Scenic Sunday~Yuccas 101010

Last Sunday I stopped at one of the turnouts and saw a dirt road used by the utility company to maintain their power lines near Pinyon. I decided to take that road and I'm glad I did or I would have missed these yucca blooms and the beautiful sky. Sometimes you have to get off the main roads and take those different ones, right? Scenic Sunday for October 10, 2010.

Billboard~Sunday stills Challenge 101010

This week's challenge was a real challenge for me because Deep Canyon lies on Highway 74, which is a narrow two-lane road that travels from the floor of Palm Desert to our local mountains. There are NO billboards along this road at all. So, I had to be a bit creative with this challenge. I DID find some interesting signs in one of the towns on top of the mountain, so I'm sharing them. Sunday Stills Challenge for October 10, 2010.

Mountain road and sky~Looking at the Sky on Friday 100810

Last Sunday I found a semi-maintained dirt road and decided to investigate it. The clouds were gathering while I was working with my horses. I looked up and decided I should get back down the hill to the desert before the skies opened up! But, I couldn't resist this road and its view! Looking at the Sky on Friday for October 8, 2010.

"L" is for...ABC Wednesday 100610

The Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard is a lizard that lives here in our valley and near the end of Deep Canyon. It is an endangered species. It has specially adapted webbed feet so that it can scamper around the sand dunes. There are some lizards up in the mountains which are a very dark color (snake lizards?) and they are HUGE! Every time I go by one of them, I spook and screech like a banshee! ABC Wednesday for October 6, 2010.

Sunday afternoon~Tree

After working with my horses Sunday, I looked up and noticed the clouds gathering overhead. I stopped to admire the sky and this pinyon tree at one of the turnouts. There were several other motorists who had stopped at various spots to take photos, too. It was a beautiful afternoon and by late afternoon, the desert was spotted with downpours.

Sunday Stills~red and green~October 3, 2010

I found these pretty bougenvilla blooming and thought they were perfect for this week's challenge, "red and green". They were up at the Bighorn development, which is at the foot of Deep Canyon. Sunday Stills for October 3, 2010.

Highway 74, late afternoon

I drove up Highway 74, which is the road that parallels Deep Canyon Wednesday afternoon, after school. Sometimes, for me, it just helps clear my head to get out and see "my" mountains! The temperature dropped, the clouds rolled in, and the afternoon shadows were long and crisp. Ahhhh.....what a wonderful time of the day!