Partially white peacock visiting my yard

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I've been so excited about the [very late!] arrival of pea chicks this season, I really wasn't thinking in terms of something else being as exciting. But there is!

Although I've seen him before, his visits were very infrequent, but now--all of a sudden--this beautiful boy has become a regular in my yard. From my research, I believe that he's an India Blue Pied peacock, although he may be an India Blue Pied White-eyed peacock. I'll have to do a bit more looking around to figure it out for sure.

Meanwhile, please enjoy some pics I've taken during the last few days of this unusual, lovely peacock. He's still a youngster, probably between one and two years old.

Closeups of his side and back feathers; note the beginnings of white feathers on his back--which will hopefully become long, beautiful white 'eye' feathers when he matures.

Just hanging out on my garage roof:

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Mining for gold in the canyons above Azusa

Of all the things I missed most about Southern California when I was living in Dallas, the mountains were at the top of the list (just slightly behind the ocean). Growing up in Pasadena and Arcadia, I was used to the San Gabriel Mountains looming in the near distance, snow-capped in winter and brownish-green the rest of the year. I have fond memories of heading up Santa Anita Ave to enjoy the mountains with their cooler air and gorgeous scenery.

I also have fond memories of the area above Azusa which, when I was a child, was undeveloped except for the odd store and a dairy farm. The latter had cows contentedly wandering free in the pastures--unlike many of today's horrendously cruel factory farm-type dairy businesses--and its own little store where we'd stop for ice cream. That area has changed dramatically since then, with hundreds of houses constructed all the way up to the very foothills of the mountains. Quite a culture shock for me, having not been there for many years!

But start driving up N Azusa Ave, which becomes N San Gabriel Canyon Rd, and once past the cookie-cutter housing developments you're on your way into the mountains. I'm happy to report that those haven't changed! You lose yourself in the beauty and tranquility, really forgetting that a megalopolis lies below.

My favorite route to follow is San Gabriel Canyon Rd to E Fork Rd, taking a right where they meet. You immediately go over a tall bridge and then you're on to a winding, narrow, two-lane mountain road. Keep going until almost where E Fork Rd ends--when you pass a large picnic area on your right, you're near the end--and pull over on the left. Once out of your vehicle you'll see some amazing scenery--just walk toward the edge of the dirt area you're on and look down! There's a steep hillside right below you, and if you make your way down the hill you'll end up at a beautiful creek. I've seen it in various stages of depth, ranging from really deep--enough for diving--to quite shallow, depending on rainfall and melting snow.

Once down there you're likely to see people mining for gold. Some of them have heavy duty equipment to help in their hunt for gold while others rely on a simple pan. You can't help but be reminded of California's history, i.e., its famous gold rush. I've never tried panning for gold myself but it looks fascinating.

This is a photograph taken in that exact spot. The miner was an interesting guy with tales to tell of his experiences mining for gold.



(Click on the photo for a larger version, 3008x2014, which you're free to download.)


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Santa Monica Pier

One of the places I missed most while living out of state was the Santa Monica Pier. Eclectic, interesting, and just plain fun! The first few times I drove to the beach after moving back home, I took the 10 freeway all the way to its end. That route is marked by a curve that takes you through a tunnel, and when you come out the other side you're looking at the ocean. I loved that transition, the way the water and sand of Santa Monica beach magically appear out of nowhere. It's a great experience, and you can get to the pier by making a U-turn on Pacific Coast Highway and backtracking, but it's missing one thing: a view of the Santa Monica Pier sign.

So next time out I got off the 10 at 4th Ave and headed toward the ocean on Colorado, and there it was, that famous, welcoming sign:



FINALLY, now I really felt like I was back at Santa Monica.

This is a shot of a smaller version of the sign; it's at the north entrance to the beach from the parking lot, right next to Bubba Gump restaurant.



The day I took this picture, "bubble man" was doing his thing on the sand--he uses a bubble-blowing machine to send thousands of bubbles soaring through the air, much to the delight of children and adults alike. See the bubbles in the photo?

(Click on either photo for a larger version, 1080x720, which you're free to download.)


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There's nothing like a California sunset

There are, of course, beautiful sunsets in many places around the world. I've seen my fair share in the various states I lived in after moving away from California. In fact, one of my favorite memories of living in Florida involved both a sunrise and sunset--over the water, in the same day. My friends and I got up in the middle of the night and drove from the Clearwater/Dunedin area where we lived to Daytona Beach to see the sun come up over the Atlantic. It was beautiful. We spent the day like typical teenagers, enjoying the beach and local sights, and then headed home. We got back to Clearwater and watched the sun go down over the Gulf of Mexico. There was something magical about that day and it will always be one of my fondest memories of both my youth and my life in Florida.

But sunsets in Southern California are just different. They're always magical. There's something about the intense colors--the oranges, yellows, and pinks--that I haven't seen replicated anywhere else. They're more majestic, somehow. And when they're coupled with the Pacific ocean, they're just magnificent.

This photograph was taken as the sun was setting over Redondo Beach.




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