April Flowers

 Yes, I know. But better late than never! These photos were taken on neighborhood hikes (not desert hikes), but you might notice there are a lot of cactus.

If you're really astute, you might notice all the cactus in this post are the same species (I call them prickly pear cactus). 

 

Yellow-colored prickly pear flowers seem to be the most common (personal observation). I've also noticed that the blooms seem to be staggered. You might think if you come back in a week or two, the entire plant (above) will be in bloom. Not so: Prickly pear are careful not to use up all their blooms at once. That might be a good strategy if you want to maximize pollination.

 

The spiny "pads" are useful for other things. I know they can be eaten, although I've never understood how one goes about safely removing all the very sharp and painful thorns. Discouraging people from walking on a closed trail is a new one on me!
 

 

Less common but just as beautiful are the orange flowering prickly pear.

 

 

Rarest of all are pinkish-red blooms. I've never seen an entire plant covered with red blooms. Only like the photo above, where there is a mix of red and yellow blooms on the same plant.
 

There are certainly many plants besides prickly pear that are flowering. I think the tree on the right is Elderberry, and it's also flowering.

The red-orange flowers are from sticky monkey-flower. These flowers range from orange to bright red, and can sometimes dominate an entire meadow or hillside. 

The tubular yellow flowers are tree tobacco, with sticky monkey-flower in the background.

 

I came across a large group of California Digger Bees. They construct nests beneath the soil and are active when plants are blooming. They are very mellow and not at all aggressive. They almost never sting, and have even been nicknamed "tickle bees". They are important pollinators of native wildflowers and contribute to the health and diversity of local ecosystems. If you come across Digger Bees while out hiking, please don't step on their burrows!

 

Western fence lizard... on a fence railing, of course!

 

When I come across the Basque shepherd sculpture, I know I'm nearing the end of my hike. I posted this photo on Facebook, and a friend asked "Where's the dog?". So on my next hike, I had to stop and take a picture with the dog.

Good boy!

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Linking with Skywatch Friday.

Everybody Loves the Sunshine!

Ocean Beach, CA

Mid-March (Spring break)

 

Cue up a great old classic by Roy Ayers (Warning: It will be stuck in your head for the rest of the day!)

Lilly silhouette

 

Thanks for stopping by!!

Linking with Skywatch Friday.

RIP Brian Wilson Surfin' U.S.A.

Big Skies Over Cleghorn Lakes

 I last visited Cleghorn Lakes five years ago. Today I'm hiking with Mitch and Chris Clarke. Chris is a well known and respected desert environmental journalist. He hosts a podcast called 90 Miles From Needles: The Desert Protection Podcast. Please take a few minutes to go check it out! 

 

Chris will be our guide today, taking us to some of the interesting washes that carve through this desolate stretch of the desert. This area doesn't get many visitors, which makes it all the more interesting.

Off we go! Look closely and you might be able to make out a light colored sandy area at the base of the mountains in about the middle of the photo. That's where our cars are parked. Back when I was young and dumb (a couple years ago😉) I would drive this road, not realizing what I was doing was illegal (there are no vehicles allowed in wilderness areas). In my defense, there were no signs or gates, and it's clear this road gets a lot of use, but ya, that doesn't make it right.
 

The thing I will remember most about this hike are the huge, open skies. We really got lucky with the beautiful cloud cover. All day long we were seeing shadows come and go as the clouds floated overhead.

Pincushion cactus (I think).

 

Interesting striations on the rock.

 

Cloud shadows.

 

 

 

 

 

One of may steep-sided washes carving through the area.

 

Mitch and Chris up ahead.

 

A splash of color in a drab landscape.

 

The hike back.

 

Thanks for stopping by!!

Linking with Skywatch Friday.

UNCLE!

 Mitch and I were driving home having just finished up a hike in the Cleghorn Lakes Wilderness Area. More to follow on the hike, but this photo's a sneak preview: 

This is a pano shot using my iPhone. Isn't it a beauty?! Nothing but wide open spaces and huge skies! Like I said, more to follow. I'll have a dedicated post for this hike.

