Monday, May 31, 2010

Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot / California State Flower

 Click on photo to enlarge!
The California state flower is the California Poppy.
They are blooming quite profusely around the state right now.

The theme is "state flower."

Sunday, May 30, 2010

That's My World Tuesday / Snowy Egret At The Bolsa Chica Wetlands Preserve, California USA

Click on photos to enlarge!
We spent the late afternoon and evening walking around the Wetlands Preserve at Bolsa Chica Beach this weekend.
It took awhile, but, finally the Snowy Egrets came around.
I think they are just simply divine!
You will be seeing them on more than one meme this week...I just couldn't stop photographing them!
This guy was "fishing" near the bridge where the water from the ocean fills the wetland area.
The tide was starting to come in and someone was HUNGRY!

Ahhh...he see's something!

Sunday Bridges / Wetlands Preserve, Bolsa Chica Beach, California USA

Click on photo to enlarge!
One of several bridges we crossed while walking around the many acres of the Wetlands Preserve at Bolsa Chica Beach, California USA.
May 29, 2010

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Scenic Sunday, Mellow Yellow / Yellow Roses Peeking Through a Fence

I pass this fence daily while walking my dog.
These yellow roses were waiting to greet us on the sidewalk.


Friday, May 28, 2010

Macro Flowers Saturday, Today's Flowers / Jane Magnolia Flowers

I believe the tree these flowers were on is called the Jane Magnolia.
I was at the Fullerton (California) Arboretum last weekend and saw this tree in full bloom!
What a beautiful sight it is.
But...the name of this tree was no where to be found, that I could see.
So...the handy dandy internet helped.
I think I matched these images correctly.
CORRECTION:
Now that I have seen better photos, I am sure this is NOT the Jane Magnolia Tree.
I'll continue my search...
Thank you, Arija, from Garden Delights!
I now know it is an Orchid Tree!



Thursday, May 27, 2010

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Face of the Week / Chase and the Bees

Today is the last day I will have my little grandson while his mommy is working.
It's the last day of school and she will not be returning to the classroom until next January, since she will be staying at home with our second grandson due to be born in mid-August.
I am going to miss this little guy on a Monday-Friday schedule, but, he will visit often.
He had been amusing himself by watching the bees in the flowers.
He was showing me that his hands were no where near the bees!
He is a little clown!

Ruby Tuesday / Red Rose

A red rose for Ruby Tuesday.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Watery Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday / The Rock Caves at Corona Del Mar, California USA

Click on photo to enlarge!
Looking at the rocky bluffs of Corona Del Mar from the Wedge at Newport Beach.
My friends and I used to play in those caves when we were kids.
Now I sit and watch other kids do what we used to do.
Geez...time flies!
It seems like just last year.
This is a wonderful place to watch the sailboats go in and out of Newport Harbor.


Sunday, May 23, 2010

That's My World Tuesday / Rocks and Train Tracks on the High Desert

Please click on photos to enlarge to full screen!
I posted these same rocks as a reflection in the side view mirror of my car for the Weekend Reflections meme, last Friday.
This is the view when I drove down the dirt road and then walked to the side of the railroad tracks.
It was getting close to that "magic" hour of low light just before sunset.
I hoped a train would roll through, but, no luck this time.
This is an area on the high desert where the freight trains travel through the mountain passes to and from the Los Angeles area.

I liked how the light illuminated the  foreground.
 
...here, I was hoping a train didn't show up!
I was liking the lens flare I was getting at this angle.

A tunnel is barely visible down the tracks.
I really like being out here in the high desert hoping to hear the lonely sound of a train whistle coming down the tracks.


Saturday, May 22, 2010

Mellow Yellow, Color Carnival, Macro Flowers Saturday, Today's Flowers, Macro Monday / Matilija Poppy

I saw these "Fried Egg Flowers" at the Fullerton Arboretum yesterday.
I saw them on Ebie's post, from the Main Ingredient,  last week and had to get to the arboretum to see them for myself!

 These flowers are also known as the Matilija Poppy.

...or the Tree Poppy.

They like to reach for the sky!

They are massive shrubs.
These are growing on three sides of this building.
I am not sure why they can be called "Tree Poppies" when they grow as a shrub.
They can be found on hillsides in coastal canyons in Southern California and parts of Mexico.

Macro Flowers Saturday

Today's Flowers

Macro Monday

 Color Carnival

 Mellow Yellow

Mosaic Monday

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Weekend Reflections / Mirrored Reflections of the High Desert

 Click on photos to enlarge!
This image is a reflection in my side view mirror on the driver's side of my car.
I took a drive out to the high desert a few days ago mainly to photograph these rocks on Highway 138 just west of Interstate 15.
This highway takes skiers and snowboarders to the Wrightwood Ski area, and beyond, along the north side of the San Gabriel Mountain Range...or the high desert side.
You can see the bridge that carries freight trains, one after another, through the mountain pass here.
I was waiting for a train to pass but, it took longer than I could wait.
Isn't that Murphy's Law?
Any other time they are only 10 to 15 minutes apart.

This is the same view in the mirror but I widened the angle to catch what I could see looking ahead.
Yes...I was the driver, but I parked on a side road to get these shots!
As you can see...still NO train!

Thank you, James, for hosting this meme!

Looking at the Sky on Friday and SkyWatch Friday / Hmmmm...Will It Rain?

Click on photo to enlarge!
The sky over the Claremont Wilderness Park a few days ago when a weather system was blowing in from the northwest.
We got a few showers but nothing significant this time.
Claremont, California USA


Tuesday, May 18, 2010

ABC Wednesday / "R"

Click on photos to enlarge!
The back-side of the Cedar Springs Dam at Silverwood Lake is covered in rocks.
I noticed a red spiky bush along the fence bordering the dam, which is 3350 feet in elevation.
High Desert, Southern California, USA

That's a whole lot of rocks!

The theme this week is the letter R.