Wordless Wednesday - Glass 07-11-18

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More traveling photos 03-15-17

Driving up to San Juan Bautista on March 2nd it was a beautiful day with little wind.  It was rather clear for the valley and I think I could just see the outline of the Sierra against the blue sky, but the camera couldn't define it. 

The Sierra is in the distant haze.

 

And it became much hazier in the distance.  

 

About half way on the drive, just before crossing Stockdale Highway there is flooded land on both sides of I-5.  The land here is not under cultivation.  Ducks and geese stop by for a rest, don't know what they have been doing the last four years when there has been no standing water here...or anywhere else in California!.

But this time of  year, mostly what one sees is almond trees in bloom.

On both sides of the highway.

With the ground covered in fallen petals like the trees are standing in pinkish snow.

The orchards stretch into the distance - miles and miles of them.

Almond blossom (2013) - the pink cast comes from the center of the petals.

 

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On the Road Again - Placentia -SJB 03-22-12

The first obstacle in driving anywhere is getting out of civilization!  Leaving at 2pm it took two hours to drive through the traffic and construction to hit the "open road".  And there is open road in SCalifornia.  These pictures were taken along I-5 where today the traffic and the wind were both light and the pavement not too bad.  Someone recently wrote that driving I-5 is like driving on cobblestones!  There are places like that and some even worse - like driving on a dry creek bed.  One would think with the high price of gas ($4.35/gal) and the extra tax we pay for highway maintenance that the road surfaces would be perfect. 

Gorman is a small community close to where the highway goes "over the top", but it is just what we once would have called a "wide spot in the road".  Gas, fast food, auto repair, a couple motels.  These black trees have been standing for years, leftover from a wildfire, I believe.  But is the sky blue, or what?

High up on the west and north facing slopes there are still a few swaths of flowers - not sure what these are, the wrong shade for poppies, maybe they are Goldfields. 

A few more areas closer to the highway.

A double load of oranges going south - probably to become orange juice.  

On the other side of Tejon Pass the highway drops down into the central valley - the blue sky was behind me and beautiful clouds sailed the sky.  Here is a lady floating in front of the sun  - she is heading north with me, her arms are stretched out a la Superman and her long dress floats behind her to the left of the image.   Nice touch with the snaggly fence posts right on the horizon.

Further north the clouds were darker and lower.  The southbound lanes are about a third of the way from the bottom of the picture, quite a distance from the northbound.  And nary a car in sight.  It was an easy six hour drive and Mary fed me roast chicken with roasted vegetables and GRAVY!   First I have eaten since Thanksgiving - it was Divine! 

The flower I posted yesterday was Coxcomb, a form of celosia.

These pictures are from my trip to San Juan Bautista in June and show galls on oak trees. I've always thought they are rather beautiful - the round (mostly) creamy galls among the shiny green leaves of the oak.

The galls are formed by certain wasps that penetrate the bark and lay eggs. When the eggs hatch the larvae produce a chemical that creates the gall.

The larvae feed on the inside of the gall, they don't eat the tree, so there is little harm. The galls I have felt have been hollow, like a gourd.

Here is the URL for an article about the man who wrote the field guide to galls!

http://www.redding.com/news/2007/sep/08/natures-oddballs-oak-tree-galls-are-strangely-intr/

Wordless Wednesday 06-23-10

On the Road Again 06-10-10

I drove from Placentia to San Juan Bautista yesterday - it was an easy drive and I enjoyed every mile. What is it with me and being on the "open road"? I came up to see Mary and Joe and their four-legged housemates and to go to the Monterey Peninsula QGuild Quilt Show which is this Saturday and Sunday in Seaside, CA.

http://www.mpqg.org/text/quiltShow.html

I only took a few pictures on the way up. But these may be more 'pleasant' to look at than those of the past. I've used the "retouch" function in Picasa3 forever, but it has never occur to me to take the bug splatters off the windshield before posting pictures - duh! Now I will try to do that all the time. This is at the junction of I-10 and the 57 Fwy, right below the LAFairgrounds. Some months ago the hill slide down, burying the northbound ramp to the 57 - fortunately no cars were buried, but it has been a major construction project to repair the damage. Land does unexpected things in SCalifornia. I don't know how many years this hillside has stayed where it belonged - I'd guess at least thirty years - so why did it suddenly slide? There have been houses that were built in the early 1900s that have slipped away in years of heavy rain - guess that is the adobe soil that absorbs the water and turns into something like warm butter.

One BIG problem here is the high tension tower at the top of the slope. It was terribly close to the edge. I don't know what the white thing is going down the slope and I don't know if the ramp is even open, I didn't see any cars along there. I guess the moral of this story is that one shouldn't build a house at the top of a slope in this area, although there are probably thousands in those exact locations. Great views while they last!

