Bluebird Zen

Yesterday, I was one lucky lady to be walking with my camera just as this beautiful Western Bluebird created this lovely scene! I snatched a shot just in time. This is the cropped version to get a better view of the Bluebird. I was very proud of myself, patting myself on the back :)

Here is the original shot of the bird, with the magnificent view in the San Jacinto Mountains.

Fast Forward to today, while looking at my Facebook Pages Feed, I see a local "Business" using my extraordinary photograph (the cropped version), saying this Bluebird was at their establishment, with no mention of me at all.  I've had images of mine stolen before, and it does bother me.  Give me the credit at least!!!

So I decided I needed to at least claim these photos as my own right here before they possibly spread more. Unfortunately, the one stolen didn't have my watermark on it.  Live and Learn... AGAIN.

Still loving and proud of my photo though!

Extraordinary Bug Photography.... If I do say so myself

I love the challenge of photographing insects. I'm a little behind in posting on my blog, but here are some of my recent shots.

First, here is my favorite from the past year. I took this photo of a June Bug from last summer.

This is quite a cute little bugger!!

Have you ever tried to take a picture of a Dragonfly in flight? Well, it's no easy task! I have tried many times, and I was lucky to catch this shot last summer while lounging on Mirror Lake in Yosemite.

This happened to be the large BumbleBee I believe that I have ever seen! It's enjoying the nectar of the Wild Mountain Sweet Pea, taken this summer, 2012.

Half Dome Thru the Years - Yosemite Art, part 2

Here's another look at the progressions of my plein air paintings while in Yosemite.

Our tradition from when we first started these journals we have made a point of going to paint Half Dome at sunset. This is why these pieces may be slightly more bright and saturated with color, it's the sunset glow.

Unless stated otherwise, these were painted from the bridge by North Pines campground.

2001


2003 from Sentinel Bridge


2004


2005


2008


2011 - from bridge by North Pines campground... This year we were extra ambitious and not only painted from the usual spot at the bridge by the campgrounds, but in another spot as well....


2011 - view from meadow by Curry Village

Progression of Yosemite Plein Air Art

I just returned from my trip to Yosemite! I'm most inspired when I'm there! I just want to paint constantly. Always seeing something beautiful everywhere you look can do that to a person.

I've been making our own travel journals for every trip we go on since 2001. There have been 6 trips to Yosemite since then. I've painted many scenes more than once, so I thought I would put them all down to compare from year to year.

My first group of scenes is from the North Pines campground, along the river, looking west, viewing upper Yosemite Falls.

It's interesting to see the progressions.... do you have a favorite?

2001


2003


2004


2005


2008


2011

Maze Rock

Recently we went to see the Hemet Maze Rock. I'd read about this fascinating petroglyph years ago, and finally journeyed out to see.



It was discovered in 1914 by Adelaid Wilson Arnold and her parents. Yes, there are other petroglyphs in the area, but these are from the local Cahuilla Tribe. This design seems to be more of Chinese origin and dates back to possibly 458 A.D. There are accounts of Buddhist missionaries sailing the seas in a Chinese junk, on a journey to spread Buddhism. This is long before Columbus set sail.



This symbol on the rock is Buddhist symbol, what they call a quadruple swastika. The maze traps evil spirits and allows travelers to proceed in peace. The square in the center symbolizes purity. Chinese coins have had the same square for centuries. There are other examples of these petroglyphs signifying a route these missionaries took.

Before this study was ever done, the original family that discovered this rock asked the local Cahuillans to see the maze. They responded that it was very old and and their father's father had said it was made by the people who came from the sea.

Very interesting local Californian history!

A Snowy Tale

"When snow falls, nature listens" ..... - Antoinette Van Kleef



"After every storm the sun will smile".... - William R. Alger



"The impossible is often the untried." -Jim Goodwin ...... this is my impossible to pass through road



"Snowmen fall from Heaven unassembled." --Author Unknown



"The sun will shine in my back door some day"..... I know you Rider, traditional song


“Are cats lazy? Well, more power to them if they are” .......Ziggy is just bored with it all. He's too lazy to run and jump and play like some other dogs!

Wishing For Spring

Don't wish for Spring before it's time,
Thinking all will then be fine.
Time moves swiftly on its own,
Life flies by all alone.
Don't hope that it will faster fly,
Or it may listen, and then you die.
----Saffron


I wrote this poem March 5, 1992. Boy, my life hasn't changed much it seems. I still dwell on the winter weather, trying to survive it and it's hardships. This only makes me realize I still have over month of real winter here on the mountain. I have to deal with it as best I can.

