Thunder, Lightening, Fire and Flowers

After a crazy few weeks at work and the realization I hadn’t picked up my camera in over a month I had to get out for the day.  More than happy to share my love of photography and adventure, my friend Kat suggested we go wildflower hunting.    We had a horribly dry winter and hoped it wouldn’t affect the flowers on the passes. 

We headed up 108 and drove for what felt like hours looking for any sign of color.  Nothing!  The only thing we saw was dead grass, dead plants, everything dead.  We saw a sign for a road we’ve never been on.  Since we were in Kat’s car we wanted to be a little cautious.  My truck with 10-ply tires can take a beating.  Her sporty little job with low profile tires isn’t as tough.  Luckily the road was paved and, with the exception of a very occasional vehicle, no one else was around.  It was nice to be in a comfortable car instead of a bouncy truck though. 

We wandered around a meadow disgusted by all the dead plants.  Then we remembered a freak cold snap we had last week and wondered if it was the 20 degree nights that did them all in rather than the lack of rain and 100 degree days.  We turned around and headed farther up 108. 

When we got to the top we started to see a little more color.  Then more color….and no where to pull over.  We finally found a spot big enough for the car and took off to walk the creek. 

Kat took a more cautious approach.  Me, not so much.  I went straight up the middle of the creek.  Usually a foot deep or more it was only a couple inches in most places. 

The flowers were stunning.  Lots of color and a few I hadn’t seen before.

 

We stopped at a vista point on a sharp curve.  At first glance it looks like absolutely nothing other than a parking lot on a ridge.  We took a quick little walk and between the trees was this valley.

We saw some ducks in a pond on 108 right before 395.  We threw on our telephoto lenses and got out to see how close we could get.  As soon as we got out of the car they went to the other side of the pond so we took a few shots and kept going.

After spending quite a bit of time at the creek we went over to 395 and up Monitor Pass.  Everything was dead.  The area where I normally stop usually has acres of flowers….Dead! 

We went to Markleeville for lunch and when we left we saw smoke to the East.  So...we went over to Highway 88 to check it out.  One of the ridges outside of Minden was on fire.  We had been seeing some amazing clouds and knew they were producing lightening.  For the 5 minutes I had internet access I read that it was indeed lightening that caused it and three other fires in the area.

Heading home we were amazed at the color of the sky and the cloud formations.  When I got home I decided I wasn't going to pass up the amazing sky and headed back out to watch the sun set.  One of my favorite places to watch the sky is on Hunt Road.  It’s a road over from the road I live on and is very rural.  It’s rarely traveled, wide open and has beautiful oak trees. 

I got home around 9:15 and started editing pictures.  I kept hearing a loud banging.  I thought the neighbors were building in the middle of the night again.  One bang was so loud I thought Brian fell out of bed.  It wasn’t until a flash of lightening came close to the house and the thunder rattled the pictures on the wall did I even know what was going on.  The thunder and lightening lasted until 4 am.  It was a really long, loud night.   We lost power around 11 and I’m glad its back on now.  It would have made for a very hot day since it’s 102 today.

Two girls, two cameras, a 4x4.......and no curfew!

My girlfriend and fellow photography enthusiast decided we should plan a day trip up Highway 4 to look for dogwoods.   We had just experienced a freak summer cold snap complete with snow at around the 5,000 ft. elevation...right where the dogwoods bloom in our county.  The first dogwoods we saw were in a CalFire station parking lot so stopped to take the first few shots.  We were very disappointed in all the brown spots left by the snow.

We decided to go higher and see what Alpine Lake looked like.  The sky was extremely bright and oddly we didn't even see one bird to photograph.  Being big girls without a curfew.......and extremely understanding husbands we decided that no place was off limits for our photo day.... so over Monitor Pass we went.  And since we were already heading that direction we just went right on over to Bridgeport.  Bridgeport is one of my favorite places and.....we couldn't be THAT close to Bodie and not go.  So off to Bodie we went.

I tried a tilt shift technique with this one (above)

Bodie was fantastic...as always!  We walked and shot for many hours before heading home.

On the way back over Highway 4 we spyed dogwoods in the parking lot of a bank in Arnold.  It was getting dark but there was just enough light to take a few pictures.

I'm looking forward to our next adventure.

An evening walk down to the pasture.........

The sun started to set so I decided to head down to the creek to see if our resident deer were there.

There are about ten in the group and they definitely weren't happy to see me....or the dogs.

I wanted to leave them in peace so headed back up the path.....but the sky was starting to turn a beautiful color and I couldn't pass up a sunset.

I stopped at the gate halfway between the property to take pictures .....and fight mosquitoes. 

