Fake Sky

We just walked in the door from a "mini-vacation" with our granddaughter. Can you guess where we were? At one location, the sky was beautiful (but fake).

You could ride motor scooters (also fake, but a great photo op!).

There was plenty of high-end shopping (look, but don't touch!).

Lilly standing inside an Abbey Road phone booth.

We could lounge around in bed if we were feeling lazy.

We got to visit with lions (both real and fake).

Lilly could watch a volcano erupt every night right outside her window!

And all too soon, it was time to leave. At least, too soon for Lilly. Grandma & Grandpa were exhausted and ready to go home 😉

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Mixed Up Sky

During our last desert visit a couple weekends ago, my granddaughter was looking out the window at the morning sky and said "Look, Grandpa, a mixed-up sky!" I thought that was a great description.

The sky colors were great, and the contrails were crisscrossing all over the sky, which is why my granddaughter thought things looked so mixed up. This photo doesn't really do it justice because it was taken with a telephoto lens and is just a little section of the sky. Does anyone else see tic-tac-toe lines?

OK, your move!! This shot was taken just a few minutes after the first one, focusing on a different piece of the sky with my telephoto lens. I often wonder if the jets flying around (especially the military jets from the nearby Marine base) do this on purpose!

The above photos were looking NE. Lets walk over to the other side of the house and see what the sky looks like to the west.

Taken just a few minutes later than the first two photos, this is a very different-looking sky, and beautiful in it's own right. The pink clouds and purple tinged mountains were striking, and the dusting of snow added to the beauty.

Wishing everyone peace and happiness as we rapidly approach 2019, 

and a Happy New Year!!

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Surprise Tank Revisit

I first posted about Surprise Tank here, and the date of my hike was 3.26.17. A great hike, but it wasn't much more than a mud puddle behind the dam. Many of these old dams or tanks are dry during much of the year, so it takes a little luck, and a little planning, to catch them when they're full.

Not much water, although I felt fortunate to find any water. But I made a mental note that it would be great to revisit Surprise Tank when there was more water. Fast forward to 10.27.2018 when I made my second hike to Surprise Tank. Below is a photo taken from approximately the same area.

Big difference, don't you think? Water capacity still not full, but a lot more water than during my first visit.

Joshua Tree infinity pool?

Drum roll please... perhaps the first ever underwater photo taken at Surprise Tank in Joshua Tree National Park! I know what you're thinking... Why would anyone in there right mind want to take an underwater photo in this little pond? Good question, and I guess "right mind" might help answer it! 😉 There were some little critters swimming right up to my GoPro camera. Brine shrimp? (probably not... water is not salty enough). Freshwater copepods? (most likely).

On my cross-desert hike to Surprise Tank, I found these old bleached out bones.

If I had to guess, I would say jackrabbit. Probably met its demise at the hands of wiley coyote. But that's just a guess.

Bighorn Sheep track. There were quite a few tracks in the area.

The rock formations in the Surprise Tank area are really very cool. Here's a sample of some of what you would see if you visit the area.

I hope you enjoyed this little hiking trip to Surprise Tank in Joshua Tree National Park. It's always a treat to see water in the desert, and the rock formations are icing on the cake!

Oh, and I almost forgot... Warm Wishes for the Holidays!!

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A Nice Day for a Walk

We had some much needed rain recently. The sky was blue and the air was clean, so I couldn't resist a walk. I decided to check out the old oil property that I've blogged about a couple times before: Here and here. I wasn't anticipating taking any photos, but couldn't resist a few cellphone shots!

The good news? The property is still undeveloped. The not so good news (depending upon your views): There are survey signs, little markers and flags, and even some newly plowed roads. There's no doubt in my mind that this area will soon be filled with roads, sidewalks, and houses.

I had some obstacles along my walk!

It's fun and relaxing walking these old roads that were used back when this property contained actively producing oil wells. Like stepping back in time!

Leaves of three...

The dreaded, deadly castor bean plant! These guys are considered a weed and commonly seen. The spiky fruit produces beans containing ricin. Yes, that ricin... the same deadly poison used in a famous political assassination involving a trick umbrella and in numerous terrorist incidents. So I give it a wide berth!!

After this property is developed, there will be some very lucky homeowners with incredible views! Of course, I would prefer the property stay open and undeveloped just as it is, but that's not going to happen. 😩

My favorite shot of the walk, and at this point I was really wishing I had brought my camera and telephoto lens along! This is max zoom on my iPhone, so not a great photo, but you can clearly see light reflecting off the ocean water. According to Google Maps, it's 15 miles (as the crow flies) to the ocean from where I was standing. The land beyond the ocean is Catalina Island, which is 42 miles. Pretty darn good visibility!

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