought some postcards to take home. We ate our lunch there (lunch from AJ's...I had a salad) and then headed up one of the trails. I could see a mountain biker coming down the trail, so I warned hubby to watch for him as he was zooming down the trail. Clouds started turning dark up there and we didn't wish to get too far up the trail, but isn't the afternoon light gorgeous? As we drove away, it got darker and darker.

Windows galore and a door, too~Windows and Doors~122011

2011-12-20T16:57:00.000-08:00

No, this isn't Arizona. Rather, this building is up in Morongo Valley, CA. I was going through my archives to find something to post for Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors, a new weekly meme and I found this one. WWDD for December 20, 2011. To visit this meme, please go to: http://iwishiwereaphotographer.blogspot.com/2011/12/whimsical-windows-delirious-doors-3.html

Arizona pics

2011-12-19T19:13:00.000-08:00

Hubby and I are over in Arizona for a few days vacation before Christmas. We drove out to the Superstition Mountains and Canyon Lake, which is on the same road, today. Tomorrow we are heading to Cave Creek. We enjoy our trips to Arizona, since it is only 4 hours from home, not like the 6-8 hours we travel to the Sierras. While I miss the Sierra Nevada, Arizona has its own special places for us, like the Superstition Mountains. I always insist that we drive out there, no matter what the weather. Today, clouds were hanging on the mountains and it was dark and cloudy. But, further up the road,especially Canyon Lake, the sun was out...go figure!

Early morning at the park and ducks

2011-12-17T06:15:00.000-08:00

I had to stop and drive a fellow teacher to school yesterday morning, and I had about 20 extra minutes before picking her up, so I stopped by the park. It was just barely sunrise and I had my tripod in the car (THANK GOODNESS!), so I set it up and took some photos. I also had some pigeon food from a 50 pound bag that I bought at the feed store, which I bought at a discount because it had ripped open. So, I had two ziploc bags full of pigeon food. The ducks were all hungry and quacking at me, so I decided to feed them. OH. MY. GOODNESS! Once I started putting out food, there were ducks flying across the park in my direction! I nearly got struck twice! I could just see the headline: "Local teacher killed by ducks in the park!" OYE! Then, I felt tugging on my pants and looked down to see a white duck with its mouth open (after tugging on my pants). He was quite an amusing fellow! I guess that's how he gets people to feed him! There must have been over 100 ducks all around me as I made my backward exit to my car and safety! I think I'll go back this morning and feed them again! Hehehehehehe! (If you click on the bottom photo, you can see the little Christmas lights on the wreath....)

Mountain fence and snow~Friday Fences~121811

2011-12-15T18:19:00.000-08:00

Snow-covered fence and snow and a fire in the fireplace...ahhhhhhh! I wish I lived here! It's always such a change to drive through the mountain communities, especially after a snow storm. Friday Fences for December 16, 2011. To stop by and visit Friday Fences, please go to: http://lifeaccordingtojanandjer.blogspot.com/

Mountain snow

2011-12-13T17:09:00.000-08:00

I went for an early morning walk today and was able to see all the snow on the local San Bernardino mountains. It was still cloudy and snowing toward the south, and I couldn't even see the mountains there. It was cloudy all day today and this storm is now heading over to Arizona and New Mexico.

fire engine in the park~Ruby Tuesday~121311

2011-12-13T05:48:00.000-08:00

I stayed home yesterday because I'd been exhausted and sick all weekend. However, I did have to run out and buy cat food as my cats looked at me with sad eyes which said, "We're STARVING!"...sigh...(Believe me, they are NOT starving!) Anyway, I stopped by another local park and took some pics. This fire engine for kids is in the Rancho Mirage park. When our children were small, I always took them to this park. The engine wasn't there then, but they had lots of swings at the other end. The park was completely deserted, but on weekends, there sometimes are art shows there. They have tennis courts at the far side and that's where the swings and picnic benches are located. I may return today, as I need to run out and buy groceries for lunch, and I also want to see our mountains covered with last night's snow! Ruby Tuesday for December 13, 2011. Isn't it cute? I mean, what kid wouldn't want to climb on it, right? Hmmmm....I'll need to take the grandson over to see it! To visit Ruby Tuesday, please go to: http://workofthepoet.blogspot.com/

Surprise~fall leaves

2011-12-12T08:04:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd post these this morning because a severe winter storm is bearing down upon the Coachella Valley, with snow forecast down to 4,000 feet. And, that's 8-12 inches of snow in our local mountains. My horses may even get snow because they are boarded at a ranch at 4,000 feet in our local mountains. Anyway, these are the LAST of the fall leaves up at the ranch, and, on this dreary morning, I thought I'd post them and bring you some color! Enjoy your day. I'm home sick...I've been sick all weekend...sigh...

Crop loss~peppers

2011-12-11T06:39:00.000-08:00

I posted the story of the loss of the Coachella Valley's entire pepper crop on my other blog (http://rav4adventures.blogspot.com) last week, but then I realize I'd written nothing about it on this one. So, here goes. Our valley had several nights of hard frosts this week. Now, with a 365 day growing season, the large growers rotate their crops from summer crops to winter crops such as broccoli, lettuce, green onions, artichokes, and peppers. On my way to school for several mornings, I saw smoke on the horizon down by my school where I teach, in Coachella. Finally, on Thursday morning, I took my camera with me to investigate. I have to be extremely careful driving out by these fields as a young woman from Indio was found dead in one of them last spring and her death remains unsolved. So, I don't get out of my car. I just point and use my telefoto lens. Anyway, the smoke that morning was horrible. It got all over me, my clothes, my car, my hair! I must have smelled awful to the kids at school! I noticed that at the end of the pepper rows, something was burning. The last time our valley had a hard frost (about two years ago), the growers brought in bales of hay and set them on fire, attempting to save their crop. This time, however, it didn't work. The ENTIRE pepper crop (red, yellow, and green peppers) was lost. They froze and turned to mush inside. This worker was out trying to keep the fires going and several trucks were driving by to make sure they were burning. It was very busy out there. I also took my camera on Friday and that's when I noticed that the table grape vineyards had been trimmed. It wasn't freezing Friday morning, but there was still smoke way back in the fields and I wasn't about to drive down unmarked dirt roads to try to get a photo! I did take a few, but they were mostly of the artichokes growing in the fields. We are supposed to get rain here Monday and Tuesday this coming week. It's sad to see an entire crop lost to nature, but that's how it is. I remember the year my sister-in-law lost her entire vineyard of Merlot grapes to a hard frost. It took the vines several years to recover and she lost her income for several years. Anyway, here are some photos from last week.

