NEW FAMILY MEMBER

Asleep in my lap

Today was amazing. My friend Z drove through a torrential downpour to go see Papillons an hour away .
Truly not expecting to buy a dog, I came home with a 16 week old girl puppy. She is bold, happy, smart and adorable. I keep thinking I am going to wake up and find out it was all a dream.

Z AND SAN DIEGO: DEL MAR

We stopped at Dexter's Deli to buy bags ful of treats, and boots for Bandit to protect him from bees.
Mom Z shares her lunch with Bandit. How I love the dog friendly restuarants with outdoor seating here! The streets are literally lined with them.

Bandit waiting expectantly for the waitress to serve us.

Beautiful Del Mar Beach

So. Cal. is all about flowers and beautiful landscaping, including the walkways around the beach.

On our way back, we stop at the farmer's market.

Z at the walkway to "Queen Califia's Magic Circle"

Art/sculpture/mosaic totem in Queen Califia's Magic Circle

Z and the dogs sitting on a gorgeous mosaic sculpture

Amazing and beautiful mosaic

Bella and Bandit: unafraid of the big snakes

Bella poses in a sculpture

totems

this is the scene underneath "Queen Califia"

Queen Califia's golden egg

huge snakes encircle Queen Califia

Here the queen rides astride her mosaic bird

entrance to the magic circle

FIRST DAY IN SAN DIEGO: SUNSET CLIFFS

My wonderful friend and host, Z Kripke
Gigantic roses at a seaside lodge

Landscaping is so incredibly gorgouus here

Amazing geography

Beauty everywhere

Bellas leash matches the flowers along the shore

Z's new Papillon, Bandit. A true gentleman

another geographic wonder

The shores are eroding at an alarming rate

DESERT WILDLIFE

House Finch waiting his turn

I had the most wonderful afternoon with a fantastic lady who allowed me to photograph wildlife from her home on the desert. She feeds the birds, bunnies, foxes etc. I was excited to get the best Gambel's Quail shots ever. Thank you Phyllis!

Male Gambel's Quail showing softly feathered topnotch

Cottontail rabbit enjoying a sip of cool water

perky quail

Interesting to see their markings face on!

White Crowned Sparrow

four in one photograph!

The bunny comes back

HARQUEHALA MOUNTAIN

Karen Mills in an abandoned ruin at the base of Harquehala Mountain


A large old water basin: for the animals would be my guess.

On our way up: pretty red barrel cacti on the side of the mountain.

This poor old Saguaro got decapitated.

Quite a steep climb. We walked up about a half mile.

This amazing saguaro was on our way up. Denny is 6'3" tall. We estimated the saguaro to be 30-40 feet tall. Saguaros grow approx. 1" per year. About 8' of this one was below the banking.

definitely a tall one!

Inside the old mine on Harquehala Mountain

small metal tracks lead inside the mine.

looking back out towards the entrance

This streak of copper residue followed along the side of the mine shaft.

Looking out to the entrance of the mine

remnants of the old wooden framework in front of the mine

As if we hadn't climbed up far enough, Paul (Billy Goat Fournier) had to go up to the next ridge to look down on us!

The old wooden structure as we first saw it.

a five foot tall Teddy Bear Cholla on the side of our path

A tiny cactus clings tenatiously to a rock crevice.