North of the mountains and down into the Central Valley the sky was so blue it hurt my eyes! Just a few tiny clouds drifting slowly east, despite the ground level wind which was coming out of the NW. It was quite a headwind, causing me to stop early for gas. When I saw the sign saying it was 49 miles to my turnoff on Hwy 152 and looked at the screen to see that I had forty miles of gas left, I decided to stop at the next station! If I fill up on my way out of town I can almost always make it to Santa Nella near my turnoff - unless there is a headwind. One thing I love about the Lexus (and there aren't many things I love) is the "Information" screen that tells me the distance driven, the fuel consumed, how much further I can go before gassing up, the outside temp, etc.. I've never had that in a vehicle before. Very much "tomorrowland" to me!

Today we went to Gilroy for lunch at Mimi's and stopped in the actual village of SJBautista at a new shop that does machine quilt on long-arms. She also has some very nice handmade items - felted purses, quilts, aprons, scarves, etc.. The owner told us there will be a fabric shop in the same building in a few months. Probably worth a stop if you are travel up/down Hwy 101. I bought a lapel pin made from half of a zipper by Joan's Attic Treasures - cute. I'll take a picture tomorrow to show you.

Hanford, CA and SJB 03-05-10

Yesterday afternoon I drove from SJB to Hanford, CA, about a three hour drive mostly on good,open highway. It was an amazing day - bright blue sky, with puffy little white clouds and a view that stretched to the foothills of the Sierra - or almost. My eyes have been bothering me so I can't see as well as I usually do. But nothing could diminish the sunshine and the vast fields (to be planted in cotton maybe) stretch flat and forever. I went to do the evening program about the Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection for Common Threads Quilt Guild. It is a lovely group of ladies and they seemed to enjoy seeing the quilts and hearing my explanations about each quilt. They kindly furnished four quilt hanging stands, in addition to my two, so we were able to hang six large quilts before the members started arriving. This gives everyone a better chance to see some of the quilts up close. Suzanne Kistler took the picture below of me standing next to Ruth B. McDowell's "Summer Lily", a quilt with a fantastic collection of fabrics that only Ruth could assemble. It is a pretty good picture even though all my pudginess is obvious. Hard to hide it these days. Maybe I should try wearing mu mu's!

The meeting finished a little after 9pm (I ran on a bit too long - sorry), I stopped at a gas station to scrape some of the bugs off my windshield (everything is green and growing and the bugs are eating everything in sight apparently - and then committing suicide on I-5) and headed back to SJB. Arrived about 12:20am and I was sound asleep by 1am. Quite a good drive.

Today I was sewing at Mary's dining room table (so I didn't have to haul my machine down and up stairs) where I could look out at the oak trees and the green, green grass in the open areas. I've never lived where the deer roamed (I know they can be very destructive) so it is nice to look up now and then and see these gals looking back at me. Lots of early shooting-stars wildflowers in the background. All day it looked as though it might rain, but I don't think we had a drop. Sure is cold up here though. The high is about what the low is in Placentia. I have layers and layers of quilts on my bed so I do sleep warm enough. And that is what am going to do right now.

Joan Schulze 40-year Retrospective 02-22-10

I am not very satisfied with my new Canon camera. Most of the pictures I took on this trip were fuzzy and not the sharp, focused images I expected. Could it be a camera operator error? I will have to read further in the book to see if I can do better.

This is a fuzzy picture of Joan Schulze and her artistic granddaughter at the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles. Yesterday I went to the opening event for this great exhibit of Joan's work over the last four decades. If you are anywhere near San Jose between now and May 9th, you should go and enjoy the results of her searching vision. There is also a small exhibit of Navajo rugs by a mother and daughter Begay - beautiful. The opening was well attended and Joan's PPoint presentation was fascinating to me - her first workspace was the laundry room of their home. Sound familiar to some of you? Now she has a studio in San Francisco with a wide view of the city. She enjoys experimenting with new and unusual materials and processes which make her quilts very different and surprising. I did pick up a price list and will think about a purchase when I go back in two weeks. Joan has two websites: http://www.joan-of-arts.com/ http://www.joan-schulze.com

It rained most of the hour it took to drive from San Juan Bautista to San Jose and, apparently, most of the time I was inside the museum. Still sprinkling periodically on the way home and throughout the night. This picture, taken on Hwy 156 just west of SJB, shows that the wild mustard is indeed starting to bloom and today I even saw half a dozen clumps of California poppies with a few early blossoms. I drove home today and will post some pictures tomorrow - it was a gorgeous day of blue sky; small white, fluffy clouds; bright green grass; miles of almond trees in bloom. And light traffic most of the way. Great trip.

