High Desert and Big Rocks

Posted on March 9, 2015 by Enchanted Seashells

I’m back from Wolf Mountain Sanctuary in the Mojave Desert.

I’ll post about our experience at the sanctuary, but it was mostly sad. Sad that these magnificent creatures NEED to be rescued. Sad that they can’t roam free, sad they’re hunted, tortured, hated. They are among the most intelligent and evolved species. How dare we destroy them. Sad. Very sad.

Check out this amazing outcropping of rocks.
The Mojave Desert is also known as the High Desert because of its elevation, between 2,000 and 4,000 feet above sea level. Blue sky and rocks. Ick. LOVE this pic. Rock climber Not me. #highdesert #mojave #desert #wolves #hiking

Living in the Shadows in Sunny Shiny Southern California

Posted on January 19, 2015 by Enchanted Seashells

There’s another side of California that you might not know about.

Sandwiched between the manicured lawns of upper middle-class residential subdivisions in SoCal, there’s a microcosm of humanity living in the shadows — migrant laborers from Mexico in makeshift camps.

In my own neighborhood, just minutes from the beach and overlooking chaparral-studded canyons, hidden behind purple sage and giant coyote bushes, we recently went for a hike and found evidence that suggests there are still active encampments.

Mostly these men are invisible, ignored by us as we speed up and down our streets, shopping, caring for our families, and only sometimes do we notice these shadow people standing on the roadside waiting to be picked up for day work or at the local liquor store buying twelve packs of beer and money orders.

Like the crows that fly in and out of our trees in a raucous cacophony, there’s an exodus out of the canyons at dawn and back at sunset.

Whatever side of the undocumented worker discussion you’re on, it’s a blight on our supposedly civilized society that in 2015, in this country of overabundance and excess, men and women live in the bushes without benefit of safe shelter or even running water.

When you scratch off the thin veneer of Pilates classes, weekly mani-pedis and facials, that fifty dollar bottle of pinot noir, and glance beyond Anthropologie and Sur la Table, in the hills behind The Forum, and probably most of the other open spaces that are clinging to life — that’s where you’ll find them.

It doesn’t seem quite fair for us to have so much while others are living in squalid conditions.

It’s sad, don’t you agree?

We especially liked the misspelling. There’s a certain poignancy.

There were several white rags hanging from trees along a certain path; we assumed it was to mark the way when it was dark.I think this is a creek, or it could be runoff from all of the developments.
Hard to see the turkey vulture among the clouds.
Do you know who and what lives beneath the surface in your neighborhood?

Snow…Snow…SNOW! In Southern California!

Posted on January 2, 2015 by Enchanted Seashells

Reflective
like the nacre of a million
perfectly pristine pearls
A confection of frosted pines
(by Princess Rosebud)

SNOW

It might not be a big deal to a lot of you who experience snow every winter, but snow falling to around one thousand feet in the foothills of our valleys and mountains is a big deal for this Southern California girl!

An arctic storm brought a lot of snow down to almost record breaking levels; of course I needed to end 2014 with a snowball fight. The snow was amazingly light and fluffy.

A winter wonderland and only about twenty minutes away!

Finches and a Flowering Loquat Tree

Posted on December 24, 2014 by Enchanted Seashells

My tugboat man is home; he was able to take an earlier flight, yay!

I hope you all have a lovely day and special good thoughts go out to mariners and their families who are away from each other during the holidays. Been there, done that many times.

In our land of (mostly) perpetual sunshine, winter doesn’t always mean that all living things are dormant. Our loquat tree is flowering, buzzing with bees, hummingbirds, and a flock of the most beautiful little yellow finches.

You have to be quick on the shutter button to catch these guys — they flit around the tree like I run from rack to rack at a clearance sale!

One minute he’s there, the next second, GONE! (Just like my tugboat man!)AND they’re back!

Sunset On A Heavenly California Horizon

Posted on December 2, 2014 by Enchanted Seashells

A photographic essay. Southern California. End of November. Big surf. Late afternoon.

It’s so cool to showcase this amazing Carlsbad sunset.

A glorious ending to a spectacular day. Happy December!

Red-Tailed Hawk in Eucalyptus Tree

Posted on August 16, 2014 by Enchanted Seashells

I was so lucky to get close to this magnificent creature perched in our backyard eucalyptus tree.

The colors are so vibrant!

I’m standing right underneath the branch.

Look at those talons!

It’s like he/she is saying, “I know I’m beautiful, hurry up and get the money shot!”

Keeping a close watch on the squirrels.

Eyeballing tugboat man on the deck. Shhhh!

How’s my profile?

Red-Tailed Hawk Talons (Photo)

Supermoon: A Study in Black and White

Posted on July 13, 2014 by Enchanted Seashells

Looking toward the eastern sky.

Southern California at approximately 9:00 p.m. Saturday, July 12.

I wish I was a better photog ‘cos the supermoon was white bright and amazing.