The day after~vineyards are trimmed!!!!!!

2011-12-09T17:33:00.000-08:00

I drove back out toward the vineyards near my school this morning and to my shock, they'd all been trimmed yesterday! I mean, I didn't even get the memo!!!!!!!! The leaves on the vines were just gone! Actually, however, if you click on the photos, they are on the ground next to the grape stalks. It was very busy out there this morning! At one field, the workers were getting ready to harvest the broccoli. There was a huge machine with arms on both sides of it sticking out. Workers were arriving and parking their cars. I should have taken photos, but I didn't wish to intrude. Maybe next week....??? Some of these workers probably were the parents of some of my students and I didn't wish to bother them at work. They all do NOT wish their children to do this, and were all very supportive for parent conferences this week. I'll keep tabs on the grapes, but I'm NOT getting out of my car. A young woman from Indio was killed last spring at this exact vineyard and her death has never been solved. So, I just stay in my car and use my zoom lens.

Table grape fences~Friday Fences~120911

2011-12-08T17:54:00.000-08:00

I drove out toward the table grape vineyards near my school this morning to take some photos of the smudge pots at work. Along the way, I saw the table grapes quietly standing away from the smoke, in the morning sunlight. To me, grapes are always a calming scene. They stand quietly and regally, their sugar concentrating on the grapes which I didn't even see on them this morning. I plan to return tomorrow morning once again as we've had nights of freezing temps here in the Coachella Valley. These table grapes, when mature, will be shipped all over California and the country, but for now they are sleeping. These are the well, not fences, but wires which hold them up. Friday Fences for December 9, 2011. To visit Friday Fences, please go to: http://lifeaccordingtojanandjer.blogspot.com/

Roses in the Park~Nature Notes~120811 and Creative Exchange

2011-12-08T04:54:00.000-08:00

I love going to our local civic center park and taking photos of the roses there. They are so colorful and bright! ...sigh...I just wish I could grow my own, but, for the last 40 years, I've killed every rose bush I've ever planted! So, I go down to the park and admire theirs! Aren't they beautiful? Their petals are so delicate! I actually used my tripod to take these. I enjoy visiting the roses at the park and I've had a couple of early morning walkers stop by and chat with me. It's a great way for me to begin the day! Nature Notes for December 8, 2011. I hope their color and vibrance bring a smile to you today! :-) To visit Nature Notes, please go to: http://ramblingwoods.com/ To visit Creative Exchange, please go to: http://www.the-creative-exchange.com/

Park fountain~Watery Wednesday~120711

2011-12-07T04:33:00.000-08:00

This is the fountain at our local park. I was surprised to see it operating on Sunday morning, about 7:00 a.m. The ducks were all lined up on the opposite side, sleeping in the desert's warm sun! Watery Wednesday for December 7, 2011. To visit Watery Wednesday, please go to: http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com/

Desert storm~Our World Tuesday~120611

2011-12-06T05:50:00.000-08:00

The huge storm which is now dumping snow in New Mexico also hit us in the desert last week. All our local mountains were covered with snow. I didn't take either or my big cameras with me, but I remembered I had my little Nikon Coolpix in my purse, so I stopped to take some photos of the clouds and mountains. Joshua Tree National Park was covered with snow at the upper elevations, which quickly melted. Mt. St. Gorgonio had quite a bit of snow, as did the mountains around it. Our World Tuesday for December 16, 2011. To visit Our World Tuesday, please go to: http://ourworldtuesdaymeme.blogspot.com/

5 on the 5th

2011-12-05T05:21:00.000-08:00

I FINALLY dug out my tripod out of hubby's car and headed over to my local civic center park at dusk. I have wanted to take some twilight photos with my tripod, but it's been in hubby's car and he's been getting home late. So, yesterday afternoon, I snuck into his car, grabbed my tripod, and headed over to the park for some photo-taking. It was quiet there. The ducks were quacking for their dinner and NOBODY was feeding them! I have a bag of pigeon food which I bought up at the feed store up in the mountains, but, of course, it was in MY car, and I was driving hubby's! Someday I'll get the camera, the tripod, and the duck food ALL TOGETHER! In the meantime, these were the pics I took yesterday afternoon. Not exactly snow and ice, but, hey! It's the desert in winter! To visit 5 on the 5th, please go to: http://thestateofthenationuk.blogspot.com/2011_12_01_archive.html

Sunrise~back lighting~120411~Sunday Stills Challenge

2011-12-03T19:15:00.000-08:00

One morning, as I was heading to school, I stopped to view the sunrise at Desert Ridge resort. I only had my little Nikon Coolpix with me, but I think it did a good job capturing the morning light. Sunday Stills Challenge for December 4, 2011.To visit SSC, please follow this link: http://sundaystills.wordpress.com/

Tree and sunset~First of the Month~120111

2011-12-03T17:50:00.000-08:00

As I was driving home the other afternoon, it got dark early because of all the clouds. I pulled over to see my favorite tree off one of the freeway exits. There used to be a red ranch there, but it was demolished and bulldozed about a year ago. All that is left is this tree and another one which has been severely cut. I noticed two different bird nests high up in this one. First of the Month for December, 2011. To visit First of the Month, please go to: http://www.murrieta365.com/

Salton Sea and beyond

2011-12-03T05:44:00.000-08:00

There are only a couple of places where one can see the Salton Sea from Highway 74 and this is one of them. It is visible from Vista Point, but not as well. There is ample parking at Vista Point, but this is a turnout further up the road. The Salton Sea has been so hazy all summer that I haven't had an opportunity to actually SEE it until last weekend. And, while this view is somewhat hazy, it's the best I've seen all summer and fall and I travel this road every weekend. As you know, the Salton Sea remains a stumbling block to those who wish to do something about it. The funding would be...GINORMOUS! Thus, it remains what it is. But, from up here, at about 1,500 feet, it does have a certain beauty. I have seen other photographers take beautiful, vibrant photos of it (especially at sunrise and sunset), but from where I live, it is halfway down the valley! I did take one trip down there last spring, when I had my camera with me, and I need to do that again.

