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

Sunday Light and Shadow

Sun and wind flowing down a hillside,   

drew my attention to this old stump, and made me notice it's beauty. 

Linking with Shadow Shot Sunday

Pink Saturday

Little flowers of Fremont's Bush Mallow (Malacothamus fremontii) that I found growing down around Cleghorn Canyon.  It's a liminal sort of place, not really a part of the mountains but not really desert.  It's so quiet there, especially winter afternoons. 

Linking with Pink Saturday

Skywatch Friday

Sitting on the top of a 200 foot Ponderosa Pine on a windy and cold January day in the San Bernardino mountains, 

this Red Tailed Hawk was carefully watching the land below. 

These photos aren't the best, 

But I was pretty far away, and I didn't use a tripod.  I guess I'm always too afraid the bird is going to fly away before I can take a photo.

This is where the photos were taken from and the red dot marks the tree she was sitting in.

Click to see more Skywatch Friday

Outdoor Wednesday

Overlooking Lake Gregory in the San Bernardino mountain range of Southern California.  The San Gabriel mountain range is in the back with the lower layer of clouds floating right on top of them.  A beautiful day full of light and shadow and cold, fresh, pine-scented air.

To see more photos of the outdoors around the world, go to  Outdoor Wednesday

Thin and Brittle

We got a thin dusting of snow last night, about a half inch, which started to melt, but then the temperature dropped again, leaving ice on some things and a brittle, thin blanket of snow on others.

Just enough snow to make the logs look picturesque...

And allow the raccoons to leave their footprints on the path! 

Linking to:  Macro Monday 2      Through My Lens  I Heart Macro   Our World Tuesday

Reflections and Shadows

Clouds admiring their reflections in Lake Gregory...

While on the other side of the lake, trees cast their shadows.  Or, maybe shadows are how trees see their reflections.
Linking to   Shadow Shot Sunday  

The above photos were taken in March of 2013.  It's pouring rain (2.59 inches so far) here in these mountains today - by tonight it will be snowing - YAY!  Higher up in Big Bear it's already snowing.

An Unexpected Gift

An unexpected gift from my husband...tulips must be blooming somewhere in the world!  My crocuses aren't even peeking up through the ground here yet.

Linking with Pink Saturday

Skywatch Friday

A cold January sunset at Lake Gregory in the San Bernardino mountains of California.

To see more beautiful skies, click here Skywatch Friday

Wild Bird Wednesday

A male Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana) was hunting for bugs down by Lake Gregory. 

He spotted a tasty bug... 

and flew off in a blur of blue and rust.

Unfortunately for me, he missed the annoying bug in the lower left portion of this photo...

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday

Tranquility

A tranquil corner of Lake Gregory on a winter's day.  San Bernardino mountains, California.

Linking with  http://ourworldtuesdaymeme.blogspot.com/2016/01/our-world-25-january-2016.html

Macro Monday - Ice Dance

Partially frozen water around the edge of the fountain, some in the pool, some still falling, some completely frozen, all shaped by the wind.  Linking with Macro Monday and Through My Lens:

http://macromonday2.blogspot.com/2016/01/knock-knock.html

http://www.mersad-photography.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/following-path-through-my-lens-nr-26.html

Skywatch Friday

A sunrise (unusual for me!) captured in late December of last year from a little rest area along side the Rim of the World Highway in the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California.  The San Bernardino valley is far below, hidden under the clouds, and Mt. San Jacinto is the highest peak at the left of the photo. 

To see more Skywatch Friday photos, go to:

www.skyley.blogspot.com.au

Tea and a Quote

Brew me a cup for a winter's night, for the wind howls loud and the furies fight. ~~ M.T. Antrim 

Last night ~ well, really, this morning ~ I couldn't sleep.  I came down and made a pot of tea in one of my favorite pots.  I didn't realize it was that late ~ or that early ~ until I was settled and looked at the clock.  I decided that, since I probably wouldn't be able to return to sleep, I'd go ahead and make a fire to keep me company through the wee hours.  Then, looking around at the sleeping cats, I thought I'd get my camera and get some photos.  As soon as they heard me getting into the camera bag they took off for upstairs!  So, I took a photo of the teapot and cup instead.  I've always wondered why I wake up on nights like these at exactly 3:00 a.m.  Never mind the "witching hour," I heard someone say once that 3 a.m. is the hour of the demons.  I think that's more appropriate; it seems like that's when my demon, also known as "worry", visits me.  Hopefully, I'll sleep tonight...

Wednesday's Winding Road

This was taken coming out of Two Mile Road (Hwy 173) turning onto Highway 18 in February of 2013.  All the snow from our wonderful storm earlier this month is gone...I suppose there might be some left in Big Bear.  I know there's snow on the ski runs because our lows have been very, very cold.  Well, until the last couple of nights.  And our high today was 61 degrees!  In January!!  I hate Global Warming.

Birthday Wishes

Happy birthday, Dr. King.

When Barack Obama was elected president eight years ago, my first thought was "I wish Dr. King would have been here to see this."  I was so proud of America...I felt we had really turned a corner and Dr. King's dream was coming true.  Boy, was I wrong.  It seems like America is more divided than ever.

To read the words of someone who is far more eloquent than I, hop on over to Vicki Lane's blog. 

www.vickilanemysteries.blogspot.com

More Snow Birds

Another Steller's Jay...

A spotted Towhee...   

A Goldfinch...  

and a Chickadee.  I'm always amazed, and grateful, at how well the littlest birds do in snow!  The snow has melted off the trees now, but there's still a good amount on the ground.   I sure hope this isn't our only good snow storm of the season. 

Monday's Quote

There is nothing in the world more beautiful than the forest clothed to its very hollows in snow.  It is the still ecstasy of nature, wherein every spray, every blade of grass, every spire of reed, every intricacy of twig, is clad with radiance.  ~~  William Sharp

Sunday Sunsets

Taken in July of 2008 on Highway 18 near Running Springs.

Snow!

We finally got a semi-decent snowstorm!  Not two or three feet like the storms before 2006, but better than the light dustings we've been getting for the past several years.  

A little ways up the mountain in Big Bear they got about a foot and a half, which made the local business owners and ski resorts really happy, too.

Well...maybe not the birds and animals.  It's always hard for them.  But I keep the feeders well stocked so, at least here at my little cottage, they don't go hungry. (That's a Northern Flicker in the photo above and a Steller's Jay in the photo below).

I apologize for the blurriness of some photos, it was still snowing pretty hard when I took those photos.

The snow started to melt a little this afternoon, but I think there will probably be plenty left for tomorrow and the weekend!