Monsoon afternoon~Looking at the Sky on Friday for 100110

Yesterday afternoon up by Deep Canyon. The monsoon clouds moved in and the pinyon forest was sprinkled by storms moving through the area. The temperature suddenly dropped, the wind started up, and showers moved through the area. What a relief from our desert heat! Looking at the Sky on Friday for October 1, 2010.

Yesterday's rain

When I left school yesterday, I saw that the sky above Deep Canyon was dark and cloudy. I had my camera with me, so I drove up Highway 74. I stopped at Vista Point, which is an overlook, and took these photos. You can see the downpour, which is about at Desert Hot Springs. Quite a few other people had stopped at the overlook to view it, too. This is fairly common here in our desert. Some areas will have isolated thunderstorms and downpours, while others will be dry. More monsoon thunderstorms are forecast for the next two days and we just had lighting right above us early this morning. My black lab, Ripley, jumped onto her favorite chair and cowered and our German Shepherd went down the hallway and jumped on our bed!

Bare tree in Deep Canyon~Nature Notes 093010

What a difference a couple of days can make! I took the photos in the previous post on Sunday and I took this one today, Wednesday. Yesterday and today the monsoon clouds came into our valley and moved across Deep Canyon. I drove up my favorite road there after school this afternoon partly to enjoy the monsoon moisture which was moving in and partly to just enjoy Deep Canyon and the pinyon forests there. I rolled down my windows, heard the roll of long-distant thunder, and heard all kinds of birds in song. A covey of quail crossed the road in front of me. What a way to end a day! Nature Notes for September 30, 2010.

Scenes from Deep Canyon~That's My World, Outdoor Wednesday 092910

It was hot in the desert this past weekend and it was hot even up in Deep Canyon, but I still loved to stop and find interesting things there. I'm always amazed by its beauty, even on a day when the temps there soared to over 100 degrees. This is Highway 74, above Palm Desert, which parallels Deep Canyon. That's My World and Outdoor Wednesday 092910.

A sign of fall~Mellow Yellow Monday 092710

Although yesterday's daytime temperature set a new heat record, up in the mountains along Deep Canyon, fall has begun. My five horses are getting their winter coats. Leaves in the maples are starting to change colors. The nights are getting longer and cooler. I found this leaf hidden among the other green leaves Saturday, a sure sign that the seasons are changing. Mellow Yellow Monday for September 27, 2010.

Fall leaf shadows~Shadow Shot Sunday, SOOC 092510

Another attempt at Shadow Shot Sunday. I walked around the horse ranch today with my camera, looking for signs of fall. I found this leaf among the shadows. HA! We are in the middle of a heat wave. The desert will be 110 today and the mountains, where I board my horses, will be in the lower 100's. But, the days ARE getting shorter and the nights LONGER and my horses are already getting their winter coats! My little roan mustang is turning white, like she does in the winter! SSS for 092510 AND Straight Out of the Camera Sunday SOOC. To visit Straight out of the Camera Sunday, please visit: http://www.murrieta365.com. To visit Shadow Shot Sunday, please visit: http://heyharriet.blogspot.com/

"S" ~Sunday Stills Challenge 092510

Almost directly behind Deep Canyon runs another canyon. It is the one where Warner Springs lies. Sometimes hubby and I take that road, Highway 79, I believe, up to Julian for an apple pie run. Along the way sits an old STAGECOACH STATION in Oak Grove. On this trip, I took a friend with me as she had not been on that part of the road before. You know, I'd traveled by this old STAGECOACH STATION many, many times and never stopped to investigate it. There is an old barn right across the highway from it and we do stop there to take photos of the barn, but until this trip, I'd never even looked at the STATECOACH STATION. However, this day, I did and I'm glad I did. I just love old buildings and barns and this old STATECOACH STATION even had a plaque tellings its history. Apparently it was in operation from 1858 - 1861 as part of the Butterfield Stage Line, from St. Louis to San Francisco. Wagons from Yuma, Arizona stopped here. It's a good place for a stop. Oak Grove is a small grove of oak trees in the middle of this canyon and it is very shady. Water flows in the creek behind the STATECOACH STATION. It is also in SAN Diego county! It is only open on weekends now (I'd gone mid-week) and I'm sure with the budget crunch, it's probably closed then, too. I've never seen it open. Its gates have always been locked. But, someday I'll get there and walk around inside and take photos of it!~Sunday Stills Challenge for September 25, 2010...the letter "S". Ed, I'm sorry...I HAD to go back through my archives as I've had bronchitis all week and I didn't take ANY photos at all this past week!!!