Yellow tree and white fence~Friday Fences~120211

2011-12-01T18:25:00.000-08:00

As I was driving around last weekend, late one afternoon up in our local mountains, I spotted this beautiful tree and white fence and I stopped to take a photo of it. It's so relaxing up there, I love to drive around the horse ranches and just look and look and look! Friday Fences for December 2, 2011.

Ducks, ducks, and more ducks!!! Nature Notes~120111

2011-11-30T18:58:00.000-08:00

I've been walking around our local park in the late afternoons now, instead of in the morning, with a group of friends. We always see people feeding the ducks there. There's one lady who we call, "The Duck Lady". She is an older woman with white hair and she always brings bags of bread crusts and bread for them. Youngsters and their parents feed them, couples feed them, all ages of people feed them. And, they seem to be multiplying! I believe there are more ducks now than a few weeks ago! I always enjoy watching the ducks and sometime I'm going to take my tripod with me and take more photos! Nature Notes for December 1, 2011. To visit Nature Notes, please go to: http://ramblingwoods.com/

Park in the morning~Watery Wednesday~113011

2011-11-29T18:28:00.000-08:00

Once again, I stopped by our local park in the morning before school. Now I've joined a group of friends who walk it after they get off work, about 5 p.m. However, none of us could make it tonight! I'm not sure when I like the park more...early morning or late afternoon. It's more crowded in the afternoon, but people stop there and feed the ducks, so there's more activity. Children play on the slides and climb the toys, but all is silent and still in the morning...Watery Wednesday for November 30, 2011. To see Watery Wednesday, please go to; http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com/

Red bell flowers~Our World Tuesday~112911

2011-11-28T19:17:00.000-08:00

No, these aren't Christmas bells! They are some kind of flower here in our desert and I have NO IDEA what they are! But, aren't they adorable? Our World Tuesday for November 29, 2011 To visit OWT, please go to: http://ourworldtuesdaymeme.blogspot.com/

Pretty geranium~Macro Monday~112811

2011-11-27T17:58:00.000-08:00

I headed out early this morning to meet a friend who was coming up to the mountains with me to help groom all my horses and I drove down El Paseo. The sprinklers had just turned off and their flower beds were all sparkling with water drops. Isn't this geranium pretty with the water drops on it? Macro Monday for November 28, 2011. To visit Lisa's Macro Monday, please go to: http://lisaschaos.com/

water fountain

2011-11-26T16:59:00.000-08:00

I stopped by our local community college over the holiday. It was peaceful and deserted. I noticed that the water fountain was on, so I stopped by to take a few photos. I'm glad it was working and I had a chance to see it because this place is usually very crowded and visitor parking is in the lot miles away! Don't you love the palms? There are two different species here...the tall palms and the shorter ones, which have the dates. I forget their names...I'll have to look them up!

Ranch gate~Friday Fences~112511

2011-11-24T19:35:00.000-08:00

The Joshua Tree Ranch, which is now deserted, stands empty and quiet near the west entrance to the park. We are heading up there tomorrow for a day of exploring and picture-taking. I always like to stop by this ranch on our way back home. Can you see the two saddles on top of the posts? Friday Fences for November 25, 2011. To visit Friday Fences, please go to: http://lifeaccordingtojanandjer.blogspot.com/

Ducks lined up in a row

2011-11-24T05:57:00.000-08:00

It was a warm, sunny morning at the park this week and all the ducks WERE lined up in a row next to the lake! Enjoy your Thanksgiving Day today! I'm heading up to the horse ranch to give the horses some psyllium, then back down the mountain to have dinner with the family.

park in the morning~Watery Wednesday~112311

2011-11-23T08:29:00.000-08:00

I stopped by our local park the other morning. It was early and very few people were there. The ducks were lined up, sleeping in the warm sun. There were just a couple of people out walking their dogs, so I had the park to myself. How nice! I like the fall colors in this pic. Watery Wednesday for November 23, 2011. To visit Watery Wednesday, please go to: http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com/

Palms and dates

2011-11-22T05:57:00.000-08:00

I went to our local park yesterday morning and was surprised to see dates on the palm trees there. A couple of palms hadn't been trimmed and were FULL of dates! Our local community college doesn't trim their dates and they will harvest theirs in January. Don't these look yummy? I've grown to love dates. When we first moved here, about 35 years ago, I didn't eat them, but I've read up on their health benefits and now I eat them and savor them. I used to feed some to my quarter horse, Sunni, when I boarded him down in Indio and he loved them! There are groves of date palms further down in the valley and I'll head out that way another time.

After the storm~Our World Tuesday~112211

2011-11-21T13:23:00.000-08:00

Our local mountains got snow last night and the desert floor got rain, so I went out early this morning for my walk. And, this is what I saw! Beautiful, snow-lined mountains surrounding our valley! :-) I wanted to get out and see the snow before most of it melted today. It's my week off for the Thanksgiving break and I'm anxious to get out and take photos while I'm home this week. Our World Tuesday for November 22, 2011. To visit OWT, please go to: http://ourworldtuesdaymeme.blogspot.com/

Cheetah~Mellow Yellow Monday~11/21/11

2011-11-21T05:49:00.000-08:00

Can you see it hidden among the tall grass? Yup, the Living Desert Reserve actually let their cheetahs out on Saturday! And, we saw one of them. They usually aren't out in their exhibit (for some reason...), but this one was lounging up on top of their hill, enjoying the morning sun. Mellow Yellow Monday for November 21, 2011. To visit MYM, please go to: http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com/

Living Desert Reserve

2011-11-20T05:09:00.001-08:00

So, yesterday, as promised, we took the grandson up to the Living Desert Reserve to see the trains. Only, we got there so early, they weren't running. The LDR has a huge miniature train exhibit, complete with cities, farms, mountains, and a Grand Canyon! It's really incredible. Some of the volunteers from the local miniature train club were there doing some maintenance on the trains and little buildings. You can see the size of the exhibit from the top photo. And, the big adventure begins! The LDR rents out the little strollers, which come with a strap. Unfortunately, every time we stopped, we had to unstrap Ben, let him out, and then strap him back in! He finally learned to do it himself (he's almost 3...in February)...We stopped to look at the leopards, since they were both out. They have a male and female and they were playing with each other. Grandpa got some good photos of them, but I was holding the munchkin.

