Daily Walks - 2

The creek crossing/ford. You could drive up in there and we have before, but it's really squishy right now. I hiked across so I should know. : - )

A woodpeckers nest in that old skag by the side of the creek.

Oh boy, some fungus growing on a rotting tree/log! : - )

You should start seeing a lot of this.
Just depends on how warm it gets. I have some good pic of Fungi.
I will have to do a walk in my woods for you all.
I love this one, it is Great.

Fungi hunts are one of our favorite activities. I can usually get the whole family involved, or at least the boys.
Woods! Real Woods! Not in my desert, unless you want to take a drive or pretend the Christmas trees are the woods. I can't wait! Variety is the spice of life! : - )
Same log.

Base of the tree where the wood pecker nest was.

The flood almost turned this bench into a sandbar. It's to the left of Grandfather Oak.

This is the oxbow where we used to have the Tipi Village set up. We still have the tipi poles set up for one of them, and you can see the fire ring.
The tipi's deteriorated or were vandalized over time, so I took them down. I still have one tipi cover, but it's for my personal tipi.
Once, we had one set up for every Moon of the year. It was cool. I do have paper photos I should scan into the computer some day that shows them.

Some more puffy clouds above the Tipi Village.

I don't much like cactus, but since it was here before I got here, it gets to stay. It might even bloom this year. I'll have to keep my eyes open. See what happens.

However, if someone wants to adopt this baby cactus or take a cutting, Please DO! LOL!

Another view of Grandmother Oak.

I'm blaming the troll for the broken branch. LOL!

Oh, don't tempt me. I like cactus. Are those the cholla cactus. You'd have to take a newspaper with you to get that rascal, No , Don't do it. But it is cute. Leave it there Call it RIDES for me.

Does the bridge railing look crooked to you, too?

Very Tilted. The troll knocked it over.

rrm, I'd really rather find it a good home because it is in the path. But if you insist, LOL!
I have no idea what kind of cactus it is. I don't play with cactus. They have sharp, spiney points which hurt when you brush against them. Believe me there are a lot of them, that I didn't take photos of because they don't interest me that much, but now that I know . . .

I think this is the best photo I've ever taken of the Root Oak from this direction. : - )

Could be! LOL! This is a photo of the fire ring in the picnic area, between the Root Oak and Grandmother Oak. The troll bridge lets people off into the picnic area.
Hmm, I wonder who is doing the picnicking? BODLOL!

DH was finally getting the idea he would be a good spotter since he has better eye sight. He says this is a Kestrel. I love Kestrel's. Maybe it's because they are the smallest of their kind, maybe it's because they are so darn pretty. : - )

A quick peek under Grandmother Oak.

The upper half.

The half that sometimes gets flooded. Not this time, though!

Sharp eyed DH spotted this. Is it what I think it is? Wowser!

Okay, now then who is this? He's all puffed out.

It's the Western Scrub Jay. I got to find some raw peanuts!
That was the last photo I took on my walk yesterday.
I'm going to take a break for a while, and then start posting the photos I took today when I climbed Red Hawk Hill.
Enjoy, comment, add some of your own. : - )
WIB!
SW

This message was edited Jan 24, 2010 5:53 PM

Sheila, thanks for the post on the last thread. They are bi-colored blackbirds. We are thrilled, as they only recently decided to move over here. Loss of habitat will do that.
They seem to love to flock to this tree in the creek by the "island" and I swear they laugh at me.
More later.
Hungry Critters.

What lovely walk photos Jules. I particularly love the photo of the 'root oak'. It's a stunning ancient.

Jules, thanks so much for sharing your world with us! You have such a great eye for the subtle beauties in nature. Can't wait to see the changes as spring progresses!

Jules I love the way you see the world around you!!!

It's a beautiful to see...Hi, Marie, how is our handsome little boy doing??

As a lot of you know, maybe not all of you, but I have a tailbone injury, from a car accident in '05, and that triggered Fibromyalgia. I know a lot of you have friends with the FB or have it yourselves. I can't sit for long without pain, but I can walk without pain.
Walking is good excercise, but boring if you are just walking on concrete or asphalt. My Dr. wants me to walk on uneven surfaces because it will help my balance. Although, I think that is due more to the head injuries from the accidents and the falls I've had since.
It's been a struggle, and my Dad was my greatest supporter. Always a joke or something to cheer me up. He was that way with a lot of people. My DG family has stepped up, and continued to provide me with the support, some with experiences of their own, and it all helps me to heal. : - )
I walk because of the above, and when you are in constant pain, and refuse to spend your life in a drug induced haze, you have got to find something to concentrate on, to let go of the pain.
I'm hoping that now that I have an appetite and am walking daily (will start swimming when the pool gets clean and the water is warm), that it will improve my stamina as well.
I am most grounded when I walk the land while singing. Letting the sun sink into my aching body. Then I can concentrate on the beauty of the world, the land, and of life.
It's kind of funny, because lots of times I'm wearing my ipod and singing out loud, but I guess the critters around here are used to me, or they accept I'm not a threat. Otherwise, I wouldn't be seeing the backs of so many critters. LOL!
I really do pace myself. Right now I'm typing and chewing my lunch. I take my siesta's. I cope.
Sharing my walks helps me to cope. I like the company too. : - )
Thanks for joining me. : - )
Got to get moving or I'll stiffen up!
BBL,
WIB!
SW

We got your back, girl.
We enjoy your walks and your talks.
Rides

Love the fungus, SW! Look forward to more of them as they grow. We get kestrals here, too, sitting in the '3 old men' (our pine trees). I love their face masks, but sometimes I imagine they are crying. Silly...

KC, I love my kestrels'. One of them greets me every morning, I consider it one of my guardians/sister/feathered friends. It's always a joyous thing for me to see one flying.
I really want to share yesterday's walk, and since I was too busy doing some clean up and planting around here, I didn't go on a long walk, and I didn't have my camera on me. Sure wish I'd taken it with me this evening. Ooops.
This is what I saw yesterday, when I went out for my walk. One of the reasons I love living here. Speaking of kestrels, I saw this one being chased by a tiny bird. Evidently it trespassed too close to the tiny birds nest. Drove off the kestrel. I hope you can see him/her. I cropped the photo.

This is Mt. San Jacinto, and the moon is still visible. Mt. San Jacinto is to the east of us.

This is where I planted the poppies. I'm walking up RHH to see the pretty white mountains with out all those trees in the way.

Sandbars, and mud ripples in two directions on the firebreak road that leads to the top of the hill.

This is where I intend to go, but it's seems to currently be occupied. LOL!

On the way up the hill, I see that the Tipi poles from Star's Lodge are pointed downhill. Water was rushing pretty fast. Now I have to decide if I leave them lie, put them back up, or recycle them.

Sorry folks, I stuttered? I really hate thumbnails.
One more time!