Colorful~Photo Hunt 080710

I'm taking a break from posting photos of and near Deep Canyon today. Instead, I wanted to post some of the beautiful and colorful produce that is available up in a farmer's market in Anza, CA. They hold their swap meet the first and third Saturday of every month, and since this is the first Saturday, they will be having it again today. I went last week and this produce vendor was there with all of these beautiful and colorful crops. I can't wait to return this morning and see what is available! Here in the desert, our farmers have a 365 day growing season! They rotate their crops from cool season ones to warm season ones. I notice that during August, they till the land and get ready to plant for the fall. Hmmmm....that sounds like another day's photo trip! But, today, it's back to the farmer's market! Photo Hunt for Saturday, August 7, 2010. For other participants and their colorful photos, please visit: http://tnchick.com/archives/1854

Smoke tree and blossoms~Favorite Photo Friday 080610

Okay, I've experimented with Picasa and I've resized and cropped this photo, so I'm hoping I can upload it to Friday Photo Favorites! I did it! Here's the info: Taken with a Nikon D40x, Tamaron 18-200mm lens (with macro). Aperature: f9.0 and ISO 200. No special lighting, except for my polarizing lens. This was SOOC (straight out of the camera), but I did crop it and resize it to post it on Friday Photo Favorites. It is my favorite photo for the week because it shows a side canyon of Deep Canyon and the dark blue/violet blossoms on the smoke tree. For other info on Friday Photo Favorites, please visit:http://favphotofri.blogspot.com/

Window at Santa Rosa Mountains Visitor Center~Windows Views and Doors, Too 080510

I love to stop by the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains Visitor Center, which is located at the bottom of the Santa Rosa mountains in Palm Desert, CA. They have all kinds of interesting things inside: books, maps, hiking guides, hats, rocks, and cold drinks! The cold drinks are certainly appreciated here in our desert, especially on hot August days! They use solar panels for their electrical needs, especially air conditioning! And, the rangers are very friendly and knowledgeable. It is at the base of Deep Canyon and I need to spend more time there. Window Views and Doors, Too for August 5, 2010.

"C"is for chickens~ABC Wednesday 080410

My friend Barb has chickens at her house! And, Sunday afternoon, when I went up there to see them, one wandered into the main house! A chicken in the house! They live near the end of Deep Canyon and sometimes bighorn sheep wander onto the golf course there during the winter. We didn't see bighorn sheep, but the chickens were out and about on Sunday! ABC Wednesday for August 4, 2010.

Santa Rosa Mountains Visitor Center~That's My World 080310

On Sunday morning, I took my aunt and uncle with me to the Santa Rosa Mountains Visitor Center. The SRMVC is at the base of Deep Canyon and Highway 74 in Palm Desert, CA. It is open 7 days a week, from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. I drive by it every time I go visit my horses up in the mountains. There are lots of hiking trails there and it is the last set of buildings before one starts to drive up winding Highway 74, so it backs up to open desert. In the fall, I would like to take the Henderson Trail, which climbs up into the foothills. It's too hot to do that now, so I'll wait for cooler weather. My aunt decided to sit outside on the patio, enjoy the scenery, and listen to the birds. She wandered into the building, where they have books, shirts, hats, maps, and all kinds of "goodies" for sale. After our walk, my uncle and I walked inside to enjoy the air conditioning and I took these photos. That's My World for Tuesday, August 3, 3020.

Prickly Pear~Cactus Monday and Macro Monday 080210

My friend, Barb (and fellow blogger http://worldlensphotography.blogspot.com/) invited me over to her house yesterday. We spent some of the afternoon just walking around the acreage and looking at all the native plants there. This prickly pear cactus had some fruit on it and I stopped to take a closer look (but not too close!) Cactus Monday and Macro Monday for August 2, 2010.

Indian petroglyphs~Sunday stills Challenge080110

These beautiful Indian petroglyphs are in a cave in the Joshua Tree National Park. JTNP is at the opposite side of our Coachella Valley and far away from Deep Canyon. I understand that there are some petroglyphs near Deep Canyon, but I haven't found them yet. Apparently there ARE some archaeological sites in the canyon and I will have to research this further, but access will be difficult. But, you can see these in Joshua Tree National Park, near the Barker Dam turnout. I always enjoy viewing petroglyphs and I hope to learn more about them. Sunday Stills Challenge for August 1, 2010.