WHY is it that when you take your kids or grandkid to some place special, their favorite thing is some oddball object? We used to take our children to the San Diego zoo, where they liked the free-roaming chickens and baby chicks the best! Here, Ben liked this little statute of a wart hog. See piggy's tail? PULL piggy's tail!...go figure!

To be continued...

Just This and That~~and my camera

2011-11-19T05:05:00.000-08:00

Hubby is sending my camera into the shop today to have the viewfinder fixed and for it to have a thorough cleaning. Every time I take it up to the horses, dust seems to get in it and then I have "floaters" on my photos...spots of dust which show up on the photos...I took it with me yesterday morning and after cleaning it while I walked, they were still there...sigh...I'm going to miss my camera, but I'll have the new Canon EOS 7D. However, you know, I just don't get the sharp, vibrant colors that I get with my Nikon, which is a D40x. I LOVE this little camera. If you don't know or remember the story, while hubby and I were up in the Sierra, at Mammoth last month, it snowed overnight and when I went out the next morning, I didn't remove my boots right away coming back into the cabin and I went "SPLAT" on the slippery kitchen floor and my Nikon went flying and "SPLAT" it hit the floor. I was actually more concerned about my camera than myself, although I now have a swollen right knee and my right shoulder HURTS LIKE #$%%! I threw my arms out to soften the blow and landed on my right side...BUT the viewfinder on my Nikon is busted and it will cost $150 just to fix it....sigh...I know, I know, I SHOULD have removed my boots immediately upon entering the cabin! Believe me, hubby told me 10,000 times!!!!! As you can see, however, the Nikon still takes photos...it's just that I can't view them! So, I've been leaving it on shutter priority and hoping for the best! We are taking the grandson today to the Living Desert to see the miniature train exhibit and I'll take the Nikon with me, but after that, she gets shipped off to the camera repair shop! (....biting nails....) All these photos were taken after the time change, during my morning walk. I don't see any dust spots on these, but my later ones do have globs of dust all over them! I'm not even sure I would have seen the spots using the viewfinder...sigh...

Anza sunset September, 2009~SkyWatch Friday~111811

2011-11-17T18:31:00.000-08:00

I took these photos back in September of 2009. I was up at the horse ranch where I board my horses one afternoon after school. I drove up there because I had some things to do. Then I remembered the date, September 11th...8 years after 2001. And, that night, the sky displayed one of the most spectacular sunsets I've ever seen. It was very moving and I'll never forget it. SkyWatch Friday for November 18, 2011.

Thanksgiving week plans

2011-11-17T05:40:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving week is next week. I usually have school Monday and Tuesday, but my school district is giving ALL teachers two days of furloughs (that means NO PAY...:-( on Monday and Tuesday. We will also get another furlough day after spring break...sigh... So, my plans for next week are to rent a rug shampooer and do all the carpets in the house one day, drive up Tuesday for a lesson with the horses, stuff myself on Thursday, then...who knows? Hubby is off the entire week, so we may head over to Joshua Tree national park one day. What are your plans for the holiday?

time change~park in the early morning

2011-11-16T05:36:00.000-08:00

I was going through my archives, looking at the photos I took before our latest Sierra trip and I found some I took early one morning at the park. I didn't have my tripod with me, so I'm surprised this one came out at all! Yes, it was dark there that morning. I was waking up early because of the time change. I still wake up early, but now it's lighter! I'll have to do an "after" photo of the same spot, but after the time change! The ducks were all lined up, ready for people to feed them, but I didn't have any food for them.

Napa Valley vineyards~Our World Tuesday~111511

2011-11-14T18:30:00.000-08:00

My sister-in-law works for Burgess Cellars in Napa, CA and we usually drive up there at Christmas to celebrate with the family. I took these photos back in 2006, in December. I thought you might like to see these mature vines, as opposed to the "babies" in the Anza vineyards that I posted yesterday. These vines are 50+ years old and are in their prime. They produced zinfandel wine and I found some grapes still on the vines which were still on the vine after the fall harvest. (see 5th photo) Now they have been grafted over and produce cabernet or merlot. I love to walk among the vines and just look at them. To me, there is something magical about them. Maybe it's that to get a really good wine, the vines have to struggle, to undergo challenges of rocky soil and sparce water. My sister-in-law has 10 acres of merlot herself and believe me, it IS a struggle to produce quality wine! One year, while she was in Europe, a hard frost occurred and her vineyard manager couldn't get the pots lit in time to save her entire crop. It was destroyed by the frost. It has taken her over 4 years to recover from that one hard frost...sigh...On the other hand, she paid for a month-long European summer vacation for both of our children upon their graduation from college and they got to explore France and its vineyards with Aunt Cathy! Our daughter stayed in southern France with her, but our son went out exploring to Florence, Berlin, Munich, and Amsterdam. I am eternally grateful to her for her generosity and I can't wait to visit the Napa Valley again. Our World Tuesday for November 15, 2011. To visit OWT, please go to: http://ourworldtuesdaymeme.blogspot.com/

Anza vineyards

2011-11-14T05:36:00.000-08:00

There was an article recently in the Los Angeles Times about wine grapes being grown up in Anza. That's near where I board my 5 horses, so I drove by one of the small vineyards. My sister-in-law has 10 acres of Merlot up in Napa and my husband used to be a wine broker, so I'm fairly familiar with vineyards. I love to see them in the autumn. The leaves turn brown and other colors. It's a quiet time for them. It was a dark and dreay, rainy day on Saturday, when I drove by this small vineyard. The problem with growing wine grapes in Anza is that they do get late frosts, which would severely damage the grapes on the vines. I guess time will tell whether or not Anza becomes another wine growing region in Southern California.

