Windy Weather

It was supposed to rain up here today, but the part of the storm with the rain in it stayed about 400 miles to the north...all we got were the horrible winds.

But, windy weather makes lovely blue skies. 

The baby oak leaves are losing their red and starting to get a bit of green around their edges. 

The wind doesn't seem to bother the birds, thank goodness.  This robin seemed to like the bobbing up and down the branch was doing in the wind...maybe it's like a carnival ride to them, as long as it isn't too strong. 

Linking with Skywatch Friday

Lilac Love

I picked some lilacs for my studio...

Their scent is so wonderful.  I wish someone would make an air freshener spray that really smelled like lilacs. 

They looked so pretty in their little jugs and vases, I took their photos.  

I'm linking with these blogs:  Through My Lens
                                           Life Thru the Lens
                                           Our World Tuesday

Turn Around

In these mountains, spring is always changeable...if you don't like the weather, wait five minutes.  Or...

Drive for a minute or two.   

The above photos were all taken in Valley of Enchantment, a pretty area west of the Lake Gregory valley. 

However, to get a change of weather in some places up here, all you have to do is...

Turn around!

Linking with:    Skywatch Friday

Spring Greens

The dogwoods are in the first stages of their bloom.

Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida), above, has four bracts, while the Pacific Dogwood (Cornus nuttalli), below, has six.  In both species the actual flowers are in the center of the bracts, and haven't opened yet.

When the bracts are just beginning to open their shape reminds me of tulips. 

Soon the spring green will fade, and the bracts will become a beautiful cream color and will be much larger.

Linking with   Through My Lens    and    Our World Tuesday     and     Life Thru the Lens

Lovely Rain

Early this morning the clouds started rolling in.  These storms (there are supposed to be two, with rain lasting through Monday) are coming up from Mexico, so the snow level will be waaaay above where I live...yay!

The rain is so welcome here...we didn't get enough during this El Nino to end the drought here in the Southern California mountains.

The tulips will like it...

And, so will the lilacs.  They're blooming a month ahead of their usual time.  But, maybe that's good...if the weather decides to snow in May, like it did last year, the lilacs' blooms won't be harmed. It's raining lightly now, and I'm really looking forward to several days of rain!

Linking with Skywatch Friday  and   Pink Saturday

Spring Weather

Yesterday, cherry trees were blooming...

Periwinkles were blooming...

Bees were buzzing around...

And the apple trees were loaded with blossoms.  Last night was a different story.  Horribly windy, rain, sleet, hail...I was surprised to see all the blossoms were still here this morning and there was just a very, very thin crust of snow on the roofs, but not on the trees or blossoms.  I thought the worst was over, as it had all mostly melted by early this afternoon.

But later this afternoon, the sky got very dark and it started to snow, and it's sticking to everything...trees, roads, and, sadly, the blossoms.

The weather people are saying there could be as much as 6 inches by tomorrow.  I sure hope they're wrong.

Linking to  Through My Lens  and   Our World Tuesday

Goodbye, Dearest Sister

My precious sister, Patricia, passed away last Wednesday, the 16th, at a little before 6:00 a.m., from stage 4 lung cancer.  It took her fast; she had only been diagnosed two weeks before.  This photo was taken in 2006, when she was 74, and she hadn't changed much during the intervening years. We were trying on tiaras in my studio, being silly (it's what we did best) and I'm so glad I took this photo. 

Bye for now, Sissy...I know we'll see each other again some day.

Winter Makes a Comeback

It's snowing here today (yay)!  This robin doesn't look too happy, but I'm pretty sure the humans and trees are thrilled.  This snow, coming after rain all last night, is very welcome in these parched mountains. 

Just a couple of days ago the ornamental cherries were in full bloom...

Some pussy willows were even putting out their tiny, tiny flowers. 

But there's no doubt...this robin will be happy once the snow is over! 

Linking with Through My Lens   and  Image-in-ing  

Thursday's Quote

When you reach a certain age you realize that life is finite.  You can be depressed by that...or you can say, "I'm going to appreciate every minute to its maximum potential."  Gordon Sumner (Sting)

Too Warm, Too Dry

Not many signs of spring yet, which is as it should be.  It's been so abnormally warm (58 F today) here in these mountains, though, I'm sure spring will be here lots sooner than normal.

There were a few clouds around today at Lake Gregory...

along with various birds.   Mr. and Mrs. Mallard

Ms. Mallard.

A seagull and, down in the left corner, a cormorant.  I didn't see the cormorant until I uploaded the photo, so I missed the opportunity to get a close-up.   

Far above the lake, a bald eagle soared...

while the selfish clouds hurried away to somewhere else without sharing any much needed rain. 

 Linking to  Skywatch Friday      Wednesday Around the World     Through My Lens     Our World Tuesday   Life Thru the Lens 

Alpenglow

I was down in Redlands (a small town in the San Bernardino valley) last week and caught this beautiful sunset.  This is looking west...

Looking behind me to the east, I realized one of my favorite things was happening...

Alpenglow!

I love it when the sunset colors the snow on the high peaks.  It only lasts for a couple of minutes, at best.  I
looked back to the west...

and snapped a quick (I thought) shot, but by the time I turned back to the east the mountains and the sky had faded into the blue of dusk...

I felt really lucky that I was there to not only see, but get photos of, one of my favorite natural things.

I'm linking with Our World Tuesday   and   Blue Monday  and   Through My Lens Monday

and    Life Thru the Lens     and   Pink Saturday

Shadow Shot Sunday

Shadows and sun on a path around Lake Arrowhead.  Linking with Shadow Shot Sunday