Bovine Love
I found this trio just outside Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah. When I first rolled up they were standing apart. I lowered my window, positioned my camera, and got one shot. Then they, uh, decided to procreate. (Yes, in front of the calf. And, no, I’m not going to post a photo.) It must have gone well since the male snuggled up to the female afterward, his face full of adoration.
Busy Bee
Another shot from Yosemite. We found these flowers in a meadow. Each one had attracted at least several insects. I decided it was the perfect time to try the macro lens that my husband’s aunt had loaned me, and I was pleased with the results (which doesn’t mean I won’t keep practicing, of course!)
Lake Reflection
We discovered this mountain and the lake reflecting it as we were driving toward the Yosemite exit at day’s end. We zipped by it in our car but hubs is very patient with my photo stops and had no problem turning around so I could go back and capture the image. I only wish we could have sat by the lake for a while and enjoyed the evening air.
Seal Beach
As promised, another picture of the harbor seals. Boy do these guys know how to relax! It makes me jealous, although it does make photographing them a little easier. This group was, unfortunately, quite far away, hence the lack of clarity. Between us is a wide swath of water that looked pretty deep judging by the seals playing off-shore. Topping it off was a flat white sky. Still, I do love how the seals all manage to be in a different position, even while fervently relaxing.
Watchful Fawn
While walking along the beach with my husband’s aunt and looking for photo spots, we rounded a bend and came upon a fawn with its mother. Neither seemed to have any fear. In fact, this photograph was taken with my regular lens, not my zoom, and I did not need to crop the photo in order to increase visibility. I suspect that the deer have befriended people, maybe even seeing them as a source of food instead of a threat.
Half Dome at a Distance
Because of fires near Yosemite National Park, hubs and I nearly didn’t go. Traveling through the park would not have added much to our drive, however, and neither of us had visited the famous park before, so we finally added it to our route. To say that we are glad we went is an understatement. While the air was still a bit hazy (hence some of the lack of clarity and contrast in this photo), it was much better than reported, and the park was beautiful. If you are planning a trip, however, we recommend approaching the park from the east if at all possible, because it is far more dramatic. Our route took us through the west entrance which, while nice, started off with a long, leisurely drive through a forest with nary a mountain peak in sight.
Snake Rising
The way back from California required many hours driving through the Nevada desert on The Grand Army of the Republic Highway (officially my favorite road name ever). We stopped so that I could grab a photo of the sign. As we headed back toward the car, however, I saw an odd-looking branch sticking out of a bush. Closer inspection showed that it was not a branch at all, but a snake. I switched to my zoom lens and zeroed in for a few shots (including another, head-on shot, which will appear in a bit). Throughout the photo shoot, the snake watched us, unmoving. Only when we headed back toward the car did it dive into the bushes and disappear.
Once home again, we tooled around the internet for a while trying to figure out what type of specimen we had seen, but to no avail. And then inspiration struck. After a series of emails and phone calls with a lovely herpetologist from the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum (my favorite zoo in the world), I learned that the above snake is most likely an immature western coachwhip snake. As an adult, this beauty will look very different.
All of this so that I could post a picture of my snake on my phlog, complete with an accurate caption. It is now clear that I must soon seek help.
Thistle’s Edge
While in California we spent quite a bit of time with my husband’s aunt, seeing the sights, strolling on the beach, and simply visiting. When she found out I had an interest in photography and a Nikon camera, she loaned me an old macro lens that her husband had used, securing her spot as one of our best relatives ever. I was, of course, excited to give the lens a try, and headed out into a nearby redwood forest to get a few shots. While hubs went mountain biking I went for a walk. While the lens has its limitations — it is an SLR lens, and my camera does not recognize it unless it is in full manual mode — it works beautifully. I look forward to giving it even more practice.
Harbor Seal
After a bit of internet research, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that I believe this pretty pinniped is a harbor seal.* We found her resting on a beach just north of Half Moon Bay, California, where she and maybe fifty of her relatives had come to shore. While our goal for the sojourn was to explore the tide pools, it was the seals that caught our attention as they lumped across the beaches and frolicked in the ocean. Because they are wild animals and need their space, we kept our distance. I’ve never loved my zoom lens more.
*UPDATE: I just heard back from a wonderful man at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California. I wrote to him to ask if my Googling had turned up the correct info. He verified that the adorable pinniped above is indeed a harbor seal. By the way, if you are ever in the area I highly recommend the aquarium. We spent hours there just absorbing everything. Try to go during non-peak times, though, because it’s a pretty popular place (and for good reason).
Golden Gate Bridge
After nearly three weeks away, hubs and I have finally returned from our California vacation. I’m still sorting and processing our photos (I have over 900), but this seemed a good one with which to kick off my California series. We could not have had better timing on the evening we chose to visit the Golden Gate Bridge. The sun was just setting, causing the landscape to light up. Incoming fog added interest to the scene without dimming the light too much.
Contemplative Rosie
I miss this little girl, and Echo and The Basil as well. We have been on vacation for the last several weeks and should be home today, which means that we’ll get to see all three cats again — that is, as long as they haven’t turned traitor and end up following our housesitter home! Despite the absence of felinocity, we have had a wonderful time touring California and, as a bonus, I have hundreds and hundreds of pictures to look through. I’ll start putting them up as soon as I get home, choose my favorites, and process them.
At Rest
The view from our hotel balcony on Jekyll Island, Georgia last August. The summer humidity and low sun are what give the picture a dreamy glow.
