I’ve played around with this fun photo editing website a few times now since I first discovered it in January this year, and I do like some of the finished products. But I’ve also realized a couple of things. I can’t help wishing there were more options. Although there are nearly 40 different cool effects to choose from, after using […]
Lately it seems like everybody in my area is going crazy over the purple lupine at Folsom Lake, so naturally I had to go and find some alternative wildflowers. Besides the Douglas iris which I found near Gualala growing almost as thick as the lupine at Folsom, there were so many other shapes and colors. Some of them were familiar […]
Although the Brugmansia is extremely toxic, all seven species are still very popular ornamental trees. These plants, native to the South American tropics, are listed as Extinct in the Wild; but they’ve still managed to spread to other regions around the world, thanks to human cultivation. The name “angel’s trumpet” refers to the large, pendulous, trumpet-shaped flowers, 14–50 cm (6–20 […]
When I go hiking and looking for pictures, animals and lovely scenery are usually on the top of my list of things to shoot. But no matter how great my “big” landscape images may come out, I always tend to feel something is missing unless I find that little extra something as well. What it might be varies from trip […]
In my brief visit to Rodman Slough County Park, I found only one fairly short trail, but it was a beautiful hike — and I had it all to myself. I started near the shore and climbed a series of switchbacks up to a ridge, which then took me down through the trees and back to the parking lot. I […]
This is the time of year when our camellias bloom, then drop their petals onto the driveway, where they wither away. Sometimes I’ll find an intact flower lying on the ground, somehow more delicate and beautiful than when it was still alive, on the bush.
I’ve been hearing about a small butterfly garden installed in one of our local parks, and this morning I finally went to check it out. I went early to avoid the day’s heat, so only one small sunny corner of the garden had activity — but I wasn’t disappointed! Now I’m hoping to go back and get some better shots. […]
I never know what new surprises I might find on my morning walks! Today it was these bright red-orange flowers, looking a bit like small bells. They were growing in the shallow water along the edge of Lake Natoma, among the tall grasses and reeds. Wading in the water might have given me a better perspective, but I wasn’t up […]