Clouds a few seconds later~Sunday Stills Challenge~111311

2011-11-12T19:17:00.000-08:00

It's interesting what a difference just a few seconds can make when I'm out taking photos. Today was a dull, dreary, rainy day...perfect for leaving the desert and driving up to the mountains! I headed out early, about 7:30 a.m. hoping to catch some interesting clouds along the mountains. My first photo was...blah...but, just a couple of seconds later, look at the difference! It's all about the light...it's all about the light...it's all about the light. I think I get it now! Sunday Stills Challenge for November 13, 2011. The challenge was to take a poor photo of a subject and then to take a better one, so I hope I've accomplished that! Top photo is the blah one. Bottom photo was taken just a few seconds later. I think it is much more dramatic than the top one. What do you think? To visit SSC, please go to: http://sundaystills.wordpress.com/

Sunrise in the park~SkyWatch Friday~11/11/11

2011-11-11T05:47:00.000-08:00

I took my camera with me the day before we left for the Sierras last week and headed to our local park to watch the sunrise. With this time change, I'm waking up about 4:00 a.m., so I have plenty of time to get ready every morning. On this day, there were plenty of clouds to reflect the rising sun and I walked out on one of the bridges at the park to take in the view. SkyWatch Friday for November 11, 2011. To visit SkyWatch Friday, please follow this link: http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Bishop park and ducks

2011-11-09T04:56:00.000-08:00

We stopped at the park in Bishop, CA to look at the ducks. There were quite a few of them and they were very busy and loud. The visitor center is right there at the park, which is across the street from Schatz' Bakery, a "MUST" stop in Bishop! The cottonwoods were beautifully shaded yellow and I took a few pics of them, too.

Bishop, CA protestors

2011-11-08T05:55:00.000-08:00

As we drove through Bishop, CA over the weekend, we were surprised to see a rather large and very vocal group of protestors there. We waved and honked as we drove by, lending them our support. There are many government workers in this part of the Sierra and I'm sure they've been hard hit by budget cuts, like folks everywhere.

Heading home and knee is holding up okay!!!

2011-11-05T21:29:00.000-07:00

I want to thank you all for your concern and comments. While my knee is sore and swollen, I am able to walk on it and drive (thank goodness!). Hubby and I arrived safely in Lone Pine. Another snowstorm is heading over the Sierras and Mt. Whitney was covered in clouds this afternoon. We will finish our drive home tomorrow. We'll probably head out to the Alabama Hills to take photos tomorrow morning, especially since we have an extra hour! Here are some pics from today. My Nikon still works, but I can't actually see the photos I've taken (the viewfinder was shattered when I fell on the floor). I'm hopeful that it will be able to be fixed soon and it will be as good as new! I took some photos with it tonight for the Sunday Stills Challenge and I'll be posting them tomorrow!

We're heading home today

2011-11-05T05:54:00.000-07:00

We SHOULD get a break in between snowstorms today, so we are heading home. It's supposed to start snowing again on Sunday and then snow for 18 hours. Time to get out of Dodge! It snowed over 3x yesterday and I haven't even gone outside yet this morning! I fed some peanuts to a very nosy Blue Jay yesterday afternoon who landed on the cabin's railing and demanded to be fed! They sure are interesting birds. We will stay overnight in Lone Pine and then finish our trip home Sunday morning. I took this photo yesterday morning before I went kersplat.

And a not-so-good morning today

2011-11-04T16:10:00.000-07:00

It started snowing up here at Twin Lakes last night about 8:00 p.m. It snowed all night.and this morning I had to bundle up and walk down to our car to get our coffee. I did just fine outside, but when I came back inside, I went KERSPLAT on the slick, vinyl kitchen floor. My Nikon camera went flying across the floor and I broke the viewfinder AND I cannot make any adjustments to the manual settings on it. I was heartbroken. This is the camera that I've learned how to use manual settings (FINALLY). I take her everywhere with me. Hubby phoned around and found a place that (...keep your fingers crossed) can repair it for $150.00. Better that than having to buy a new camera! I can still take photos, but I can't adjust any of the settings, so everything is on 1/60 of a second right now. And, since I landed on both knees, especially my right one, it is now swollen and stiff. And, it's snowing again already...looks like a long, cold night ahead for us!

Off to the Sierras!!!!!

2011-11-02T05:34:00.000-07:00

I'll be offline for a few days while hubby and I return to our favorite place~~the Sierra. He got some time off work and I'm taking two days off school. After a long and grueling ten weeks of school, I need a break anyway! Snow is expected in Mammoth, where we will be staying, so I'm hoping to get some awesome photos to share with you all! Take care. See you Sunday.
Cheryl Ann

Pigeons in the Park~ABC Wednesday~110211

2011-11-01T19:13:00.000-07:00

Pigeons love parks and there is a flock of them down at our local park. I stopped by yesterday afternoon and they were out flying around. I could actually hear them when they flew by me. I don't see them in the mornings when I'm there, but they certainly are out in the afternoon~~pigeons in the park for ABC Wednesday 11/02/11. To visit ABC Wednesday, please go to: http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.com/

early morning rose photos at the park

2011-11-01T05:10:00.000-07:00

I should preface this post by letting you all know my parents had the most beautiful rose garden! I remember my father hitching up his trailer to his car and going to purchase a trailerload of horse manure (ha, and I now have 5 horses!) and spreading it around his precious roses. They grew and bloomed and thrived. And, our neighbor next door, my piano teacher, had gorgeous roses, too, which I threaded my way through once a week to my piano lesson. And, how many roses do I have? Zero...none...I've managed to KILL every rose bush I've ever planted. I simply CANNOT grow roses. One time my old school pulled out all their mature roses and let us take them home for transplanting. I took two home. They survived for a while and then died. I've tried bareroot roses, climbing roses, roses in pots...NOTHING survived. And, otherwise, I have a green thumb. Go figure. My neighbor has some in her yard and sometimes I walk over there to photograph hers. Now, I just go to the local civic center park and photograph theirs...sigh...I wish I could grow my own roses, but I've given up!

