Friday, May 19, 2017
Pink Dogwood at Oregon Gardens

Springtime in Oregon means the trees that once put on a beautiful autumn show are now trying their hardest to outdo themselves. Where only a few weeks ago you saw dormant branches, the trees are covered in fresh new growth, but many of them don't bother with leaves this time of year. It's solid flowers as far as the eye can see. And the colors are even more vibrant than the fall in many cases.

Thursday, May 18, 2017
Oregon Garden Fronds

Another image from our recent stroll through The Oregon Gardens in Silverton. Everything was enjoying the nice spring day, it looked like every plant was in a race with its neighbor to see how much new growth it could get out in the beautiful afternoon light. These beautiful fern fronds were no exception, you could almost imagine them unfurling as you watched.

Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Oregon Garden Cone

Waling through The Oregon Garden in Silverton, Oregon makes it quite clear that spring is definitely here. If you thought autumn in the north west was beautiful, wait until you walk through a botanic garden in the spring time. So many bushes and trees are so covered in blossoms that you can't see the leaves or branches. Strolling through this beauty makes for a wonderful way to spend a day. This little guy seemed like he had just opened up, it looks so delicate, almost like it is made of paper.

Thursday, May 23, 2013
Rose Garden Panorama Sunset

An amazing sunset at the Santa Barbara Mission rose garden. The Roses are in full bloom this time of year, it's a wonderful time to visit the Mission and wander around the grounds. If you have really good timing you can experience a spectacular spiring evening with amazing beauty in every direction.

Sunday, May 19, 2013
Blueberries on the Hoof

Yesterday we went to Buelton to pick Blueberries at a great little spot, Santa Barbara Blueberries. They have a wide variety of bushes so you can find your favorite ones. It's just the beginning of their season and they are only open limited hours, so be sure to check out their Facebook page for updates.

Thursday, December 20, 2012
Annas in Flight

This is another shot of one of the beautiful Anna's hummingbirds I was following around Valley Hills Nursery in Carmel. It looks like a beautiful spring day, but a beautiful nursery can make any day look like a beautiful spring day in California.

Sunday, November 18, 2012
Ye Cold Spring Tavern vertical

A beautiful little spot on the way to Santa Ynez along the San Marcos pass. Cold Spring Tavern is a great place to stop for lunch, and a little bit of history.

From the plaque in the stone...

Thursday, August 9, 2012
Ye Cold Spring Tavern

This is Ye Cold Spring Tavern just over the mountain pass from Santa Barbara. It is nothing short of a local landmark. And they make a great pulled-pork sandwhich. The day we were there we bumpped into the owner as we were leaving, it was a lot of fun talking to him and learning about the history. To say nothing of the great experience of having lunch in a place that has been there for almost 130 years.

The "Cold Spring" referrs to a natural artisian spring that comes out of the ground at the top of a rugged hill, the base of which is just to the left of the photo. The interesting thing that we learned from the owner is that water must come from a higher spot than that hill, which is near the top of our mountains here. So odds are the water flowing naturally from the top of our mountain traveled under the valley from the moutains on the other side.

From the plaque in the stone...

Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Spring Starflower

Another shot from Alice Keck Park Memorial Gardens. I like the way the petals on this flower alternate, three on top and three on the bottom. Looking it up online was quite an adventure, apparently it has about five different names. [Tristagma uniflorum] [Milla uniflora] [Triteleia uniflora] [Brodiaea uniflora]

Monday, April 17, 2006
Spring Evening

The hound picked a nice time for a walk this evening. The light was beautiful. Finally a break from the rain and it actually felt like spring. For better or for worse the news anchors were excited about the fact that we should actually have three beautiful days in a row! Not exactly a long run for Southern California, but at this point I'll take what I can get!

Saturday, April 15, 2006
Alice's Ducks

We had another nice walk through Alice Keck Park Memorial Gardens today. (Commonly mistaken as just Alice Keck Park. As in Alice Keck's park, but her name was Alice Keck Park, and it is her Memorial Garden.) I only point this out because it was not entirely clear to me until today. Actually, I guess I just never thought about it before today.

So, on to the Ducks. They were chasing each other around the pond the whole time we were there. Ahhh, spring is here! :-D