Quad

My off-the-track thoroughbred, Quad, is very sick right now.  The vet came out Wednesday, tubed him, examined him, and wanted to put him down then and there.  Even with TWO rubber mats, he eats sand constantly and he has a slab of sand in his stomach and now has additional sand rubbing around.  He doesn't seem to be in too much pain, (he isn't stretching and he isn't thrashing), but he has horrible diarrhea and definitely isn't his usual perky self.  I drove up there yesterday afternoon to talk to the owner and see how he was doing.  NOT GOOD.  He, of course, isn't eating much, but we tried to get some psyllium into him, as well as soaked chia seeds.  The chia seeds make a very nice, thick gel.  He DID eat some of them with a few pellets. She will keep an eye on him today, give him some psyllium pellets,  and I'll go back tomorrow morning.  He's only 11, which isn't old for a horse.  HOWEVER, he keeps eating sand!  I saw him do it twice myself!  And, that's AFTER I swept off his rubber mats.  He moves off the mats to eat sand in his corral.  That seems to be a bad habit that he has.

He looks horrible...head down, ribs showing...that's because he isn't eating.  Please send prayers that he makes it.  He's such a love bug.  I hugged him and told him I love him...I know he understood...

Deep Canyon

Yesterday afternoon, after a stressful day at school, I decided to sit down and make another video.  It takes time to gather the photos, so off to my external hard drive I went.  Let's face it...it's 3 days before Halloween, a full moon is rising, and it is Red Ribbon Week.  The kids are higher than kites!

I found these photos in one of the folders from 2011.  That was the last year of a good snowfall.  Our Santa Rosa mountains haven't had a decent-sized snowfall since then.  They have had a dusting of snow already this year, however, and we are ALL hoping for snow this winter.

I also posted a link to the newest video...this one is just on Deep Canyon with snow.
       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6LEHieFhuo

And, here are some of the photos that didn't make it to the video.  I really had to shorten up the photos, as the music is only a minute and a half!

 Looking across the Coachella Valley to Joshua Tree National Park.

 This view is from Vista Point, looking down into the tip of the Salton Sea.

 After the storm...rivers of water left this design behind.

 Native plants were covered with snow.  I drove up there the morning AFTER the storm!

 See the snow on the road?  Lots of people were driving down from Pinyon and Idyllwild that morning.

 Snow on the rocks...

Another view of Highway 74.

Video ~ Deep Canyon

Okay, here's the video of Deep Canyon.  I'm STILL trying to figure out transitions and animations, so this is only how far I've gone to this date.  I'll continue to play around with Windows Movie Maker.  If anyone has any tips/ideas/suggestions for transitions, etc., PLEASE let me know.  Thanks!  I pulled out my hair for 2 hours last night and did another short one.  I did figure out that you have to click on the transition feature you want as the movie is RUNNING!  OYE!

Please do leave a comment.  Thanks!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3038Dv6iEOM

Making a new YouTube video and pulling out my hair!

Okay, so it's been 6 years since I've made my last YouTube video, but COME ON!  It isn't that hard to figure out how to lay the music over photos.  That's the easy part.  Now I want to add some transitions and special effects and DANG IT!  That I can't figure out!  It is a whole lot easier to do this on an MacBook (which I have for school), but I don't want to do it on a MacBook.  I want to do it on my Sony laptop.  URGH!

I made a folder of photos for Deep Canyon and thus importing them onto the movie maker was easy.  Here are a few I added yesterday:  (No, the video isn't done yet...sigh...)  These will be in the video, whenever I get it finalized.

6 years!

I was on my YouTube channel last week and I realized that I had NOT made a video in... 6 years!  Wow!  Where did the time go?

Well, in that time, I lost my beautiful mare, Beauty, to a stupid, freak corral accident.  I went up to the ranch one Saturday morning and she was lying down.  She would always call to me from her corral.  As I drove in the driveway, she didn't move.  I felt it in the pit of my stomach...I knew she was dead.  She was.  She apparently got down to roll, hit her head on the metal railing, and that was it.  Gone.  Gone forever.  I quit making videos of my horses after that (they are all on my YouTube channel)...Then I lost Cali in December of 2013 to colic and a twisted intestine.  OYE!  Both of my "pocket ponies" were gone.  In August of 2009, another blogger paid for Quad's transport to the ranch.  Someday I'll do a video about Quad.