Life for a Mountain Girl

So for the last couple of months I've been doing the stress-less job of yard work. I'm enjoying working outside, getting some exercise and experiencing the different environments of the mountain.


This week I worked at what has to be the most gorgeous yard on the hill! There's a natural pond, the water is just seeping out of the ground, which by the way up on this mountain of So Cal, is a pretty rare thing.


There is also the largest crop of lady bugs around here. This is just a small percentage of the many nests that I saw. No aphids are surviving in this yard.


And the highlight of the day was seeing this little cutie! I was lucky to get this shot. Yes, I'm a good worker, except when I stop to chit chat with the neighbors, or stop to take pictures of frogs.

Critter Encounters

I don't know what's up completely, but I've done a terrible job of keeping my blog alive this past month. I'm hopefully recovering now and will be back on track!!

Yesterday on a long walk to Inspiration Point, we saw this beauty . I love these thistles- crazy weeds, but so pretty.


Last week I was watching a lizard like this at a job where I was gardening. I couldn't get a shot of him, but I got this one instead. I don't know what kind they are, but they really seem to have a more lively personality than some lizards. And look at the blue under the neck. I love his expression too. If I had more time right now I might research to find what kind it is. But there is no time right now, so have to save it for a boring day.... you know, those come around all the time, right??

Strawberry Creek in March

Went on a walk on Strawberry Creek today. This is the creek that runs through town. Always a nice peaceful place to walk. I can't wait for the greenery to burst out in a month or so. Soon it will be filled with Azalea, Wild Rose, Berries and other assorted plants.

You can see how I get a little bit inspired by this place if you see my art in the previous post.


Here's Wesley standing with a pretty large old growth 2-in-1 Cedar Tree. You can almost imagine you're out in Sequoia National Park, our own little piece of heaven.

Deer Springs Trail

Went on a much needed mini hike today up Deer Springs Trail. You can't walk through a high elevation, sunny hillside without finding some gorgeous manzanita. Just as lovely dead as alive. Beautiful, yet very fire prone.


I can never capture just how very enormous this Live Oak is. You can see Wesley standing at the bottom for scale. It's very difficult to do a tree justice with a camera. Even though it lost a limb probably from the heavy snowfall this Winter, it still takes up an incredible amount of space on the hillside.


Just another view of the famous Tahquitz Rock, also known as Lily Rock. This is a trademark for the area, our own mini Half Dome.


Wesley wanted to see just how far I've been walking lately when I trek out to Inspiration Point. So we took a little drive. Here's another view of Tahquitz Rock, as well as the surrounding area. You can see the rock just to the right of the center of the picture.
Yes, I very lovely day and weekend, and made me a little antsy for the warm months coming soon! Just another day in the life up here a mile high.

More Snowy Goodness

Crazy icicles. Beware, don't get stabbed.


Burned some calories shoveling today. Is this the San Jacintos, or the Rockies?


Pretty boy, Ziggy. He thinks it's very inconvenient to get around, and hardly worth it. He chooses to sit and watch the boy, rather than join him.


My own little view of the peak.


WARNING: RANT AHEAD!.....
Why must I have the neighbors that have their road plowed, then have the burm totally block the road? Hello, we live down this road too!! While no one's gonna be driving for a while here, and I do luckily have another easier way out, they will eventually come. They did this in December, and people end up getting stuck as they drive down the road. Then even after it melts there's this huge bump in the road, which will only be worse now after this latest act of neighborly love.

Deep Beneath The Cover

"Deep beneath the cover of another perfect wonder, where it's so white as snow." -- Red Hot Chili Peppers

I'm completely buried again. After years of drought, first we get a near record storm (at least since I've been in the mountains) before Christmas, then near drought all of January, then record storm again!!

I trudged out into it with great difficulty, to get some pix. My house looks pretty charming I think.... charming - alternate way to say tiny shanty)


It snowed all day, and is still snowing now.


It's beautiful, yes, but sometimes there's only so much beauty a person can take. I am glad for the forest though.

Sunshine after the Storm

I was able to walk out of my yard today, but not without great difficulty. The poor trees are all bent over, and the manzanita bushes are blocking my gate leading out of the yard. Plus the snow goes up way higher than my boots, and that makes walking very awkward! I did go to my street though, and got this wonderful shot of my neighbor houses across the road.


Is that my van in there? What a lot of shoveling to get that out. I did a lot of it today. I've got another day to get it out. I'm hoping to drive it out on Saturday.


I can never get enough of the gorgeous blue skies behind the glistening white snow.


I'm just amazed at the amount of snow up on the tops of the trees. My photos don't seem to do it justice.

Yes, it is a Winter Wonderland for sure!!