New Sites And Things To See

We left California for Arizona on Monday. We traveled through flat desert land

and then it turned into hilly desert land.

The flowers in the desert are starting to bloom. We came across many prickly pears. This one had one blossom and many buds.

The plant will be beautiful when it blooms out. We also saw two with fuchsia colored blooms but didn't get a picture. We saw lots of these.

We also say lots of these growing along the road. They look like a little poppy.

We took a side trip to stay at Burro Creek. It is down in a canyon off the Joshua Tree Parkway. I wanted to get some pictures of the Joshua Trees but didn't get to.These pictures are at Burro Creek camp ground.

This is the main road across the canyon.

There is another interesting feature in this area. I was looking at the broad lighter colored layer of rocks and noticed that it didn't line up in one area.

There is a fault line here, which extends across the camp ground to the other side where you can also see that the hill slipped.
This is a different kind of cactus that was in bloom in this area.
Looking out the door of the trailer we could look across at the hillside across the river. It was hard to tell if we were looking at water reflection or a sand bar. It looked like water, but then again it looked like ground.

Finally, B walked down and stood at the water's edge. It is all reflection.

Traveling to the camp ground, we saw along the roadside lots of flowers with large white blooms. I said that if we saw some more, I wanted to stop and get a closer look and to take a picture of it. We did see some and we found a place to pull off. I went across the road and got these of it. The blossom is about three inches across and, as you can see, the stem and leaves are thorny.
These were also growing in the area.
We say other cactus varieties in bloom which I have pictures of from before. Here are some that remind me of a lit torch. (You have to zoom in.)

However, the best may have been this. After taking the above pictures I crossed the road and started back across the gravel pull out to get into the truck. I was about even with the front wheel when I heard a buzzing and saw this.





Needless to say, I backed up. I went to the side some and got this.

After we toss a couple rocks at him, he headed for under the trailer. I think he was looking for some shade. I'm not sure but that we may have ran over him. I hope not.

The road that we took may have been slow, but how scenic and interesting.

Small And Beautiful Blossoms

As some of you may know, the early months of this year brought lots of rain to California, which ended their drought. It has also been a blessing to the things growing around here. Compared to the last years, the plants that we had seen have larger blooms and there are a lot more of them. It has also brought into bloom many wild flowers.

Last Saturday B and I were hiking the trails. We were seeing lots of flowers now starting to bloom. The shrubs are about through. In the past couple of years that we have been here, we have not seen many of these flowers.

While we were hiking, it brought back memories of when I was a kid and riding with my Dad checking on the cattle on the mountain. Dad always seemed to know which wild flowers were in bloom and where to go to find them. When we were ready to head back home Dad would say that we needed to go to such and such a place. Once there he would pick some flowers, get his handkerchief wet into which he would wrap the flower stems, and then put them in his saddle bag until reaching home where he would present them to Mom.

So, as we headed back I started to pick a few of the different kinds of flowers that we were seeing. I made it a point to only pick from areas where there were lots of that kind growing. Also I limited it to small blooms. The largest are about one inch in diameter. That ended up with this. (You may want to enlarge these photos for better viewing.)

We also say a white blossom that was interesting. I had not taken my camera so I didn't get a picture of it. Since there was only the one bloom I didn't pick it. I tried to see if I could find it on the Internet to no avail.

So on Monday we went hiking again and this time I took the camera. After almost two miles we did find the plant and there was still a bloom on it. As you can see, it is the only bloom on the stem. There looked to be some very small buds further up the stem. There wasn't much for leaves at the bottom. I have no idea what is name is but we thought it was very unique.

So then we went picture 'picking.'

At the two mile area, which we call the picnic area because that is where we picnicked with W and C the first year were were here, there were several small blooms. This is an over view followed by individual ones. You will be able to see them better if you enlarge the pictures.
These next ones were so small, you had to get down close to see them.
Those are leaf pieces on the ground.

There were also some of these in the same area. They just looked like some fuzz on a stem until you looked really close.
Then there were a couple varieties that seemed to like each other and were growing together. They also seemed to love the sun.




There were also several of these in different areas. The buds all came out at the end of the stem.

In another area, there were about three kinds of very small flowers. I tried to get pictures up close of the yellow ones but they didn't turn out. They were maybe 1/4 inch across. You can also see some orange color in the photo. These were even smaller blossoms.

There are lots of yellow blooms now besides the ones I have shown. Here are a couple others.There is also a small purple bell, about an inch long. It's blossoms open as the end uncurls, sort of like a fern uncurls.

I also liked these small purple ones with their yellow, pointy center.

There are several bunches of these red flowers. They have been blooming for awhile and are on more of a bush.I laugh when I see this one because it looks like it just can't quite make it blossoming, but there are small blooms that come out on the edge. In the second picture you can see who it likes to be near.
It is interesting how in nature the color of flowers that grow together really go together.