Within minutes the sky turned purple.....then black... and I was standing in the field, hundreds of feet from the house.  It's pitch black and all I can hear are the mosquitoes buzzing my ears, something moving in the tall grass behind me and the dogs playing in the dark.  I made my way through the thigh high grass and oak trees back to the house.  Next time I decided to stay out after dark I will wear repellent and bring a flashlight.  I'm not a scardycat but I was a little creeped out by all the noises I was hearing.  Plus my little 15 lb. dogs are owl and coyote snacks.  We all made it home safe and sound......and bug bitten. 



Senior: VICTORIA

An amazing shoot with Victoria on a warm spring day. 

Senior: CHASE

It's that time of year.  Senior's are ending their high school career and preparing for what lies ahead.  I was honored to be asked to shoot an amazing senior, Chase.  We started out in Knights Ferry and ended at Telegraph City.



The 4ft x 4ft picture frame

My pet project is finally complete.  I saw a smaller version of this on Etsy and thought it would look really good as a 4.5x4.5 ft over my fireplace.  I had ordered 8x8 inch canvas prints of old family photos and then didn’t like them just hanging on the wall.    I thought the frame would be the best way to display them.

Poor Brian is always stuck trying to help me achieve my ideas.  Once I had it all laid out on the garage floor it was up to him to find a way to attach it all together and make sure it didn’t fall off the wall.  By the time we got it complete it was close to 75 lbs.

I have a word of advice for all the men out there who have wives with “ideas” that involve wood.  Unless she knows about wood don’t let her go shopping by herself or leave her alone in the lumber isle in Home Depot.  My lesson was very expensive.  I found the perfect wood and it was cheap….. until I got it to the check out and she started measuring.  My cheap price was actually the linear foot price and I bought the longest pieces I could find. 

Once it was done (and we realized it was 75 lbs.) we had to figure out how to get up above the mantel and make sure it wouldn’t fall off the wall.  Turns out the hardest part was lifting up that high while perched on a ladder.  Brian ended up straining his shoulder and said quite a few special words trying to get the hooks on the nails but afterward it was beautiful.  It’s quite a focal point in the house.  To bad we’re moving in three weeks and the new house doesn’t have a large wall to put it on.  It may end up in an upstairs bedroom or in the stair well.  We’ll just have to get there and see where it looks best.

Weekend drive over the passes...........

Copperopolis summer’s can be hotter than the devils breathe, especially in August and September.  We decided to escape the skin melting temperatures with a drive in the mountains.  Brian had packed a great lunch, a table, chairs and the dog.  Heading up Highway 4 to Ebbetts Pass I really didn’t find anything to photograph until we got to Lake Alpine.  We got out and walked the path, stopping occasionally so I could photograph something I saw.  The air was thick with smoke from the huge forest fire outside of Yosemite. 

We hit the road again trying to avoid psycho people driving way to fast for a winding road that equates to the size of 1 ½ lanes…just enough to squeak by at a slow pace but not enough room or time to maneuver around a speeding convertible BMW driven by grey-haired retirees.  What makes it worse is that Highway 4 is heavily traveled by bicyclists looking for the next high altitude challenge.  They frequently ride in the middle of the road or three wide (so they can hold a conversation with other riders) and swerve into traffic to avoid pinecones.  It’s not that I have anything against bicycle riders, other than they are rude, disrespectful, and tend to ride on the most dangerous two lane roads with no disregard for anyone else traveling on the same road.  I must admit, I really really fight my urge to bump them with my car door when I go by.  But I digress from my posting…..

After making our way past the 50+ bicycle riders and the crazy retirees driving like teenagers, we decided to go over Monitor Pass.  This is one of my favorite passes simply because it has unobstructed views.  On a nice clear day you can see into Nevada and down Highway 395.  Unfortunately, at that altitude there was still a slight smoky haze in the air but it was being masked by the amazing clouds.   And more importantly, it was only 70 degrees with a breeze.

Brian turned off on a dirt road that we took for a couple of miles to the top of a mountain.  The views were spectacular.  We were the only people on the ridge so he parked in the middle of what I guess you could call a road and set up the table and chairs.  After a yummy lunch and a mishap with a condiment container under altitude pressure, we headed over the pass to 395 and around to Sonora Pass. 

Sonora Pass is one of the most beautiful in the State but still plagued with crazy drivers, people who feel they need to blare music in the middle of the forest and NEVER pick up their garbage.  I cannot wait until Fall when all the flatlanders leave and it’s just us locals.    We stopped along a creek to admire the wildflowers.  None of the other passes had wildflowers this late in the season.  It was quite the shock to see so many beautiful colors in the meadows and along the roadway

This weekend is supposed to bring thunderstorms.....so you kow what that means.....THUNDERCLOUDS.  Can't wait to get out and take some pictures.