Wordless Wednesday: Hidden in Plain Sight

Posted on June 18, 2014 by Enchanted Seashells

While watering plants on the deck, I grabbed my Canon Rebel T3i, trying to catch a dazzling, brilliant yellow bird hopping around the branches of our eucalyptus tree.

I snapped a dozen pics.

Most of them were blurry and worthless ‘cos he wouldn’t sit still long enough to get a clear pic. I was so frustrated!

Finally, he turned to the side and I got the money shot! I think it’s a Scott’s Oriole.Wait, there’s more!

As I was scrolling through all the other photos before I deleted them, I zoomed in and saw another bird hidden in plain sight.

Can you see it?

A beautiful HAWK!

I think it was a Red-tailed Hawk ‘cos we have a lot of them here in SoCal, but I’m not 100% sure.

Almost invisible, hiding in plain sight, perfectly camouflaged, my naked eyes never saw this beautiful predator perched behind a large branch.There must be a life lesson in this experience, but I haven’t figured it out yet. The hawk was literally right in front of my face and I didn’t see him (or her).

Linking up with other Wordless Wednesday bloggers:

Wordless Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday @ The Jenny Evolution

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7. Simple Sojourns – Birthday Boy LINKY	8. Pizza Night -LiNKY
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25. Erika Price {Linky}	26. no words
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29. www. reflexionblog. de/my-sky-50/	30. Beth F @ Beth Fish Reads
31. another jennifer – ferris wheel at night	32. Feeling Forgotten
33. Little Wandering Wren	34. WW – Dunkin’ Donuts
35. I Left My Heart In San Diego	36. Fibers
37. Such a Mama! LINKY!	38. Fern Smith’s Classroom Ideas!
39. So over it this week. . .	40. Ever After . . . My Way
41. Wordless Wednesday: Hidden in Plain Sight	42. Imagination {W/Linky}

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Flowering Mulberry Tree — Photos

Posted on April 9, 2014 by Enchanted Seashells

Even in SoCal, fruit trees go through the whole process of dropping leaves in the fall, staying dormant through our mild winter, and spring is the time for budding, flowering, and fruit development.

This is our uber-prolific mulberry tree with fresh new leaves and unique flowers.

As the new leaves develop in mid-spring, tiny male and female flowers hang on separate small, slender, inconspicuous spikes. The male cluster is longer, the female rounder.

It’s been unseasonably warm — almost ninety degrees!! — and I think that’s what is causing an early flowering.

Click on the link for my mulberry jam recipe. https://enchantedseashells.com/2013/06/25/here-we-go-round-the-mulberry-bush-tree/

Dripping Caves Hike: Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park #SoCal

Posted on December 29, 2013 by Enchanted Seashells

A few days before Christmas, we picked up Angel Boy (my son– and yes, we still call him Angel Boy even though he’s thirty-two-years old!) from the John Wayne Airport in Orange County.

We drove RIGHT BY South Coast Plaza but my mind was too excited to see my baby to care about stopping at Chanel or Valentino or Cartier or Gucci or Harry Winston….HARRY WINSTON!!

Crap, did I just miss an opportunity to check out Chanel???

Sigh, a mom’s gotta do what a mom’s gotta do.

Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park is a jewel of solitude and natural beauty in hectic Orange County.

It comprises approximately 4,500 acres of wilderness and natural open space land. Originally, part of the Juaneno or Acajchemem tribal land, it later was owned by Don Juan Avila, Louis Moulton, the Mission Viejo Company, and now is under the jurisdiction of OC Parks.

Within the park lands are mature oaks, sycamores, and elderberry trees, two year-round streams, and over thirty miles of official trails. Many rare and endangered plants and animals make this park their home. This park is designated as a wildlife sanctuary.

To get to the main trailhead for Aliso & Wood Canyons Wilderness Park, exit the 5 freeway at Alicia Parkway and head towards the ocean.

Of course it was imperative that we feed the child. Whether they’re four or thirty-two, the first thing they think about is FOOD! I had prepared a huge amount of food for the hungry traveler and we ate it at a picnic table near the entrance to the trailhead, under a canopy of old shade trees. He ate a couple of his favorite sandwiches: tuna with celery, apples, nuts, avocado, tomatoes, cheese, and lettuce — along with Lentil Cookies, Snickerdoodles, Veggie Chips, Persimmon Bread, and an apple and an orange. We never fail to marvel at the AMOUNT of food Angel Boy can pack away…and that doesn’t include the nuts and raisins for the hike.

What’s up with that kind of metabolism?

He eats so much and burns it all and needs to eat again every couple of hours or so. This is just his normal — I once took him to an endocrinologist to make sure his levels were OK, and we learned that he’s just an extremely efficient food user. All I can say is that he didn’t get that from me.

After almost eight miles, we drove home — exhausted –but in a good way, and restored by the fragrance of Southern California buckwheat and sage.

Of course it was time for dinner and another feast of epic proportions: the stuff of mom-joy, that’s for sure.

Great blue heron.

A hidden pocket of water.