 

As we drive through Wonder Valley heading home, something catches my eye on the side of the road. Stop the car, back up, and let's see if it's photo worthy. 

Interesting. It appears to be a small art installation with things attached to old bedsprings. In the photo above, it's strips of fabric blowing in the breeze. No one around. Not in anyone's yard or near a house. Just seems to be put here for random enjoyment!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm partial to Altoids, and always keep a tin in the car, although I must admit I've never tried Myntz. When you used to open a can of Altoids, they said "CURIOUSLY STRONG" (they are quite strong). Now they just say "UNCLE!". Someone at Altoids has a sense of humor, and what an interesting and unlikely item to be hanging from a bedspring!

 

Linking with Skywatch Friday.

Thanks for stopping by!

Milky Way Over "Big Eyes" (#2)

 The "Big Eyes" rock formation is a favorite of mine. I came across it while out hiking in the middle of nowhere (although technically still within Joshua Tree National Park boundaries) a little over two years ago. And almost exactly two years ago, my friend Mitch and I were spending a moonless night photographing the Milky Way over Big Eyes (click here to see that post). Unfortunately, it turned out to be a cloudy night and the MW was only partially visible (see photo below). We didn't give up (or get any sleep), and later that same night, we did end up getting some good vertical shots of the MW after the clouds had cleared. 

 

Fast forward a couple years to late April, 2025. Mitch is busy, so I'm doing a late afternoon solo hike out to Big Eyes for a second attempt at a horizontal shot of the MW. I guess I'm officially "hooked" on night sky photography. I find myself unable to pass up a new moon night during the summer months, and if I do have to pass it up, I get twitchy and grumpy. Yup, definitely hooked! Anyway... I'm hiking out to the area a couple hours before sunset. This will give me time to explore some arches in the area and get my gear set up for the MW shoot.

 

Shadow Arch

 

Shadow Arch, opposite view.

 

Omicron Arch, silhouette.

 

I think this one has been named "Arch Support". It's hard to photograph, but if you crawl underneath it and shoot up...

 

...it looks pretty cool. Then the hard part is getting back up, and picking all the cactus spines out of your clothes!

And now at my main event, Big Eyes, at 6:30pm, with plenty of time to get set up for the evening. I'll just be putting a tarp on the ground with a sleeping pad and blanket. It's a lot easier (and my pack is lighter) without a tent and sleeping bag. 

 

The photo above reminds me: I purchased a remote camera trigger. I saw another photographer using one to great effect. It allows me to move around and light paint during long exposure shots and to take photos without any risk of accidentally bumping the tripod. And of course I can take selfies. They are great fun!

 

Although it's windy, there are no clouds in the sky. As long as this wind doesn't stir up too much dust, it should be a good night. Just after sunset, I decide to place my LCD lights in the "eyes". I'll be taking photos with the eyes natural (no lights) and lit up. Let me know if you like one better than the other!

 

Adjusting the lights before the stars are out.

 

3:06AM   Version 1: Natural/no lights.

 

Version 2: Lights, high contrast.

 

Version 3: Lights, average contrast, lighter foreground.

 

 

Can't resist having more fun with my remote camera trigger. Guess I should have turned off my headlamp!

 

Camera settings: For the Milky Way, my lens aperture is fully open (f 2.8); ISO at 6400; exposure time is 8 seconds; I'm using a wide angle lens with a focal length of 16mm. I usually get a handful of shouts, with minor adjustments up and down on the ISO and exposure times. I use Photoshop noise reduction (rather than stacking), and then basic edits (contrast, brightness, clarity) to try to make the stars and MW as visible as possible. 

 

On one of my 8 second exposures, I just barely noticed a streak across the sky. It was a meteor, and it was quicker than a blink of an eye. I wasn't sure I really saw it, but thankfully it does show up (just barely) on my photo. I cropped the photo to make the meteor more visible.

Thanks for joining me on another fun evening under desert stars!

Linking with Skywatch Friday.