Yellow rose~Mellow Yellow Monday, Macro Monday~103111

2011-10-31T04:47:00.000-07:00

I found this beautiful yellow rose in our local park yesterday morning. The park was pretty much deserted except for the Occupy Coachella Valley protestors, who are sleeping in the parking lot. The ducks were out and so were a few joggers and people walking their dogs. It was peaceful and quiet and the sun was beginning to hit the rose garden. Mellow Yellow Monday and Macro Monday for October 31, 2011. To visit MYM, please go to: http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com/
To visit Macro Monday, please go to: http://lisaschaos.com/?s=macro+monday

Park~Sunday stills Challenge~103011

2011-10-29T13:35:00.000-07:00

This week's challenge was to walk 25 steps,pivot and take a photo in each direction, walk another 25 steps, and do the same. So, off I headed to the Palm Desert park, where the Occupy Coachella Valley movement was camped out. It was early in the morning, about 8:00 a.m. and the park was quiet. The ducks weren't, however, and were out demanding their morning breakfast! The sprinklers were on and the roses were glistening...it was a beautiful morning! Sunday Stills Challenge for October 30, 2011.

Desert sunrise~SkyWatch Friday~102811

2011-10-27T17:14:00.000-07:00

We don't frequently get sunrises like this one and I'm glad I got up early one morning to see it while I was out doing my morning walk. The rest of the mornings this week were really quite "ho hum", but this one was spectacular! Who wouldn't get up for a sunrise like this? I noticed that I keep going out later and later and it is still dark. By the time of the time change, I won't be able to see sunrises like this one out where I walk...it will be completely light. I guess I better get out as long as I can! SkyWatch Friday for October 28, 2011. To visit SkyWatch Friday, please go to: http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Winter crops~Nature Notes~102711

2011-10-26T19:14:00.000-07:00

I left home early a couple of days ago and I had time to drive out by the fields near my school to investigate what was planted there. I believe this is broccoli. At least, that's what the large growers plant this time of year. I caught the fields just as they were watering them in the morning. Aren't the fields pretty? I love morning light and I'm glad I was able to see them before my work day started. Nature Notes for October 27, 2011. To visit Nature Notes, please go to: http://ramblingwoods.com/

Dried mud

2011-10-26T05:08:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning I took a drive down my favorite dirt road up in the mountains and saw many spots like this. This is where a bulldozer makes a drainage path for water coming off the mountain. They had rain up there a couple of weeks ago, and since then these muddy areas have dried out, resulting in the dried mud. Isn't it interesting?

Mountain color~Our World Tuesday~102411

2011-10-25T05:57:00.000-07:00

I always drive through the small housing area of our local mountains each weekend, looking for fall colors, and Sunday I found this red vine, which I believe is a Virginia creeper. Isn't it beautiful? I see this all over the little community near Garner Valley, which is right off Highway 74. Our World Tuesday for October 24, 2011. To visit OWT, please go to: http://ourworldtuesdaymeme.blogspot.com/

Fall leaves~Mellow Yellow Monday~102411

2011-10-24T05:46:00.000-07:00

I took a drive up through Garner Valley, which is near the top of the Santa Rosa mountains Saturday and Sunday, looking for some fall color. I found these trees next to the entrance to one of the ranches in Garner Valley. They put a scarecrow out front, too! We don't get these beautiful colors down in the desert, so I enjoy my trips up to our local mountains. They may be getting a thunderstorm this afternoon and if I see clouds after school, I'll take a run up there! Mellow Yellow Monday for October 24, 2011. To see MYM, please go to: http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com/

Rock formations Joshua Tree National Park~Sunday Stills Challenge~102311

2011-10-23T05:01:00.000-07:00

Joshua Tree has some of the most unique and beautiful rock formations I've ever seen, although the Alabama Hills is also spectacular. It's just that JTree is an hour away! Hubby and I go there several times a year, including this trip in August, right after a thunderstorm rolled through the valley and the higher elevations. That's hubby taking a photograph of a lizard on the rock. You can see how HUGE that rock is! He's 6' and he looks tiny next to it! Anyway, we always enjoy driving out to Joshua Tree National Park and each time, there is somewhere new to go to in the park. We once went in February right after a snowstorm and the joshua trees were covered with snow, but that's another post. Sunday Stills Challenge for October 23, 2011. To visit Sunday stills, please go to: http://sundaystills.wordpress.com/

White picket fences~Friday Fences~October 21, 2011

2011-10-20T19:37:00.000-07:00

I LOVE white picket fences, but there aren't many around here in the desert. I DID find these, however, up in our local mountains. I drive up there every weekend to visit my horses. I board them up in the mountains, out of the desert, and I enjoy the change of scenery, especially in the fall. Friday Fences for October 21, 2011. To visit Friday Fences, please go to: http://lifeaccordingtojanandjer.blogspot.com/

Ducks at the park~Nature Notes~October 20, 2011

2011-10-20T05:29:00.000-07:00

Our local park has its own flock of ducks who hang around it day in and out. They're very spoiled and tame...lots of people feed them. Unfortunately, they don't always feed them the right foods. I've seen people feeding them Doritos and bread. I read that ducks shouldn't be fed those foods as they have no nutritional value. I didn't feed them as I didn't have any food...what DO you feed ducks? Birdseed? Duck food? Nature Notes for October 20, 2011. To see Nature Notes, please go to: http://ramblingwoods.com/

Reflections in the park~Watery Wednesday~101911

2011-10-18T17:35:00.000-07:00

Reflections in the Palm Desert civic center park last weekend. No, the fisherman isn't real. He's a statue! He's been there now for over 20 years! The ducks, however, ARE real! Watery Wednesday for October 19, 2011. To visit Watery Wednesday, please go to: http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com/

Scenes from morning walk

2011-10-18T05:56:00.000-07:00

I took a LONG walk Saturday morning...for over an hour. I have noticed that I can now walk a lot longer and further. My endurance is increasing. I didn't walk yesterday (I HATE Monday mornings...), but I'll head out today. It is still HOT here in the desert, over 100 degrees, but today should be the last day of triple digit heat. Then, temps will drop down into the 90's and we can turn off the air conditioner! :-)

Bee, where are you?