But, in the meantime, I wanted to practice, so I did this one last night of our Eastern Sierra Nevada trips in June of 2011.  This was the year of the 120% Sierra snowpack.  Even in June, the high passes weren't open yet!  Snow was piled 10 feet up by Yosemite.  We loved it and here are some of the photos.  I took all of them except the last 7, which my husband took.  If I were to go through his photos, you would see a big difference!  He always shoots in thirds, he thinks about the composition, whereas I just basically point and shoot.  He is the real artist!

Anyway, please do stop by and view it and leave a comment.    

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbFRelwx95A

Pinyon and clouds~SkyWatch Friday~102315

As I was driving back down the mountain last Sunday, I pulled over to allow some cars behind me to pass.  There aren't many turnouts coming down the mountain and I don't like tailgaters.  While I was waiting for the 4 cars to pass, I glanced out the window and saw this.  Very pretty, don't you think?  Even if it is a dead pinyon.  There's something graceful about them.  SkyWatch Friday for October 23, 2015.  To visit SkyWatch Friday, please go to:    http://skyley.blogspot.com/2015

Fences and Clouds~Good Fences~102215

I love to drive around our local mountains and see clouds, fences, and even fog!  We don't often have fog down in the desert where we live, but 35 minutes away, up in our local mountains, I often see it as the clouds barely pass over the tops of them.  I hope to see more this season!  Good Fences for Friday, October 23, 2015.  To visit GF, please go to:    http://run-a-roundranch.blogspot.com/

Hummingbirds at the ranch

I'm always amazed to see the number of hummingbirds up at the ranch in Anza.  Last Sunday, there were over a dozen of them!  The owner has 4 different feeders, but they were mostly gathered around the one right off her front porch.  Of course, they have oak trees up there, and lots of different plants and shrubs that we don't have here in the desert.  I'm lucky if I even see two hummingbirds at one of my feeders!

Anyway, they put on quite a show on Sunday.  Here are a couple of photos I took of them. I did crop them, but you may wish to click on each photo to see it enlarged.

Clouds and fog in the mountains yesterday

After several days of thunder, lightning, and rain, yesterday morning (Sunday) still had lingering clouds.  I could see our local Santa Rosa mountains hiding behind them.  I needed to get up to the horse ranch to (1) check on the horses and give them their chia seeds, and (2) give the ranch owner my monthly board check.  So, about 9:00, I headed up the mountain.

It was foggy and a bit drizzly, but I loved every minute of it!  Even though we had rain in the desert, the mountains just SMELL different!  I love that smell!

By the time I was near Garner Valley, and the Anza turnoff, there was fog drifting along the highway, so I drove through Garner Valley.  I went out Devil's Ladder (yes, that's the name of the road!) and drove by the property we owned 37 years ago.  We had a 5 acre parcel and we used to camp on it with our VW camper, but once our first child came along, we sold it.  I wasn't working and it was too much for us at that time.  But, we both have wonderful memories of that property!   We used to take our first German Shepherd along with us...2 people and a dog in a VW camper van!  Ahhhh....those were the days (1977 and 1978)!

The horses were all screaming for another meal (jeeze...shaking head...), so I gave them their pellets and supplements.  I'm using chia seeds instead of psyllium now.  First, I can buy ORGANIC chia seeds at Whole Foods.  I figure that if it is going to "clean them out", I better use organic!  Second, chia seeds have a lot of nutrients which plain psyllium doesn't.  Also, it makes their coats shiny and it benefits their hooves, too.

I only stayed about an hour.  I didn't exercise any of them.  The ground was too wet and soggy from all the rain up in Anza the past few days.  There should be 3 or 4 days of clear weather, but another storm is on its way!

 Clouds above Santa Rosa mountain...

 I love how the clouds move in...

 This is the house on the property we used to own.  The fence was up in 1977/78, but we never built on it.  One of the Garner cattle property managers used to call this lot "the snake pit" because of all the rocks.  And, yes, hubby DID run into a rattlesnake once!  I never did, however.  I believe I made so much noise when I was out hiking that I scared them away!  A few of the trees are starting to turn up there.

This was once a thoroughbred breeding farm.  Now it is a horse boarding facility.  I love how the clouds settle into this area.

Toro Peak black and white

We had another night of horrific thunderstorms and RAIN!  Boy, did it rain!  We had a downpour right over our house for about 20 minutes, until it headed off toward Palm Springs!  I turned off all the lights (hubby had gone to sleep) and just sat and watched the light show.  of course, I had a black lab up in my lap!  She hates thunder!

By morning, it was gone, with just a few lingering clouds.  I checked the Toro Peak webcam and saw this image in black & white.  I think it is eerie...That's the valley below completely socked in with clouds.

Boy did we have a storm here last night!