Because of all the rain, there is also lots of grass. Also the yucca plants are much fuller and thicker this year. Most of their blossoms are all white, but this one had some color also.

Looking out across a hill it is pretty seeing them growing up and blooming.B is standing by the one on top of the hill on the left of the above picture.
Last but not least was the small yellow flowers growing along the path, shortly after starting up the trail. They remind us of the butter cups that we had in Montana.
Note the little violet colored and shaped flowers growing next to them, again complimenting colors.
Besides the flowers that we got pictures of, there is one other thing that I got.

A tick, the same kind that B got in February. That meant that we had to make a trip to town to get antibiotics as they also carry Lyme disease. They are sure more irritating to the skin than the ones I use to get when I was a kid.

Road Signs

Think back to when you had to learn about road signs and what they meant. We all had to learn them and understand them in order to become drivers on the roads. Now I know that it has been a few years since I had to take that test, but I don't think the meaning of the signs has changed, or there would have been a general notice plus lots of news and media accounts regarding any changes. Diamond signs are still warnings but what is with the symbols on some of them? I'm puzzled!

I think that I know what this means. The road is going to go the the right and that you should be prepared to turn that direction. And it should be taken at a speed no greater than thirty miles and hour. (See the little sign below the diamond shaped one.)


I have no problem with this one or ones like it. However..................................................






if the above sign is correct, what is with this sign? Did they run out of signs with the arrow pointing to the left when they were putting the signs up? My eyes tell me that the road is making a left turn and the cars sure seem to be going that way?





This is not the only sign that I question. Following are some others. I'm sorry that some of the pictures aren't the clearest. I was taking them on the go. If you look at the edge of the road, you can see that there isn't a place to pull over and that there is always lots of traffic, who seem to manage this road in spite of the signs.



I always have a good chuckle whenever we get to this sign. One would think that you are going to be making a very sharp turn to the right, but the road sure isn't going that way. Maybe we should be paying attention to the speed signs so that when the road goes opposite the arrow we will be prepared?



This next one is also one for some thought. Again, it says that you are going to go left and the road is most definitely going to the right. It is not often that you see a sign telling you that you are going to be going in a circle, unless you are in a parking garage. This doesn't look like a parking garage to me? Or did they run out of signs again? One would think that they would make more signs and then put up a correct one?



OK!
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I have to admit that after going for awhile in the opposite direction, the road does go the way the signs indicate. Also, you don't make a full circle, but it does come real close to making one. But, I still get a laugh when we are driving the Ortega Highway. If I was driving though, I would be too busy watching the road to laugh as it is full of twists, turns, and traffic,.....and signs!

Sorrow

This may not be a topic that we like to think about, but due to the happenings in the life of a friend of ours, I have been reminded of the experience that we have had. I have been reflecting on those memories and this is what I have learned.

Sorrow is an unwelcome presence that takes up residence in one's heart. One can try to push it out or ignore it but it is there to stay. At first it seems to occupy every space, but in time one finds that isn't so. However, its size doesn't diminish. It is as if one gets use to its presence, sort of like a picture on a wall or a chair filling a corner of the room. It is just always there. At times it draws back our attention and those feelings that were present at its entrance come flooding back. However, over time it does become easier to look away and see the other things that are also there; the things that bring us happiness and joy. Just because we look for happiness and joy, it doesn't mean that one doesn't recognize sorrows presence. Rather, one appreciates happiness and joy more so because of the presence of sorrow.

Hitting The Trails

Since we are back in California and at the same camping place as last year, we have been doing some hiking.

Last year we made one trip on a trail across the highway from where we are staying. We saw a falls there with little water going over it and wondered what it was like after they had some rain. Since there has been lots of rain in the past few weeks, we decided to check it out. There was lots of water, but it was obvious that there has been more at times. It isn't just one falls, but a series of falls. This was the first group of falls.

Looking up stream.

Following the water as it moves down stream,
And down further,

And into a pool. I had zoomed in on the first pictures, but here you can see the canyon that started to form. The trail is a ways above the water on a steep hill side.
From the pool on down.
And down some more.


We went down around toward the bottom and got the next picture of the water's passageway.

I should say B got this as it was pretty steep and muddy. You can see another pool and more falls.
And it kept dropping but the side trail was too slick to go down.

We followed the trail on down, which parallels the stream. At times we could hear more water falls but couldn't see them. We finally came out next to the stream where I took these pictures.

We were by this part last year also and there wasn't the trash in the trees. It shows how high the water was a few weeks ago when they were getting all of the rain. Where I was standing, the water would have been about to my shoulders.

Then there was this nice pool with a sandy shore and gradual beach. If it had been a hot day it would have been a great place to cool off.

Further down we found these growing on a stump. I thought that they were pretty.

Now, after seeing this falls, B wonders what it looks like at Teneja Falls. But that is a LONG hike in or we have to drive around to get to the shorter route in. (See This, That, and Other Things 4/28/09)