2011-10-17T05:45:00.000-07:00

Oops! He disappeared! These yellow roses are up at the horse ranch in our local mountains. They survived the summer up there and are in full bloom. Aren't they pretty?

Tall grasses at the park~Sunday Stills Challenge~101611

2011-10-16T05:30:00.000-07:00

For some reason, I drove down to the Palm Desert Civic Center Park yesterday morning after my morning walk, which was very uneventful. All I saw were a couple of huge jackrabbits. No hawks. No ravens. No coyotes. Anyway, the sun was hitting these tall grasses and the ducks were lined up in the shade, taking a morning nap. It was a quiet morning. Sunday Stills Challenge for October 16, 2011. The challenge was to find something in the foreground.

Cooper's hawk

2011-10-15T05:03:00.000-07:00

When I went for my walk yesterday morning, I arrived at my favorite parking place and was greeted by the "chee chee chee" of a hawk somewhere nearby. I didn't have my camera with me. I found a large Cooper's hawk who immediately spotted me and took off. His mate was nearby and the two of them soared and flew through the palm trees. By the time I finished my walk, they were back in one of the palms and I got a real good view of him. Of course, by the time I grabbed my cell phone to take a picture, they flew off. But, in going through my archives from August, I found I had some photos of one of them, so here they are! One flew right over me while I was walking and I didn't hear a sound. I wonder how their prey evades them? We saw a whole family of them (mom and two youngsters) over in Arizona when we stayed up on the Mogollon Rim in August and they were VERY loud! They awoke me every morning right at daybreak. It was actually Mom calling to the youngsters. They kept her very busy! There are a lot of rabbits along this area where I walk and I'm sure these two feed on them....ducks and water birds are there, too, out on the water courses on the golf course. And, there are enough trees for them to hide in! I love walking there and I never know what I'm going to see, but sometimes I just don't want to lug around my camera! I was taking it in the mornings and then bringing it to school with me, so I may just take my Nikon with me from now on. These photos were taken with my new Canon 7D.

Scarecrows and fence~Friday's Fences~101411

2011-10-13T19:17:00.000-07:00

Here in the desert, we don't see a lot of signs of fall. But, up in our local mountains, the scarecrows are out and watching for signs of fall. I went to a yard sale up in Garner Valley last Sunday and these two were on guard near the house where the sale was. The aspen up there are just starting to get a few yellow leaves and I'll keep an eye on them. I love autumn and I'm already anxious to get back up to the mountains this weekend. Isn't this a pretty decoration? Friday's Fences for October 14, 2011. To visit Friday's Fences, please go to: http://lifeaccordingtojanandjer.blogspot.com/

Clouds and sand dunes~Nature Notes~101311

2011-10-12T17:50:00.000-07:00

I love to see clouds over our desert mountains. We don't have clouds here that often. This week is CLEAR and up in the 90's and 100's (again...sigh...), but last week, we had a couple of cloudy days and I headed out to school with my camera. I drove by a street next to the freeway that has a bunch of dead tamarisk trees (which are a REAL PEST), but don't they look awesome against the sand dunes and clouds? Some of these are on the border of the Coachella Valley Preserve, but I never see any birds or animals out there. Lizards, perhaps, but certainly no birds or ducks. Hmmmm....I'll have to investigate this further. Nature Notes for October 13, 2011.

clouds

2011-10-12T05:49:00.000-07:00

We are back in triple digit temps...sigh...it was so nice to have a few days of cool weather and clouds. Clouds make such a difference here in the desert. This weekend, with two days of high clouds, it was absolutely delightful! Temps were in the 80's, not triple digits. But, it will be 103 here today and then 104 for the next 2 days. Ugh! I'm so tired of 100+ days. I want FALL to stay! This was the view of my walking area one day last week. Lately, it's just been clear and warm. I'm not even going out this morning...too hot and no clouds. Phooey!

Friday morning walk

2011-10-10T06:03:00.000-07:00

I never know what I'm going to see on my morning walk, so I always take my camera with me. This was the view Friday morning. It was crisp and clear, except for a few clouds over our local mountains. I didn't walk all weekend, but I did do chores up at the horse ranch. I noticed that I only logged 1,092 steps, which is a vast difference from my usual 13,000 steps when I take my morning walk! ACK! I'm noticing that my stamina is increasing, due to my walking and I didn't huff or puff at all up at the horse ranch! I was out and about all weekend and i know I was busy, but I wasn't walking. I'll be out this morning, however, and every weekday morning. I ordered a brand new pedometer from Amazon.com and I'm awaiting its arrival. It will also tell me how many calories I've burned while walking. The free one, I'm afraid, isn't as accurate as this new one that I'm buying myself.

Sierra Nevada~Vanishing Point for Sunday Stills Challenge~100911

2011-10-08T18:54:00.000-07:00

We found this bridge over the Owens River when we traveled to the Sierra in April, during my Spring break from school. Just look at all the snow that was still on the mountains! We left again the day after school ended, which was June 11. The Tioga Pass wasn't even open yet and Lake Tioga was frozen solid at that time! We returned again over the July 4th weekend and there was still a lot of snow at the higher elevations at that time. We love to travel to the Sierra and return there whenever we can. Sunday Stills Challenge for October 9, 2011.

desert rain

2011-10-08T04:56:00.000-07:00

I took this photo on Wednesday morning, when I was out for my morning walk. Yes, it's raining, but the rain isn't hitting the ground. It was evaporating. Another blogger, Gaelyn, told me this is called virga. Thank you, Gaelyn! I see this frequently around the desert here and in Arizona. Isn't it pretty?