On June 4 I was in San Juan Bautista, CA 06-23-09

When I took my quick trip up to Philomath, Oregon, (June 4 - 8) I stopped along the way to take pictures of plants and flowers, as usual. But I couldn't get them on my blog because there was so much else going on. Here is a look back at a few of them - in two posts because I still haven't figured out how to add extras to the first four. Maybe I should try it on my old desktop. I discovered that it will automatically make hyperlinks, whereas this laptop will not. Something is set wrong, I guess, I just can't figure out what. I suppose I could call the Geek Squad and see if one of those smart geeks has an answer.

Among the crops grown in the area around Gilroy, San Juan Bautista and Hollister are plants grown for seed. We think that is why this field of garlic is left to go to seed.

It was really quite beautiful with the grey-green foliage and the round seed heads sticking up above those strap like leaves. The bit of mustard in the foreground is a nice touch.

This is a good plant to memorize. Three leaves together w/scalloped edges and this lovely burgundy color - POISON OAK. It does turn lovely autumn colors when the temperatures go down in the fall. Unfortunately, some people unknowing collect the branches for indoor arrangements. Even the slightest exposure can make some people very ill, in addition to the horrible itching.

Here is a closer look at those nice shining leaves and a few of the berries in the background. If someone is burning a field and there is poison oak in the fire, the smoke can make some people terribly ill when they just breath the smoke. Don't ask how I know!

Flowers -wild and tame 04-29-09

The wildflower season is definitely over for this year.

But there are garden flowers blooming. This is Pride of Madeira which is grown extensively as a landscape plant in the area around Monterey/Pacific Grove/Carmel. The flower spikes can grow very tall - 6 feet or so - and the bees are constant visitors along with hummingbirds. The flowers last for a long time, but the season is beginning to end now.

Lots of California poppies on the north facing slopes going over the Ridge Route, but not many anywhere else. This little clump is just west of San Juan Bautista where it grows all alone at the very edge of CA Hwy 156.

Here is a view looking eastward along 156. There is a little marshy area to the right of the picture, but it has already dried up for the summer.

These are the flowers of wild radish that grows everywhere that wild mustard grows - in disturbed soil areas. The seed pods taste very much like radishes, maybe a little spicier, and are good in salads.

From the Past 04-28-09

When I drove back to Mary's on Friday after the Empty Spools Session ended I followed a couple very old cars occupied by couples in 'dust coats' and hats. They turned into the motel at the main intersection and joined dozens more. Mary says they come every year about this time - part of a horseless carriage organization. They trailer the cars in from wherever they live and just drive around the local area.

Parked all the way to the end of the lot was this touring car - I assume the engine is covered to try to keep out the dirt, because the wind was really blowing that day. And all weekend!

A Reo and a Brush (which I've never heard of before).

Here is a car leaving the motel parking lot to take a tour around town. San Juan Bautista is a very old town with its Mission, so cars like these probably once drove on the old dirt roads.

I think there are seven beauties lined up here. Bracketed by some modern cars and lots of modern guys having a look. And look at the dilapidated old barn in the background, one of many in the area - the motel is surrounded by farms and fields and pastures.

Birds and plants 03-10-09

I decided to stay another day in San Juan Bautista so that I could do some more photographing and enjoy one of Mary's special salmon dinners! Saturday (a perfectly gorgeous day) I drove down the mountain with my camera, but before I got to the highway I encountered these five hen turkeys strolling along the road. I pulled over and stopped and, of course, they headed away from me. After I had snapped a few images my camera flashed the 'out of battery' alert. I flipped it off and on for another picture and then again, but then it was REALLY out of battery. So, I drove back up the mountain to charge the battery for half an hour - enough to carry me through the rest of my photo excursion. The hens think they will get away from me and cross the road.
But I was still too close, so they went on into the field at a fast clip.This is the most clear and focused image I took - unfortunately their heads are missing. Might be some kind of ominous forecast.

I drove west on Hwy 156 to Hwy 1 and turned south to where I had seen the artichoke fields close to the highway. Several readers were interested in the artichoke picture I posted the other day. Here is another view of a field.

The round green baseball sized "fruit" sticks up above the leaves.

And here is a closeup of artichokes on the plant. Mary tells me that the one that grows right out of the top of the plant is the best one - it looms large here. I don't know how many times they go through the field harvesting the 'fruit' that is ready, but I'm sure it is quite a few. A local produce stand has different bins for different sizes of artichokes from baby to primo.

In the picture above showing the field you can see a patch of oxalis on the left. This is a better image of a single wild oxalis blossom and bud. The foliage is clover like and the plants are usually found in fields, along roadsides and other places where the soil has been disturbed. The hybrid plants found at nurseries have leaves of different colors and shapes along with flowers of many colors. They are sometimes sold as "Shamrocks" for St. Patrick's day. It is easy to tell the difference between a field of wild mustard which is a bright yellow and grows about a foot tall and a field of oxalis growing at most about eight inches tall and is a greenish yellow - very pale. I probably have a hillside full out back, but I haven't looked since I came home. Tomorrow?