California – Page 48 – Ink, Yarn & Beer

A View to the East

Sunday morning we went out for a hike in the local open space. The coastal ranges are beautiful right now because of the rains, so long missing from our climate, and returning because of El Nino. Yesterday’s photo was facing west; this is what lay behind me. A green and misty land, with a deep gorge to the right, a ridge to the left which, should I climb it, will bring me down into another valley. Spring!

BTW, this is another panorama, taken with 17 images and merged in LR 6.5. Gotta love the digital darkroom!

A Morning in the Hills

The rains have arrived in California, easing a four-year drought. Brown has turned to green and the miracle of life returns. I took this yesterday morning around 7 a.m., heading west with the sun behind me. This is a pano of two images, using the Nikon V1 and 32mm lens.

Roost

There is something quite fascinating about sailing past cliffs rising straight up from the sea and watching the birds circling, diving, nesting, and perching on the stones. In the middle of a whale-watching crowd, the sense of loneliness and isolation is found here.

Tip

This is the furthest tip of Anacapa Island, one rock beyond Arch Rock. It marks a boundary between the Santa Barbara Channel and the great blue Pacific! To me, it is amazing to think that the next continent is Asia, thousands and thousands of miles away across the sea. I don’t think I would want to have to sail there from here, much less swim.

Joy

Whale watching on Valentine’s Day found a few whales and oodles of dolphins. Unfortunately, none of my pictures really did the dolphins any credit. I never seemed to get one that caught their energy and spirit. Still, I want to post something . . . this was taken as I stood at the front of the boat, watching the dolphins leap and turn in the water. This guy is the pin-up for that day!