Morning clouds~SkyWatch Friday~100811

2011-10-06T18:41:00.000-07:00

This was a beautiful sky one morning when I took my walk. SkyWatch Friday for October 8, 2011. To go to SkyWatch Friday, please go to: http://skyley.blogspot.com/

My bird feeders~Nature Notes~100611

2011-10-06T05:02:00.000-07:00

I've discovered the joys of having bird feeders out in my front yard. I have several of them out there now, including seed socks for finches. The little guys also like my hanging feeders and even visit the flat clay containers. They can be quite noisy in the morning and afternoon! Yesterday I saw two little verdins at the hanging sock and one pair always builds a nest in my yard every year. As the season progresses, we will be visited by other birds and I'm always careful to remember to fill up the feeders each morning. This is where my scrub jay visits, too, and if he's hungry, he gets quite noisy! He's a good reminder! Here are some photos of the visitors that I took when I was home Sunday morning. I usually fill up the feeders right as I'm heading out to school and I don't get to see the birds, except for weekend mornings. I love all the birds who come to eat! Nature Notes for October 6, 2011. To visit Nature Notes, please go to: http://ramblingwoods.com/

Looking up

2011-10-05T05:59:00.000-07:00

Looking up Highway 74. This road has a lot of twists and turns and very few turnouts. In our travels, we've traveled some roads WORSE than this one, but not many. The Ortega Highway, from Orange County to Interstate 15, is one of them. I HATED that road! Do you have a road that you hate to drive? Why? And, there's a road from Mariposa up the western side of the Sierras, which is absolutely the curviest road I've ever seen....more than this one! You literally drive 15 mph on that one!

Highway 74~Our World Tuesday~100411

2011-10-04T05:54:00.000-07:00

I travel Highway 74, from Palm Desert, to our local mountains, every weekend. I board my horses up in the mountains, out of the desert heat. It's cheaper up there and I have 5 horses. Also, I love driving this road during the various seasons and looking at how the mountains change. They were very dry a few weeks ago, but have had numerous rain storms on them recently and the ocotillos are green. We may get some snow from this next Arctic storm, so I'm anxious to watch for that. I love driving this road on a stormy day and seeing the various changes on the mountains. This used to be called the "Palms to Pines Highway", but was recently renamed the "Roy S. Wilson Memorial Highway". To me, it will always be the "Palms to Pines Highway". Italian prisoners of war built the road border along the highway (someday I'll stop and take photos of that) during WWII. I often see other cars pulled over to take photos along the highway, especially on weekends. It can be a dangerous road, with its twisty turns and sharp curves, but if you drive the speed limit, it's pretty tame. However, sometimes a car or a motorcycle goes over the edge, probably due to excessive speed. There are turnouts along it and I always pull over and let them pass. Our World Tuesday for October 4, 2011. To visit Our World, please go to: http://ourworldtuesdaymeme.blogspot.com/

laptop update

2011-10-04T04:55:00.000-07:00

Well, hubby's laptop is running. Unfortunately, he spilled hot sauce all over it Sunday afternoon. Fortunately, it was thick hot sauce and it didn't actually drip down in between the keys. He was able to wipe it off and then he sprayed it with canned air and set it up in front of a fan and that also prevented the sauce from dripping down into the "innards". Phew! That was close.

More water drops and hot sauce

2011-10-03T06:23:00.000-07:00

As I went hunting for water drops yesterday, I heard my neighbor's sprinklers come on and I skipped over to take a couple of photos. They weren't on very long and right after I clicked this one, they went off! I stayed home yesterday, cleaned the kitchen, vacuumed the living room, and then, during dinner, hubby came out of the kitchen with a jar of hot sauce which he dropped and spilled all over his laptop! OMG! He grabbed his laptop, wiped it off (it was still working), sprayed it with a can of air, and finally set it up next to a fan overnight. He has hundreds of photos on it which he hadn't yet moved to a portable hard drive and we hope that his laptop still works! Phew! He's off work today so he may have to run over to his favorite computer repair shop for some TLC for his laptop....I'll keep you posted. MORAL OF THE STORY: Do NOT try to balance Chulula, salt, and pepper in one hand and walk toward your laptop!

Water droplets~Sunday Stills Challenge~100211

2011-10-02T08:31:00.000-07:00

I didn't have to go far for this week's challenge. I only went outside my front door and saw the water leaking out of the hose by the porch. I went out last night and completely hosed off our front porch and this morning, I had to fill up the dog water dishes and I saw the water spraying all over the place, so I took some photos of it. I like this one the best. Please disregard the dirt which is splayed all over...the Weimeraner likes to dig a nice, wet spot right next to the faucet! Sunday Stills Challenge for October 2, 2011. Go to this link to see other droplets: http://sundaystills.wordpress.com/

Oak Grove stage station

2011-10-01T07:10:00.000-07:00

The Oak Grove stage station sits deserted along Highway 78, west of Warner Springs, CA. It is a museum now, but I never seem to drive by when it is open, so I had to stick my camera between the iron bars to take the top photo! It appears there are some interesting things to see there and SOMEDAY I'll get there when it is open!

Caught in flight~little hummers~Fabulous Friday~093011

2011-09-30T05:30:00.000-07:00

These little hummers were up at the ranch last weekend. Aren't they adorable? Fabulous Friday for September 30, 2011. To visit FF, please go to: http://mcdougallphotography.blogspot.com/

Oak Grove sycarmores~LEM Photo Challenge~092811

2011-09-27T19:21:00.000-07:00

Hubby and I stopped at the Oak Grove Forest Service station on Sunday on our way back from San Diego.This is on Highway 78, just a few miles from Warner Springs. I wandered around the forest service grounds and was intrigued by the sycamores. There were some early yellow leaves on a few of them, but it's really too early for many. I just enjoyed walking out among the trees and listening to the blue jays in them. LEM Photo Challenge for September 28, 2011. To visit the LEM photo challenge, please go to: http://liveeverymom.blogspot.com/2011/09/live-every-moment-photo-challenge_27.html

Signs of fall~Lone Pine~Sunday Stills Challenge~092411

2011-09-25T06:48:00.000-07:00

When hubby and I traveled up to the Sierra last weekend, we didn't expect to see this huge pasture full of wild sunflowers. However, it was FULL! This is on Lubkin Canyon Road, which is just before you arrive in Lone Pine. There's a trailer park on the corner and you turn toward the Horseshoe Meadows Road. We always take this road when we near Lone Pine because it has beautiful views of the Sierra. But, this time, it was the wild flowers that got our attention! They were EVERYWHERE! I've never seen a field so full of them. Signs of fall for Sunday Stills Challenge, September 24, 2011. To see other Sunday Stills Challenges, please go to: http://sundaystills.wordpress.com/