The sky was threatening all day yesterday.  I prayed for NO RAIN so the kiddos could have their recess (they got it) and then prayed again at lunch.  We were spared until about 2:00 p.m.  Then, the heavens opened up with lightning, thunder, and rain.  The thunder was right above our school and I taught the kids how to count, "1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi"... basically to calm them down.  I even SCREAMED at one thunder clap!  One boy completely lost it and dove under his desk and was sobbing.  He's asthmatic and he was wheezing, so I called the office and had 2 volunteers take him up there.  He was also crying for his mother, so off he went.  Jeez...don't need that in 3rd grade!  Then 2 girls got hysterical, so there went my afternoon math lesson.  I turned off the lights and the rest of us watched the lightning show.  Some kids gathered with me at the back table and did some colored chalk artwork about the lightning, while others gathered in small groups.  I basically let them do whatever they wanted.  There was NO point in even trying to teach them!  I talked to one of my colleagues at after school duty and she pretty much did the same thing.

By the time I was driving home, the high desert was getting SOAKED.  29 Palms really got hit and there was flooding.

About dusk, it started up again in our neighborhood and I opened all the doors and windows to allow the fresh air to come inside.  Hubby was watching a baseball game and I retreated to the bedroom to watch the storm cell move through.  These cells move quickly and this one came up from the Salton Sea.  Boy, did it put on a show!  Several fires were started when lightning hit trees in a few valley cities and I could hear fire trucks constantly moving to where they were needed.  It was quite an evening, indeed!  I finally konked out about 8 p.m. and the thunder was about 20-25 miles away.

Here's a link to our local news station and their article about the storm:    http://www.kesq.com/news/lightning-causes-fires-around-coachella-valley/35869268

We had a thunderstorm this morning and now I'm hearing... RAIN!

A series of storm cells moved through the Coachella Valley last night and the thunder and lightning started at 2:00 a.m.  I awoke to it about 4:00 a.m.  Right now, at 5:15, it is POURING right now, but it will only last a few minutes.  More thunder...this time coming from the Santa Rosa mountains.  I was seeing it across the valley, over Joshua Tree national park.

Here's a link to the video our news station had on TV this morning:

http://www.kesq.com/news/lightning-show-all-across-the-coachella-valley/35853740

I hope we don't have "rainy day schedule" which means we have to stay inside with the kids.  Ugh.

Sunrise and clouds this morning

We're scheduled to have showers over the next 3 days, so this morning, I took a peak from the Toro Peak webcam.  This is looking south, where most of the clouds are coming through the mountains.  I hope we DO get showers!  And, some RAIN!  Wouldn't that be wonderful?

Unfortunately, I'm home today...dizzy, headache, bodyache.  I'm going to take some NyQuil and sleep for most of the day.  Just one of those occupational hazards .  Teachers get SICK from whatever GERMS the kids bring with them to school.

Enjoy your day.
~Cheryl Ann~

Just some mountain views

I drive through the Santa Rosa mountains to get to the horse ranch where I board my horses, but I mostly view the nearby San Jacinto mountains.  And, last weekend, with the storm moving in, the views were welcomed, especially after our LONG, HOT summer.  We still are having days with triple digits here in the desert and it will be about 87 degrees up at the ranch today, and there are NO clouds at all.  I really miss the clouds.  They add so much texture!

 I stopped at Pinyon to take this photo and the one below.  That's looking out toward Mt. San Jacinto.

 This would be where the Palm Springs Indian canyons are.  In fact, if you follow them, this is about the spot where you would come out in the Santa Rosa mountains.

Oak Glen fences ~Good Fences ~ 10/09/15

I was really intrigued by ALL the fences up in Oak Glen, CA last weekend.  I want to return, with hubby, and take more photos.  If you decide to visit Oak Glen, go EARLY before all the parking spaces are taken!  There were lots of people by 10:30 a.m.!!!  Please enjoy your time there and enjoy the sights and sounds!  Good Fences for October 9, 2015.   To visit Good Fences, please go to:   http://run-a-roundranch.blogspot.com/

Road trip!

I had a doctor's appointment yesterday, and I had to take the entire day off (why take 1/2 day when it is beautiful and cloudy?)  Oh, well...

I ended up driving out to the Whitewater Preserve.  It was just too nice to sit home.  But first I stopped at George's German deli in Calimesa and bought a sandwich.  I also bought some Black Forest ham and butter cheese to bring home for hubby.  I took my sandwich and some Whole Foods veggie straws with me and I had a picnic up at the Whitewater Preserve, which is one of my favorite places!  It was cool up there and the clouds were moving in overhead, but I didn't mind!  I listened to the wind in the sycamore trees and walked around.  It was eerily quiet.  There were hardly any people there at all!  I guess midweek is THE time to visit!

