Super Flower Blood Moon

Posted on May 25, 2021 by Enchanted Seashells by Princess Rosebud

This is a great explanation of what’s happening from Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, one of my favorite places to hike with lots of mountain lion and coyote sightings.

Tomorrow, May 26th, 2021 the Earth, Moon, and Sun will be in such a configuration that the Moon will be completely covered by the darkest part of Earth’s shadow.

This is known as a total lunar eclipse. But what do all the adjectives mean?

The term ‘super’ comes from the Moon appearing larger due to its position and the phase it is in. The Moon will be at a point in its orbit that corresponds with its closest approach to Earth, known as perigee. The Moon must also be a full moon. These factors together mean the Moon looks bigger to us, and thus super.

The term ‘flower’ signifies that this eclipse is happening in the springtime in the northern hemisphere.

We use the term ‘blood’ because the Moon will appear red. Not all sunlight is blocked from reaching the Moon. The light that does make it to the Moon passes through the Earth’s atmosphere, which scatters blue light and leaves red light, casting a red shadow on the Moon. In my SoCal area, the eclipse will reach totality at 4:11 a.m. and lasts roughly 14 minutes.

If you’re located elsewhere and interested in if you will be able to see the eclipse, check out this link: https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2021-may-26

Will YOU be getting out of bed to check it out? (I will, I’ve set my alarm to 4:00 a.m.)

Moose in Grand Tetons

Posted on April 24, 2021 by Enchanted Seashells by Princess Rosebud

What a beautiful boy! He was almost completely camouflaged, resting in the cool grass, enjoying a late afternoon snack. Those antlers are magnificent, aren’t they?

I could have stayed there for hours, watching him in silence, but I had to go. He didn’t seem too concerned and kept eating and eating.

Daley Ranch Hike

Posted on February 21, 2021 by Enchanted Seashells by Princess Rosebud

Only about twenty minutes away in Escondido, there’s nothing like the Daley Ranch nature preserve for an array of views on a mostly clear, sunny day.

My favorite ceanothus in blue.

This ranch house that we see today was built in 1925 as a summer cottage for the Daley family.

Visit http://daleyranch.org/ for all the facts and other interesting info about the land that was designated as a conservation mitigation bank to be preserved in perpetuity.

Great Basin National Park

Posted on February 11, 2021 by Enchanted Seashells by Princess Rosebud

For #throwbackthursday, this is one of my most favorite places to camp and hike.

Great Basin National Park is in Nevada. At 10,000 ft., Wheeler Peak is one of the tallest peaks in the country. It’s full of bristlecone pines and turkeys and solitude and serenity.

Here’s a beautiful alpine lake:

Memories of Joshua Tree

Posted on January 14, 2021 by Enchanted Seashells by Princess Rosebud

#ThrowbackThursday

One of my favorite places to camp and hike.

Love the rocks #JoshuaTree

Hiking Mount San Jacinto

Posted on January 8, 2021 by Enchanted Seashells by Princess Rosebud

There are amazing all-season hikes to the top of Mount San Jacinto near Palm Springs high above Coachella Valley.

San Jacinto Peak is 10,834 ft. and was known to Cahuilla Indians as I a kitch (or Aya Kaich), meaning “smooth cliffs”.

The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway hike is the less strenuous option. My son and his friend climbed all the way up and it’s not easy, but taking the tram (which is SUPER SUPER scary) is a perfect way to enjoy what John Muir referred to as “The view from San Jacinto is the most sublime spectacle to be found anywhere on this earth!”

We see beauty all around.

I especially love the contrast of these stark white branches against the blue sky.

Where I’d Rather Be…

Posted on December 16, 2020 by Enchanted Seashells by Princess Rosebud

…is right here, hiking in the desert.

#WordlessWednesday

Big Sur Magic

Posted on November 4, 2020 by Enchanted Seashells by Princess Rosebud

One of my favorite places on earth, and yes, the water really is that beautiful turquoise color.

McWay Falls is an 80-foot-tall waterfall on the coast of Big Sur in central California that flows year-round into the Pacific Ocean from McWay Creek in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, about thirty-seven miles south of Carmel.

During high tide, it’s a tidefall, a waterfall that empties directly into the ocean.

The waterfall poured directly into the ocean until a massive fire, landslide, and highway reconstruction project near the area in 1983-84 filled the cove with enough material to form a sandy beach several dozen feet out.

The falls, creek, and canyon are named after Christopher McWay, an early settler and farmer from New York state who arrived in the area with his son Christopher Jr. around 1874.

The park itself is named after Julia Pfeiffer Burns (1868-1928), a local and legendary early pioneer and resident who impressed Helen Brown and had run a ranch in McWay canyon with her husband, John B. Burns.

#WordlessWednesday

Pinnacles National Park

Posted on October 28, 2020 by Enchanted Seashells by Princess Rosebud

Pinnacles National Park is an American national park protecting a mountainous area located east of the Salinas Valley in Central California, eighty miles southeast of San Jose.