A Partial Win

 We have two large undeveloped parcels of land in our city that we've been fighting over for years now (parcels are adjacent to each other and are old oil property). The smaller of the two, which is the east parcel, has been set aside as open space and is now partially open for hiking (yeah!!). That's where I'll be taking you today, and it's a significant win for open space advocates. The larger parcel to the west is still slated to be developed, which will be a very sad loss if it goes through. Of the two, the west parcel is the most "wild" and has the best views.

This is a photo of the placard you see at the beginning of the hike. Not sure why they are calling this "West" Coyote Hills. The larger open parcel is to the west, so I'm refering to this one as the east parcel. 
 

For the most part, you hike dirt roads. I prefer trails. I picked a good day for a hike. Cloudy skies and cool temperatures with the clouds giving way to blue sky from time to time. And the highlight was all the plants in bloom! Well, one of the highlights. Read on!

 

Another highlight... coming across this shallow grinding hole (with a rock in it, which I'm pretty sure someone just placed here) and the larger grinding slick on the right. I find these out in the desert all the time, but never in my home town!
 

Red and yellow blooms under a pretty sky!

Lots of mustard in bloom.

  

A tribute to the early Basque shepherds that worked these hills many years ago!

Pass the Mustard, please!

Nearly everything is in bloom!

 

Belladonna, aka deadly nightshade.

 

The bees were drunk with pollen!

 

OK, this really was the hike highlight for me. I expect to come across snakes in the desert, but NEVER in my hometown! In all my years here, I think I've only come across one other snake, and it looked like it had been recently run over by a mountain biker, so this is my one and only healthy snake sighting. A beautiful 3' gopher snake. Sitting right in the middle of the trail. So glad I didn't step on him! I made sure he made his way off the trail and into the brush, then I continued on my way.

Thanks for dropping by and for your comments!

 

I'll keep you posted regarding the fate of the second parcel of land (fingers crossed!).

Linking with Skywatch Friday.

Tropical Vacation

 We are definitely not in the desert! Think hula girls and leis. We took granddaughter Lilly to Waikiki last week. My wife and I have been to Hawaii many times over the years but it's been a long time since our last visit. We still remember the time we took our adult children to Hawaii when they were the age Lilly is now (about 10): A few days in Maui, a few days in Kauai, and a couple days in Waikiki. To our surprise they were bored in Maui and Kauai, but absolutely loved Waikiki! They loved the beaches, surfing, shopping, fun things to do and see, etc., etc. OK, lesson learned. Let's take Lilly to Waikiki for a week. It wouldn't be my first choice (or second) but Lilly will love it!

Perhaps the highlight of our trip... I had to shorten this video in order to post it, but this was a loooooog ride! As the surfers say, "Dude, we were stoked!" So much fun to see Lilly riding the waves in Waikiki. She was fearless, and liked it so much she took a second day of lessons and is now in the market for a surfboard. But I guess I should start at the beginning...

 

For my Skywatch friends... we took Hawaiian Airlines out of Terminal B (LAX). This huge window at the end of the terminal had this sky painted or somehow affixed to the glass. It was a very cool effect because you can still see through the window, but at the same time, it gives the impression you are looking out at these beautiful clouds. In reality, it was a foggy overcast morning.

 

We had a mixed city view/ocean view from our hotel balcony.

 

Lilly took this photo while floating on her donut. The beach was right across the street from our hotel. This part of the beach had a breakwall, so no waves. Like a giant saltwater swimming pool!
 

There was a concrete pier directly across from our hotel. A fun place to drink our morning coffee and eat a little breakfast. We met a nice retired gentleman who lives in the area and feeds the birds here every morning. He gave Lilly some bread so she could give it a try.

 

Now that Lilly is a surfer, we had to take her photo in front of King Kamhameha!

 

Another highlight from the trip: Taking Lilly on the Diamond Head Crater trail. I hadn't hiked it in years. Lots of steps and uneven surfaces, but if you can manage, it's a wonderful hike!

Lots of steps!

 

An old bunker (Diamond Head was used by the military during WW2).

 

Spiral steps

 

You pass through a number of tunnels.

 

More steps... 

 

And more tunnels!

 

But finally the payoff... the BEST views of Waikiki of anyplace on the island!

 

Our week in Waikiki was almost over. As much as I was looking forward to getting back home, I sure was going to miss these tropical skies and beautiful beaches!

 

Go Lilly, go!!

 

Linking with Skywatch Friday.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Superbloom 2023?

 The word "superbloom" has become quite trendy and overused. In my humble opinion, 2023 was not a superbloom year in the deserts in and around Joshua Tree National Park. A good year, yes, but not a superbloom year. And it doesn't help that superbloom is a very subjective term!

No flowers here, but I like the sign. "The Heart of the Mojave" has a nice ring to it, don't you think?

The sand verbena were beautiful in this area, but nonexistant 1/2 mile from here. In a true superbloom year, the flowers are more widespread. 
 

Mixed in with the low-growing wildflowers are the taller Desert Lilies. This was quite a find because they have become more rare over the years. Before stopping here, we stopped at the Desert Lily Sanctuary, reportedly one of the best places to see Desert Lilies in bloom. Nada. Ziltch. Not a single Desert Lily to be seen. They grow from bulbs, which can remain dormant for years, waiting for just the right amount of moisture and who-knows-what-else before they bloom.

 

Moving on to a new location, still searching for flowers...

This wash is usually good for flowers, and it didn't disappoint this year!

 

Mitch for perspective!

 

Hope you enjoyed strolling among the desert wildflowers, and thanks for stopping by!!

 

Linking with Skywatch Friday.