Back to the pinyon forest~Nature Notes~091511

There's a turnout right at this spot and you'd be surprised how many people pull over here, but never really look at the scenery.  To me, this is one of my favorite locations on Highway 74, which parallels Deep Canyon.  This is in the pinyon forest.  Sometimes I park and hike a way in and among the pinyons, but I'm always by myself and I'm hesitant to go too far from my car as there are mountain lions in these mountains!  Hubby doesn't go with me on weekends and that's when I usually travel up the road.  So, off I go, armed only with my camera.  I'm accompanied by a slight breeze and the cries of the scrub jays...ahhhhh....total bliss!  Nature Notes for September 15, 2011. To see Nature Notes, please go to:  http://ramblingwoods.com/

Santa Rosa mountains visitor center

I often take walks, especially on the weekends, at the Santa Rosa mountain visitor center.  It is at the base of Highway 74, which is the road that goes from Palm Desert to Idyllwild, then branches off to Temecula.  A lot of travelers from San Diego and Temecula take this road instead of sitting in traffic out on Interstate 15, which goes through Riverside and Moreno Valley.  All of my family drives Highway 74 when traveling to San Diego.  And the visitor center sits at the bottom of the road, which curves up next to Deep Canyon. There are hiking trails there, there's an interactive animal track station where people can see the tracks of various animals, there's a video inside the center, and there's also a gift shop.  I always buy my maps there and they have lots of childrens' books.  It's open every day from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and they are always prompt about opening up their gate.  So, if you are in the area, stop by!  Just be sure to wear walking shoes as there are cholla out on the trails! The best part?  It's FREE!

Santa Rosa mountains~Our World Tuesday~ 091311

I headed up to the Santa Rosa mountains last weekend.  The skies were cloudy and it was cool, a relief from our 113 and 114 degree days!  It was so nice to be able to get out early in the morning.  We had been having morning temps of over 90 degrees, which made it just too hot to walk, but the temps are now falling and I see a lot of joggers and walkers out in the morning.  Our World Tuesday for September 13, 2011. To visit Our World Tuesday, please go to:  http://ourworldtuesdaymeme.blogspot.com/

The view from atop a mountain

This was the view as we came over the top of Deep Canyon yesterday afternoon.  This huge thunderstorm soon settled over the eastern Coachella Valley and that night we watched its light show.

Sunset~SkyWatch Friday~090911

Our son called us the other evening and told us to go outside and view the sunset, that it was spectacular, and indeed it was!  We don't often get beautiful, colorful sunsets...maybe 3 or 4 times a year as we have a 10,000 foot mountain to the west of us.  But, once in a while, we do get gorgeous colors, like these.  I walked up the street and saw this view.  SkyWatch Friday for September 9, 2011. To visit SkyWatch Friday, please go to:  http://skyley.blogspot.com/

"The Dancer" ~Nature Notes~090811

And on the dirt road of my favorite spots (see yesterday's post), is an old, dead tree which I call "The Dancer".  Doesn't it look like a dancer with her sinewy limbs?  I caught it early one morning, about 7:30 a.m., as I was driving up to the ranch where I board my horses.  The light was perfect and I had my new CANON EOS 7D, which I'm still trying to figure out.  Hubby and I are going to a camera class this weekend just for CANON cameras, since we've both been using Nikon cameras.  No, I'm not giving away my Nikon and I still take it with me everywhere (as my backup camera!)  I kind of like this photo, with the clouds and the patches of light hitting the tree.  I always check to see if it is still there as I'm afraid one day it will be gone...Nature Notes for September 8, 2011. Please go to:  http://ramblingwoods.com/

My favorite place ~Outdoor Wednesday ~090711

I have a favorite spot along Deep Canyon in the pinyon forest.  There's a dirt road that goes through it and it's where I took the photo that is my header for this blog.  There is a small turnout nearby and I frequently see other people stopped there, taking photos.  It's got a great view of the canyon below and it is near a Cahuilla Indian site.  It's quiet and peaceful there, except for the noisy scrub jays!  They can be quite loud.  The fly and swoop through the pinyons at record-breaking speed.  This place is special for me and I have a feeling it was special for the Indians who lived nearby. Sometimes I just go there to clear my head.  The dirt road is very narrow and rutted and I actually drove partway out over it one time, but someday I'm going to hike all the way back through it (when hubby is along) and see what is at the end.  In the meantime, I'll stick to places near the highway and look at the clouds and pinyons and listen to the jays.  Outdoor Wednesday for September 7, 2011.  To visit Outdoor Wednesday, please go to:  http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/