Most of the trees on Mississippi Bar are oaks, cottonwoods, or pine trees. But there’s at least one palm tree sitting on the bank of one of the ponds. I can’t tell how long it’s been there or how it came to be there in the first place, but I always like to check on it whenever I’m hiking nearby. […]
From sculptured gardens to underground caverns, ancient redwoods, an engineering marvel, and a classic Western panorama — I can only identify one or two of this week’s images, but I’m still enjoying the photographic tour of the western United States!
Two weeks ago I began sharing some professionally shot vintage slides that form part of my mom’s collection. That initial set were all labeled as Wesco slides; but the remainder of images included in this box are labeled only with numbers — so I can only guess at their locations. I believe that the next two images may have something to do with a county fair in Southern California; they seem to be exhibits of Sunkist brand Oranges. The second photo includes the names Crafton Mutual Orchards in Mentone (Riverside County) and Allen Break & Son in Bryn Mawr (San Bernardino County). I’m guessing that the black horse depicted above may be Silkwood, a record-setting trotter which helped swell attendance at the early 1890s Orange County fairs. The good news is that I’ve finally ordered a new slide scanner, and I hope to be back next week with a new and improved appearance to my slides!
In California we’re lucky to have not only magnificent Sequoia sempervirens (coast redwood) but also the Yucca brevifolia, a desert survivor that inspired the Mormon settlers of the 1800s to name them after the Biblical Joshua. I’m familiar with the Joshua tree mostly from the U2 album of the same name (released in 1987), and I have to admit I’ve […]