“Mt. Whitney and Lone Pine Peak”
Alabama Hills, California
Boulders of the Alabama Hills frame Lone Pine Peak on the left and Mt. Whitney on the right. From this position, Lone Pine Peak (elev. 12,949 ft) looks significantly higher than Mt. Whitney (elev. 14,505 ft) in the background. It is just a matter of perspective.
“Mt. Whitney”
Eastern Sierras, California
The Mt. Whitney hike starts here in the Alabama Hills west of Lone Pine, CA. I reflect back to my younger days knowing that I could have made it to the top. Those years are long gone. Now I look up and just dream of what it would be like to be at the top looking down over the surrounding Sierras.
“Mono Lake”
Eastern Sierras, California
I’ve driven by Mono Lake three times in the last four years in the February/March time frame. This year with the combination of the skies and the snow, the view was striking. A few moments after I took this image, a breeze came up and the clearness of the reflection was gone. Sometimes, I just lucky to be at the right spot at the right time. Thank YOU!
“Foggy Sunrise”
Heatherwood Winter
Fog and early morning sunlight create a wonderful ethereal scene. Layers of fog and low lying clouds cover the valley below our home. The distant hills provide a dark hazy background silhouette in the middle. More low lying clouds obscure the Selah-Yakima gap and additional cloud layers cover the morning sky. Winter sunrises and sunsets are a special gift to start and end a day.
Many may think that the above image could be an abstract painting. It is not. The image is straight from my camera with only a very small amount of contrast added. Magic happens!
“Sunrise Filtering Through the Fog”
Heatherwood View
As the sun breaks the horizon,
Its light filters through the fog.
A pink wonder appears.
Every sunrise presents a different view of the day ahead. Each one is an open slate, ready for us to make it the best it can be!
“Winter View from the Perch”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
Standing above our stream and waterfalls gives me a wide perspective of our Japanese garden below. It is very quiet and peaceful up here now that the main stream has been shut down for its winter rest. When I am up here, my mind wanders from enjoying the openness of the wide perspective to focusing on little vignettes and details. Many times I lose track of time as I peacefully dream over the landscape. Winter snow adds a whole different feeling.
“Sunrise View”
Heatherwood Winter
Today is the sunrise for a new year! It is a time to look forward to the new challenges and opportunities the new year will bring. There are wonderful times ahead to spend with family and friends. There are new adventures around the corner with new things to learn. There are times for work and for enjoying the results. There are times for quiet contemplation on what is most important in life. It will be our challenge to act on the most important things and make the best of each and every day.
Today will be a great day. Happy New Year!
“Sunset”
Heatherwood Late Fall
Looking southwest from our house, we often get beautiful sunsets that backlight a clump of trees on the hill above. This hill shields a view of Mt. Adams in the distance. However, this scene isn’t bad at all.
“Future Garden Room View”
Heatherwood Late Fall
We have designed locations for ten different viewing areas within our Heatherwood garden. Some look inward to the garden, some look outward, and some do both. Six are currently in place. We are planning on implementing two more this coming year. The one illustrated in the above image is in the southwest corner. We will create a little garden room around this spot. It will be designed to enclose the foreground lawn area and provide privacy to the sitting area. From this spot we will be able to enjoy the plants surrounding the lawn up close and still maintain the view of the north and western hills above Heatherwood. It will take several years to achieve this goal. We will patiently enjoy watching it mature.
“Joshua Trees”
Joshua Tree National Park, CA
Have you ever seen a forest in the desert. Here in Joshua Tree National Park, the south eastern Mohave Desert is covered with this strange forest. It is truly a western scene. I can imagine cowboys riding through this desolate area. There is no water to be found for miles..
The Joshua Tree is the largest of the Yuccas, reaching 35- 40 feet tall. They can live up to 150 years. Some have even found to have lived 300 years. They are a tough plant!