Ocean Paddleboarding
Ocean paddleboarding is quite popular in California and this pic shows a couple of practitioners heading south. My interests run more to kayaking as you get to sit down!
Cantor Sculpture Garden at LACMA
The B. Gerald Cantor Sculpture Garden is on the grounds of the LA County Museum of Art (LACMA) and features several impressive Rodin sculptures. The Cantors are said to have amassed the world’s largest private collection of Rodin sculptures and have donated several to LACMA.
Links: LAT article
Volkswagen Trike
It’s not everyday you see a trike with a motorcycle front end and a Volkswagen rear! As you can see from the background, this one was driving through Julian. My preference would be for a Baja Bug, which I really wanted as a teenager but never had the guts to do the required surgery on my 1964 Beetle.
Standing Resolute
This interesting tree was found on one of the trails that take off behind the upper terminal station of the Palm Springs Tramway. It was the week of Christmas and there was snow on the ground but not enough to make hiking difficult. Nice blue sky that day also. Nothing like a hike in the crisp winter air at 8,500 feet!
Newport Beach Sculptures
This pic presents a couple of the eclectic sculptures found in the Civic Center Sculpture Garden in Newport Beach. The blue sculpture is entitled “Demoiselle” and is by LA native Lieutenant Mustardseed while the “Red Gateway” is by Chris Rench of Hood River, Oregon.
Sea Anemone at Solana Beach Tide Pools
This beautiful sea anemone was waiting to be discovered at the Solana Beach tide pools. They are related to coral, jellyfish and Hydra and spend most of their time attached to rocks on the sea bottom waiting for fish to come close enough to be ensnared in their venom-filled tentacles.
Links: previous related post
Bear Paw Print in Yosemite NP
Up to 30,000 black bears have been estimated to inhabit California and one of them left this paw print in the snow in Yosemite National Park (that’s my adult daughter’s hand for a size comparison). I like how you can see some of the impression left by the ends of the toenails. There are no grizzly bears in California, with the last one being killed in Tulare County in 1922.
Wild Turkeys on the Banner Grade
These wild turkeys were along the roadside of the Banner Grade on Highway 78 heading east out of Julian down into the desert. According to the CA Dept of Fish and Wildlife, turkeys now inhabit about 18% of California. Whenever I see a wild turkey I think of Ben Franklin and his preference of the turkey over the bald eagle as our national bird. It might be hard to enjoy eating your national bird though!
Coastal View along 17-Mile Drive
The views along the famed 17-Mile Drive between Pebble Beach and Pacific Grove are spectacular. This shot was taken not far from the “Lone Cypress” tree (see previous post).
Fire Evacuation!
After having lived through numerous tornadoes during our time in the South, it was a new experience to live through our first fire evacuation only 3 months after moving to California. This pic shows our first fire just about to come over one of the peaks closest to our house. Luckily the wind shifted. We were evacuated for 3 days and came back home with a new appreciation of fire danger in our adopted state!
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