THE SEAGULLS ARE RETURNING TO THE LAKE -

Just a few so far but November is when they really start showing up.  I always look forward to seeing them. 

I AM POSTING ALL THE PICS THAT I TOOK THIS DAY IN THE PAST

Before I only put a few up at one of my blogs.  Today they all go up.  I just feel happy when looking at these two.  I saw them at the lake one day and watched their antics for awhile.

LEARNING ABOUT ASPENS VS. BIRCH TREES

The first time I learned that a tree I had seen in Bend Oregon was a quaking aspen is when I started looking for them everywhere.  When we moved to the mountains then and even now I still have to go where the aspens grow especially in fall.  I'm so drawn to them.  But, I wasn't educated on the difference between an aspen and a birch and got them mixed up sometimes.

But I've since learned the aspen has heart shapes leaves with white trunk and black markings and the birch has a different shaped leaf and white trunk and they both have beautiful yellow leaves in fall.  But there is nothing like a Quaking Aspen even in the slightest of breezes.

Yesterday up at Big Bear Lake we found what I was looking for.  Some aspens have turned colors at least on one side of the lake and the other side, for some reason they have yet to turn.

 Yesterday I saw that there were many smaller aspens growing what appeared to be along a root line so I figured ...yes of course, that's how aspen groves are created.  So I googled for more info and here's just a bit of quite a lot of what I've read about them.  I'll be reading up even more on these interesting trees and also on the birch tree which I also love and found that their bark is great for making canoes.

First, it has the widest natural range of any tree in North America, spanning 47 degrees of latitude (equal to half the distance from the equator to the North Pole), 110 degrees of longitude (nine time zones), and elevations from sea level to timberline. It is also the largest living organism, growing in clones that reproduce primarily by sending up sprouts from their roots. And as far as the oldest…a clone in Minnesota has been estimated to be 8,000 years old!  

Getting up close and personal it's great to see just how many colors are in a fall aspen tree leaf.  I also made a trip recently to Heaps Peak Botanical Garden here in the mountains and their aspens are also showing their fall colors - this is at an altitude of about 6500 feet to 6700 feet.  These leaves  are so gorgeous!

GETTING CLOSE TO THAT TIME OF YEAR WHEN

A walk up Party Hill might be doable - ....I'll wait until the weather cools even more down the mountain and then I'll go to this area, which was behind the house I use to live in for almost 30 years...  and I will start here, walk up the street beyond that big white house and keep going until I reach the trail behind it.  That trail will take me to the top of party hill and more into the foothills and mountain area and then I can explore more around it and see what has changed and if there is still graffiti all over the boulders that some punks had painted there years ago.

And I've missed this blog.  I have so many nature photos that I never put up and very recent ones.  I'll try starting this up again and see if I make a go of it.

CLOSING OR NOT ...IT'S BEEN AWHILE AND I MAY KEEP POSTING HERE.

I'm closing down this blog - it makes no sense to have two blogs that deal with the mountains.  I don't take many bird photos anymore which is why I started this blog here in the first place.

So, this will be the last post here and if you visit here - I'll place a link for my other blog which is where I will post all my photos that aren't designed art which I put on my art blog.

So I  finally only have 2 blogs. I take a lot of photos of different towns up here in the mountains and from our trips down the mountain to my favorite places.

But I keep seeing photos I want to put up here so I'll probably post once in awhile.

HERE IS THE LINK to LIVING IN THE MOUNTAINS

Thanks for visiting here and I'll eventually in the next week get your links I have on this side bar - up at my main blog.

WE WERE ALL SET FOR SPRING - AND THEN THIS HAPPENED

Snow - but it didn't stop the chick-a-dee from showing up looking for food.

A PEACEFUL SPRING SCENE IN ARROYO GRANDE

I took this photo at least 8 years or so ago ... and i don't know for sure if it is Arroyo Grande or Pismo, California  (Laura you would know).

I think this was in the spring because you can see just the slightest bit of yellow (wildflowers possibly or maybe a tree) in the hills in the background.

Today seems like it is shaping up to be a beautiful spring day if the wind will cease as it's suppose to do by 1:00 today.  The weather reports up here in the mountains are rarely accurate especially when it comes to wind.  I'm ready to go hiking if it does settle down!

OH LUCKY DAY -

One day awhile back - a long while back - I walked into a Mexican Restaurant and this was the first thing I saw (besides the bathroom door I was looking for).  This beautiful mural was near a hallway to my left as I walked in and as luck would have it, I had my camera with me. 

I found years ago that some of the best art is either near or in the restrooms at restaurants.  Since that time whenever I need a restroom while out dining - I always have my camera and...if the mirror near the sinks is one that makes me look about 25 pounds lighter - I definitely take a selfie....nah ... only kidding 
...because I haven't found a mirror that accomplishes that for me.

I have a collection of bathroom art - isn't that weird.

THROWBACK THURSDAY

Sometimes it's fun to join in and post an old favorite. 

This photo is a favorite because this particular day I remember moving the nyger feeder from a spot farther away to up closer by my porch  and the birds started arriving.  I could sit for hours watching them.  Some would land on the jade plants underneath and await their turn. 

I SAW THIS ALLIGATOR ALONG THE SHORELINE OF LAKE ARROWHEAD YESTERDAY

This fellow was quite scary.  I tentatively walked by it, snapped a photo and then ran!  That was my scary Monday experience.  I have read about being aware of the "ides of March" but I thought it was about settling debts - instead it is about alligators on your path.

I had the thought to go look up animal symbology and here is what it said about alligator...hmmm...

"The hideous alligator stands for respect, fear, magic, instinct, shrewdness, strength, agility, creation, dependence, efficiency, emotion, courage, secretiveness, and indestructibility. As a spirit animal, it shows you the way to protect and care for your loved ones, maintaining an aggressive attitude.

It kind of fits for the day I was having..

also Mike reminded me that this was the second alligator we saw yesterday while walking at the lake.  The first one is below - ...It's a blow up of something that lost it's air and was floating by a dock - Mike said when we passed it - "look there's a dead alligator in the water" so I had to get a pic - and then we pass this one later.

So Alligator Symbology definitely was  showing up for me yesterday.