Hawk~Nature Notes~100611

I went for an afternoon walk yesterday at my favorite morning walking spot, which is one the dirt roads around the city-owned golf course. We aren't allowed to walk IN the course, but there are dirt roads around it.  There are always a lot of animals to see here...coyotes, ravens, roadrunners, jackrabbits, cottontails, ducks, geese, herons, egrets...It really depends on the time of year.  Right now geese and ducks are flying into the valley and I frequently see them overhead.  But, on this afternoon, it was a pair of Cooper's hawks that caught my attention.  One of them was on the ground in front of me and when I approached, it took off.  Soon, it was joined by another one and away they went, soaring high above me. I watched them swirl until they disappeared.  Nature Notes for October 6, 2011. To visit Nature Notes, please go to;  http://ramblingwoods.com/

Storm on the way

A wet, cold Arctic storm is bearing down on Deep Canyon and the mountains around it.  It was windy yesterday, but today should have more wind.  I'll try to get up to Pinyon and take some photos as I love the mountains when they are changing due to the weather.  They may even get a dusting of snow.  Today is an early release day at school for the kids, and I have a meeting for an hour, but I should be able to get up there before dark.  I'm anxious to see them with clouds hovering around them. This photo was taken on Saturday, before the storms (we already had one yesterday) moved in.

Santa Rosa mountain and walk~Our World Tuesday~100411

My friend Barb lives up in the pinyon forest in Pinyon, CA.  She has a two acre ranch there with 3 horses, a turkey, 4 chickens, and 4 dogs.  She takes a daily walk through the pinyon forest with her dogs and so Saturday morning, we both headed out toward Santa Rosa mountain.  I love the pinyon forest there.  There's always something to see.  Aren't the views terrific?  I LOVE walking up here and this is only about a mile away from two of my favorite walking roads.  Our World Tuesday for October 4, 2011. To visit Our World Tuesday, please go to:  http://ourworldtuesdaymeme.blogspot.com/

Manzanita in the fall

The manzanita along Deep Canyon  is awesome right now!  It's a beautiful shade of rust and lines Highway 74 from Pinyon to the cutoff at Highway 371.  I stopped Saturday and took these photos.  I just HAD to get out and look at it.  During the rest of the year, it isn't this bright.  Two huge storms are heading our way this week and the mountains already had another one on Friday.  The road to the horse ranch was muddy and I skidded along it.  I just heard that Pennsylvania has already had its first snow and our mountains may get some this week, which would be about four weeks early.  They sometimes get snow by Halloween, but even that's early.  The Palm Springs tram always has a "snow guessing" contest, but if they get measurable snowfall this week, I don't believe the contest has even started!  That would be an extremely early snowfall.

Water droplets~Sunday stills Challenge~100211

Water droplets on one of the acacia trees in my front yard.  We have several that have come up by themselves and they provide shade for our house, which is nice in the summer.  However, my daughter found out that she is extremely allergic to most of the trees in our front yard:  eucalyptus, palo verde, and acacia.  These are the sweet acacia and in the spring they are covered with fragrant yellow balls.  We have a family of little birds, verdin, I think, which make their nest in these trees.  Sunday Stills Challenge for October 2, 2011. To visit Sunday Stills, please go to:  http://sundaystills.wordpress.com/

Highway 74~First of the Month~100211

I drove up Highway 74, along Deep Canyon yesterday morning to stop and visit a friend who lives in Pinyon.  It was early in the morning and the sunlight was just right for some views looking back toward Palm Desert.  There were quite a few cars going up the mountain and coming down too. To visit First of the Month, please go to:  http://www.murrieta365.com/

The mission at Santa Ysabel

Sever!al of you have written to me and told me you are familiar with this area or you grew up near here and I'm so happy to hear that!  We've driven this road for years, ever since I was a kid, but until I got my first camera several years ago, I never really stopped to LOOK at all the interesting spots along it!  Now I can't wait to go back and see more.  I've drive past this mission for over 50 years and never stopped there until last Sunday.  And, what a quaint, peaceful place it is!  Santa Ysabel is right off Highway 78, west of the little town of Santa Ysabel.  There's a large cemetery out front, which I neglected to walk over and check out (next trip...) and we were greeted  by several large ground squirrels.  There was a slight breeze this day and the wind was making the large chimes up in a tree move and sound out.  Ahhhh....total peace.  I felt very relaxed there.  Hubby and I wandered around for about half an hour and I really didn't wish to leave!  Next time we drive by this area, we will definitely stop again.  It's apple season up in Julian and this is right on the way, so I'm sure we'll be back a couple of times this autumn.