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| Long Beach Harbor dock cranes, with Catalina Island in the background. |
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| Mt. Baldy appears to be floating above the clouds! |
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| Rock art? Not the kind I'm interested in! |
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| Sandy cliffs in NW Orange County. |
Thursday, March 3, 2022
Staying Close to Home
I'm taking a break from my usual desert scenery, and instead, I'm sharing some photos taken closer to home. Well, more precisely, some abondoned oil property north of where I live. It's about the only place close to home that feels open and "wild", so join me and let's go take a look.These photos go back a few weeks. We've had some beautiful skies and quite a mix of weather... from unseasonably warm, to rain, snow in the mountain communities, and even some hail!
I got up early for this photo, hoping to get light from the sunrise reflecting off the buildings. The City of Angels was just waking up! On another hike, I was panning around with my telephoto lens and thought I saw something recognizable on the hillside north of downtown. Could it be?? I've seen this view dozens of times and never noticed it. Let's crop the image and take a look...
It is!! I've lived here for most of my life, and never knew the Hollywood sign was visible! Just a guess, but could that be the Church of Scientology in the foreground?
And another first... I've never seen a snake in the wild where I live (not that there's any "wild" left around here). Sure, lots of times in the desert, but never in surburban Orange County, so imagine my surprise when I came across this gopher snake, sunning himself on the trail!!
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The mountain views speak to me.
ReplyDelete...one beautiful image after another. The snake I can do without though!
ReplyDeleteYour old oilpatch wildlands kind of remind me of our Turkey Mountain here in Tulsa which at one time was an oilfield. I like those kind of undeveloped type lands. Enjoy it while it lasts!! I guestimate the land value to be close to one gazillion dollars.
ReplyDeleteThat's a big ole fat gopher snake.
Amazing pictures!
ReplyDeleteWow! gorgeous and dynamic photos and close to home ~ how lovely ! Xo
ReplyDeleteWishing you lots of love and peace in your days,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
Dearest Peter,
ReplyDeleteThat was an interesting insight in your region.
Impressive to see the mountain views and that you discovered the Hollywood sign, being that close to your 'eyes'.
The Gopher is a nice and friendly snake!
Hugs,
Mariette
all your skies are beautiful with interesting clouds
ReplyDeleteThat Hollywood sign is a great catch.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how close it all is. At the top of Signal Hill once, I was amazed to see the buildings in downtown LA. Your lenses are really strong, aren't they?
ReplyDeleteTraumhafte Aussichten, herrlich die Panoramabilder !
ReplyDeleteLiebe Grüße
Beautiful photos. I'm so surprised you can even see LA.
ReplyDeleteI'm reminded of a trip to the greater LA metroplex in the early 50's. I would have been 8 or 9 I think, and I was amazed to see oil wells with their insect-like pumps going in people's backyards. And hillsides and beaches festooned with derricks. I was surprised that they all seemed to be gone when I moved to OC for a while in 1980-- except for those "tropical islands" in Long Beach Harbor. I love the long lens shots.
ReplyDeleteOne day someone will come upon that "rock art" and will try to figure out what it all means - good luck with that! It's nice to see the area nearer to your home and especially the distant Hollywood sign which gives context to where you live for those of us who don't know the area.
ReplyDeleteGreat post and wonderful pics.
ReplyDeleteStay well. Happy Weekend.
Wow to the dramatic sky!
ReplyDeleteFunny you spotted the sign only now.
I would´ve expected the snake to "run" away!
Indeed very gorgeous photo's again and as that is close to home you have really stunning surroundings.
ReplyDeleteYou live in a very beautiful part of the world
ReplyDeleteVery beautiful to see
You must have a great telephoto lens. I don't think I've ever seen Catalina Island so clearly and I'm usually right on the beach.
ReplyDeleteSuch wonderful photos! I'm loving those skies :)
ReplyDeleteI'm impressed by the snake. Ones around here are usually hiding in the leaf cover in the woods.
ReplyDeleteWe've had snakes on the walking paths we exercise on, but nothing like that. And I'm proud of myself - I saw the Hollywood sign in the long distance photo! I can't speak for the Scientology building but yours (if that is what it is) reminds me, for some reason, of the Super Power building in Clearwater, FL (which I have seen close up.) Proof that one doesn't have to travel far to see great sights.
ReplyDeleteYou obviously do not have to travel far to see amazing beauty! I loved every photo except the snake..lol..not a fan of them.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful views and stunning skies. Have a wonderful weekend.
ReplyDeleteI like all these scenic pictures. Wonderful sky views. It seems like you are living in a stunning place. Glad to see how you discovered the Hollywood sign for the first time from the place you live.
ReplyDeleteOh such lovely captures!
ReplyDeleteI like the shot of the Sandy cliffs in NW Orange County.
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely weekend.
Love the dramatic skies. Breathtaking photos. If I see the snakes I will run like crazy.
ReplyDeleteThe floating Mt. Baldy shot is magical. Funny we have a Baldy Mountain ski resort in southern British Columbia. :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful skies, and the area where you live is so special. Mt. Baldy looks great.
ReplyDeleteTis the season for snakes. I've been keeping a wary eye out for them there, but haven't spotted any yet.
ReplyDeleteWOW!! I always enjoy your wonderful photographs and stories around the gorgeous locations you live. The skies are breathtakingly beautiful and the warm and sunny landscapes are really a very different world for me.
ReplyDeleteThanks for letting me travel!
I usually start with Hi SP&P but I see Mariette calling you Peter, so let me know if I’m wrong … Hi Peter, Your photography is exceptional. I wonder if you are familiar with Reddit and especially a sub Reddit called I took a Picture. People post an image with a title, using your 1st photo as an example, ITAP of the sky. The 3.7M members of the sub vote on images. It is interesting to see photos voted up in the multi-thousands. I suspect your first photo would go way up there. You publish a great blog! John
ReplyDeleteYou live in an interesting area. Love the mountain view but also the city view.
ReplyDeleteHave a good new week ahead, Peter!
You definitely found peaceful beauty around your place. And snakes. Always a plus for me!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful. That sky! And that snake! and everything in between. It's fun to explore closer to home sometimes. You have some nice urban views while living where it must be a little less crowded -- pretty perfect to me. (Especially since you obviously live close enough to visit JTNP often.)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos as always! You have such a great eye. We have lots of wildlife around here. It's not unusual to find a snake in your yard, or an alligator. We had a big armadillo that was digging up our backyard every night for months. When we replaced our fence, I guess we locked him out because he hasn't been back.
ReplyDelete