 Windmills peeking over the hills...

 The Whitewater River.  This is diverted into holding ponds for the Coachella Valley's underground water.

 I love the ranger station up there!

 Another view...lots of windows.

 One of the trout ponds up there.  Very peaceful!

 Looking up toward the San Bernardino mountains and that is the area where the huge fire burned this past summer (up higher in the mountains)...

More windmills.  This area gets a TON of wind because there are two 10,000 foot mountains on either side of the pass and the wind is funneled through that pass. Yes...one mountain is 10,000 feet...the other one is actually 11,000 feet!  You read that correctly!  They are two of the tallest peaks in Southern California...Mt. San Jacinto and Mt. Gorgonio.  Mt. San Jacinto is 10,833 feet and Mt. Gorgonio is 11,503 feet.

Wildlands Conservacy

If you go to Oak Glen, be sure you go to the Los Rios ranch, which is beyond the big turn in the road and is several apple ranches up.  It is on your left, if you come up from  Beaumont.  This is where the Wildlands Conservacy is developing their project and that alone is worth your time.  Come early and get a good parking spot!  When you are done with your walk, you can buy fresh corn and a nice BBQ piece of meat!  :-)

Windows

I'm still getting used to this dang 55 mm lens.  I REALLY miss my telefoto lens and sooner, rather than later, I'm going to have to replace it.   Right now, however, our furnace is our #1 priority as it is 17 years old!  And, we aren't sure if it will get us through another winter, so I'm saving up to replace it.

But, on Saturday, it was all enjoyment up at Oak Glen.  I took a couple of photos at Riley's Farm (the top two) and then a couple looking out the windows at Los Rios ranch.

Grrrrrrr!!!!! Shadow Shot Sunday 100415

The granddaughter yesterday at Oak Glen, CA (apple country)...I'm not quite sure what she is doing!
Shadow Shot Sunday for October 4, 2015...

To visit SSS, please go to:   http://www.shadowshotsunday2.blogspot.com/

Oak Glen (apple country) visit

Yesterday was one of the few Saturdays our daughter wasn't involved with something, so we scheduled a day to visit Oak Glen.  For those of you who don't know Southern California, Oak Glen is apple country, along with Julian.  Julian, however, is toward San Diego.  Oak Glen is right above Yucaipa and Beaumont.

We met for breakfast in Banning and I left my car there and I piled into our daughter's car.  The granddaughter was along for the day and she was happy to see all the sights!  I bought her a "shopping basket" which she then carried around for the rest of the day!   :-)

We saw two deer cross the road before we arrived at our first stop, Riley's Farm.  You can self-pick apples there and they have some interesting shops.  Very pricey, however.  Everybody dressed up as Amish folk.  There were still some strawberries and raspberries on their vines, and we took a walk along the trail there.

Next, we stopped at Los Rios, which is actually our favorite place.  They have a petting zoo for the kids and there is PLENTY of parking.  We arrived there about 9:30 and the parking lots were filling up quickly.  They have plenty of food to buy, including fresh corn, and they also have a smoker going.  We went inside to see all the sights and I bought the granddaughter her "shopping basket" and I bought one, too, and some apple butter and some apricot butter, and a mug!  (I'm enjoying my coffee right now and using it!)  Then we went outside so GRANDMA could sit down and rest for a few minutes.  The Wetlands Conservacy (same organization which is up in Whitewater) is in the process of converting some of the Los Rios land into a nice little park (free!) for people, with trails, so off we went to discover what was there.  There are some nice kid-friendly walkways and a butterfly garden.  They are making a pond, too.  It would be nice to return when all that is finished.  There were LOTS of wild sunflowers growing up there, so I was happy.

Finally, we were all worn out, so we went down the Yucaipa side and stopped in Calimesa at George's German deli.  Sandwiches were bought and we spent an hour on their patio eating them and drinking some German sparkling drink with raspberry flavor.  YUM!  The little one was intrigued by their little fountain and fish pond (goldfish), but...hey...it kept her quiet!

Grandma came home and took a 2 hour nap.  I don't know what the little one did...:-)

 Our daughter and granddaughter looking at the pumpkins.

 "Mommie" is pointing out the raspberries that were still on the vines at Riley's Farm.

 Beautiful picnic area at Los Rios ranch.

 Corn grillin' on the stove!

Nice wagon in front of the Los Rios store!

The little one with her "shopping basket"...!!!