Update on pepper crop

To update yesterday's post, I drove out past the pepper fields this morning.  The growers weren't burning anything as it didn't get down to freezing last night.  HOWEVER, the pepper crop has been ruined.  The local news is running stories about how the peppers have ALL been frozen and are mush on the inside.  So, on my way home, I took the side roads through Coachella and Indio to see the crops there.  One field of peppers were covered with cloth and I didn't trespass to observe those crops, but, judging by the footprints, other people had been there before me.  I hope they got some un-frozen peppers.  It is indeed sad that an entire crop has been lost to frost and it WILL cost consumers more at the store!

Smoke in the sky~SkyWatch Friday~120911

Every morning this week, I've observed haze from the fields down by my school.  We've had hard frosts here every morning this week and the pepper crop has been devastated.  Growers, in an attempt to save the peppers, have resorted to burning piles of SOMETHING on the edge of the rows, creating the haze which can be seen from Interstate 10.  Yesterday morning I drove out by the fields to see what was going on.  This is what I saw.  SkyWatch Friday for December 9, 2011.  I should mention that the local news did announce that the valley's pepper crop has been ruined by the frosts....sigh... To visit SkyWatch Friday, please go to:  http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Stokin' the fires~Creative Exchange~120911

I drove out past the fields near my school this morning because for the last 3 mornings, I've seen the smoke curling up from them.  I brought my camera with me today.  A couple of years ago, when we had another deep freeze, farmers were burning bales of hay.  I couldn't tell what they were burning this morning, but I saw this worker stoking the fires.  I do believe thepiles were hay or straw.  I'll drive by tomorrow morning, when I have more time, and take more photos.  Creative Exchange for December 9, 2011. To visit Creative Exchange, please follow this link:  http://www.the-creative-exchange.com/

I've got my eye on you~Nature Notes~120811

These ducks were keeping their eyes on me at the park last week.  Okay, maybe not.  This one couldn't be disturbed from his/her nap!  Aren't they adorable?  I love to watch them at the park.  I counted 12 white ducks now.  There were 8 earlier in the season.  Nature Notes for December 8, 2011. To visit Nature Notes, please go to:  http://ramblingwoods.com/

Birds in my yard and scrub jay

I've written about "my" scrub jay before.  He SHOULD be up in the pinyon forest, which is about 15 miles up Highway 74.  However, he's taken up residence in our neighborhood now for going on 3 years.  Every once in a while he disappears for a few days, but then he reappears, sitting on our front fence and peering at me sideways!  I had been putting out birdseed for the sparrows, finches, and doves who visit our yard and he just appeared one morning.  He's been hanging around our neighborhood ever since.  Here are some photos of the birds in our front yard.  I have to take these in the afternoon as it is still too dark in the morning, when I leave to school, and now that the time has changed and it gets dark earlier, I have to wait until the weekends to take photos of the birds out front.  Oh, and yes, a Cooper's hawk has now taken up residence on the telephone pole in our back yard and every now and then I find dove feathers on the ground...

Pinyon forest~Our World Tuesday~120611

The pinyon forests of Deep Canyon are my favorite places.  I frequently take side roads there and go off exploring.  I love to hear the busy scrub jays scream and I enjoy looking at various animal tracks in the soil and mud.  Sometimes I'll find an interesting pinyon or yucca.  Here are a few pics from last weekend.  I don't always go up there in the afternoon, but I needed to get up to the horse ranch and give the horses an extra meal, since it was below freezing for several nights, and I didn't get going until afternoon.  I love the long, golden afternoon light and shadows and I'm glad I had the opportunity to visit the pinyon forest in the afternoon.  Our World Tuesday for December 6, 2011. To visit Our World Tuesday, please go to:  http://ourworldtuesdaymeme.blogspot.com/

5 on the 5th~pinyon tree

I haven't posted on this meme for quite a while and I was reminded last week.  When I go out on the weekend, I usually take anywhere from 100 to 200 photos and then use them the following week.  This weekend, the Sunday stills Challenge was back lighting, and I spent Saturday taking various shots in the late afternoon.   I had stayed indoors that morning because it was cold in the desert, which meant it was freezing up in the mountains, where I board my horses, and I really didn't want to "slip and slide" and possibly injure myself again!  (I slipped on the floor up at Mammoth and bruised my knees and right shoulder.)  So, I erred on the side of caution and went up early in the afternoon.  I love the soft late afternoon colors, like this pinyon tree silhouetted against the setting sun.  So, here's my 5 on the 5th for December!  To visit 5 on the 5th, please go to this link:  http://thestateofthenationuk.blogspot.com/2011_12_01_archive.html  By the way, there WAS snow on the mountains and on the side of the road further up, at about 5,000 feet!  The horses didn't get any (they are at 4,000 feet), but the higher elevations of Highway 74 did.  That's what was left over from our winter storm early last week, which headed over to Arizona and New Mexico and dropped more snow there.