Wildflowers and Fences~Friday's Fences~09=51110

When I drove up through Garner Valley last weekend, I was amazed to see so many wildflowers.  There were patches of these little yellow flowers everywhere.  Aren't they beautiful?  They'd had a nice rain up there about a week ago and the mountain lupines were much more evident this weekend than last.  I really enjoy driving through the valley and seeing fences, horses, and wildflowers, as well as tall pine trees!  Ahhhhh....what a great way to relax on the weekend!  Friday's Fences for May 11, 2012.

Owl~Nature Notes~051012

I FINALLY got an owl photo.  He wasn't up in the mountains, or up near Deep Canyon.  Instead, he was sitting on a water tower right across the highway from my school, down in Coachella, CA!  Another teacher told me that he's sitting there every morning, so one morning, since I was early, I drove across the highway and YUP!  There he was!  Isn't he adorable?  He wasn't happy with me taking photos of him (these also were taken with my little Nikon COOLPIX).  I believe he's a little burrowing owl.  I haven't had the time to return, but since I awoke at 3:00 a.m. today, I should have time to check him out.  I've been so busy spying on the pack of coyotes out in the area where I take my morning walk (see http://desertsandbeyond.blogspot.com for their story) that I haven't driven out to see this little guy!  Nature Notes for May 10, 2012.  He got quite upset with me after I took the bottom photo and flew off!  To visit Nature Notes, please go to:    http://ramblingwoods.com/

Lake Hemet and thunderheads~Our World Tuesday~050812

I was so amazed to see thunderheads yesterday!  We don't usually see them around here until our monsoon season, which is in late July and during August.  But May?  I can't remember the last time I saw them in May and I've lived here in the desert now for 39 years!  So, OF COURSE I wanted to drive up to the Santa Rosas and experience a spring thunderstorm!  It turns out that it was hailing somewhere up there (we didn't see any hail when we were there), but we did get some sprinkles.  Ahhhh....I can't wait for summer!  Aren't the thunderheads beautiful?  They were completely gone this morning...Our World Tuesday for May 8, 2012.  To visit Our World Tuesday, please go to this link:    http://ourworldtuesdaymeme.blogspot.com/

Up the mountain road TWICE!!!

Yes!  Can you believe it?  We went up and down the mountain road twice today.  The first time was this morning when I asked hubby to go along with me because I wanted to do a short hike.  He said, "Yeah, whatever..." and came with me, with his camera.  I noticed he stopped to take a few photos and to observe the animal prints around us.  We came home after driving through Garner Valley and then stopping to give the horses an extra meal.  Then, home to the desert for lunch and a nap.  When I awoke about 3:30 p.m., the entire western sky was covered with thunderheads.  Now, this was after I remarked to hubby, as we got home, "Look at that cloud.  Isn't that a thunderhead?"  to which he poo-pooed my observation.  I looked up Deep Canyon and it was dark and cloudy and when I announced, "I'm going BACK up there!" he came along!  We didn't get far when the temperature immediately fell.  It was cool and we could smell the moisture.  What a great afternoon!  It reminded me of those August afternoons when the thunderheads develop over the mountains.  I guess we had a little preview of summer, except it wasn't that hot in the desert!  We ended up driving all the way to Lake Hemet and looking at the thunderheads over the lake and walking around for a while in the day use area.  What a great way to spend an afternoon!  These are just some of the thunderheads over Lake Hemet this afternoon.

Morning light~SkyWatch Friday~050412

I never know what I'm going to see on my morning walk.  This week I've been spied upon by a pair of coyotes.  I see one of them every morning now.  He/she keeps its distance and I keep mine.  I don't want to interfere with it in any way as I suspect if it's a pair (and I've seen both of them), they probably have pups stashed somewhere.  But, on this morning, the clouds were hanging over the mountains, the sun was rising...ahhhh...it was a beautiful morning!  SkyWatch Friday for May 4, 2012.  That's looking up at the Santa Rosa mountains and up past Deep Canyon.  Highway 74 travels this mount and I drive up and down it every weekend to visit my horses.  I board them up in these mountains, out of the desert heat.  To visit SWF, please go to:    http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Footprints in the sand~Nature Notes~050312

I've been spending a lot of time lately studying animal footprints.  I must admit it...I'm FASCINATED by them! I even went out back this afternoon to study those of our son's Weimeraner and to observe how large they are!  He, after all, is a big dog!  I especially was studying his claw marks.  When I drove up to Garner Valley last Saturday (before heading off to visit my horses), I stopped at the end of Table Mountain Road.  There are lots of trails up there and I was thrilled to see that the wash had been wiped clean by the storm three days before.  I could hardly wait to see what footprints awaited me!  I spotted these right away!  They appeared to come out of the metal under the dirt road, but upon closer inspection, I found that the critter actually crossed the road on the other side and just came down through the wash here.  It didn't go through the culvert.  Hmmmm....I'm going to have to remember that.  I HAVE seen a bobcat up in Garner Valley once who DID go through the culvert and come out on the other side.  I was driving by my cousin's horse ranch and I just happened to glance down at the little wash runoff by her place and see...a BOBCAT!  RIGHT THERE!  By the time I fumbled around and got my camera out, it disappeared under the road, so I turned my car around and waited for it to come out the other side....Hehehehehe!  I GOT several photos of it before it bounded away!  I'll have to dig out those photos someday...Anyway, I followed this wash up a way, but these were the only clear footprints I saw...DARN!  The mountains haven't had any rain since the last storm, and I'm anxious to see what footprints are there for me this weekend!  Nature Notes for May 3, 2012.  To visit Nature Notes, please follow this link:   http://ramblingwoods.com/

A puzzle~Our World Tuesday~050112

I returned to the turnout with all the water bottles neatly stacked on the railing (see:  http://rav4adventures.blogspot.com/2012/04/preparing-for-summerour-world.html) this past Saturday to see where the trail went.  I was surprised to see that the area is actually closed off from January through September to allow the bighorn sheep some privacy during their birthing season.  I also took photos of the very bright and noticeable orange signs which tell people that the area is closed.  So, why are all the water bottles left there?  This is indeed a mystery.  I didn't even walk on the trail after reading the signs...Our World Tuesday for May 1, 2012.   To visit OWT, please go to:   http://ourworldtuesdaymeme.blogspot.com/