Just some photos...

From a recent trip to Sequoia National Park and one of our drives, more to come! Hope you enjoy these:-)

"Hi, Phoebe!" Continuing my ongoing saga with the Black Phoebe, we spotted this singing cutie at Sequoia - way up high, of course!

I now believe this is "Elegant Rock Cress", or Arabella sparsiflora var. arcuata.

"Bokeh Fun" Ever see something that looks cool, but you're not sure how a photo will come out? Well, this is one of those shots for me, and I think it worked:-) **Any guesses on what the background is here?**

"Grass Nut" or "Ithuriel's Spear" is just starting to bloom in the foothills.

Sun shining through a "Fiesta Flower" (Pholistoma auritum) with a visitor.

"A Little View" Fiesta Flowers are all over right now - such delicate beauties!

And, yay, the Western Kingbirds are back in the foothills! I say "yay", because they've been some of the best ones for landing and staying as we drive by:-)

Bad Horn Day

Some days, it's like that.

Choosing a View

Sometimes, when I go to add my daily entry here, I think about all of the things I don’t write about or show. Other than one post about this area (well, two if you count the stray animal post), I work very hard at concentrating on the positive. I look for the beauty in an area where it can be difficult to find. I would only have to turn my camera away from the foothills to portray a town that most would believe was in a different country. Sometimes, I want to do just that because I can’t believe it is the way it is, and I can’t believe we’re living here.

However, I haven’t done it, and don’t know that I will (other than just to have a record, I guess). By sharing the images that I do, I believe I am creating the world I want to live in versus the one that surrounds me on a daily basis. I want to share the good energy that fills me when I’m out taking photos of flora and fauna:-) I want to keep a hold on that energy, because my heart really needs it.

I imagine that I’m not the only who creates a different world on their blog from the one that they live in. We all have a story, and we all have our own ways of telling it. It’s what gets us through and helps us on to the next chapter, right?

The Little Bird that Stole Me Away from the Bull

So, in yesterday's silly bull post, I mentioned a bird that took my attention away from Mr. Bull. This little Savannah Sparrow was the culprit:-) S/he flew up out of the grass, and landed on this post. I was standing out in the open, but decided to see how close I could get. Considering that there was a lot of dry brush crackling under my feet, I did better than I thought. In fact, the sparrow was happily preening and cleaning itself until I got too close. So, was this worth turning away from the indignant bull? I think so;-)

I Didn't Mean to Turn You On...

Taken today, I had a little fun and put two shots together. Not sure if this bull was upset at me, or if he liked me - the red hair;-) I'd been taking his photo, when I noticed a bird fly up near me and land on a fence post. So, I was busily taking the bird's photo when the bull started mooing LOUDLY! He got my attention for sure, lol! I was kind of wondering if the barbed wire fence was enough to stop him if he decided he didn't like me there. He was a hunk, though, so I took my chances. I'll post a normal portrait of him soon, but just wanted to share this for tonight. Enjoy:-)

Sanity

Okay, it’s past time to put up some positive images on my blog! I shouldn’t have left it so long, but it was hard to think of what to do after that last post. I’m proud of what I wrote, but it definitely wasn’t the cheeriest of posts.

So, for this post, I’m going to put up some of my favorite images from the past year from the wonderful drives my mom and I have taken. Last October, when it had finally cooled down, we took a drive up into the foothills. This led to the discovery of a whole new world around us – the foothills are much more like the California we remember. It’s been wonderful to find the beauty and serenity that exists up there. It’s where we go to regain our sanity and perspective:-) We have a special road that we discovered, and there’s always something magical to see.

Right now, though, it’s been too hot, and everything’s dried out, so we haven’t gone for a while. However, I’ve taken so many photos, I can relive the experiences over and over. I hope you’ll enjoy these as much as I do…

Getting started - the foothills, March, 2009

"Bird on a Wire" - Savannah Sparrow

"Poppies Poppin' Up!", March, 2009

"Golden Girl", June 2009

Lovely lone lupine, March 2009

"Just the Two of Us" - California Quail couple, March 2009

"Dare to be Different!", late March, 2009

"Moo-ther and Child" - Happier California Cows who get to be cows, Jan. 2009

"Reaching Out" - "Grass Nut" native wildflower, April 2009

"Ladybug Love" ;-) April, 2009

One of the absolute best-ever sightings - a bobcat! Late March, 2009

I hope you've enjoyed this little journey as much as I did:-) I have so many photos, it's hard to choose - these are some of my absolute favorites, though. That bobcat was spotted just as we rounded a corner. We stopped a little distance away, and I quietly opened my door, stretched around, and started shooting. S/he was still a little ways off, and didn't notice us for the longest time. It was quite an experience, and an honor. Nature is so amazing, and getting back to it feels soooo good!

More to come!