Mammoth Lakes Daily Photo

A Solitary Moment...

2012-02-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

"If one is lucky, a solitary fantasy can totally transform one million realities."

Maya Angelou

For more participants in Skywatch Friday...click here...

Visions of Tranquility...

2012-02-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

"Quiet is peace. Tranquility. Quiet is turning down the volume knob on life.

Silence is pushing the off button. Shutting it down. All of it. Amir"

Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner

Moon Dance...

2012-02-08T00:01:00.000-08:00

"Blue moon...

Now I'm no longer alone

Without a dream in my heart

Without a love of my own..."

Have you ever danced in the moonlight???

With songs of Sinatra or Ella humming in your mind???

For more participants in ABC Wednesday...click here...

The Forecast is Snow...

2012-02-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

Vista of Crowley Lake from the lake's dam

"The trouble with weather forecasting is that it's right too often for us to ignore it

and wrong too often for us to rely on it.:

Patrick Young

The forecast for Tuesday here in Mammoth is snow...

Any bets???

For more participants in Our World Tuesday...click here!

A New Opening...

2012-02-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

"I held a moment in my hand,

brilliant as a star, fragile as a flower, a tiny sliver of one hour.

I dripped it carelessly, Ah! I didn't know,

I held an opportunity."

Hazel Lee

In a Week's Time...

2012-02-05T00:01:00.000-08:00

Sooo....remember last week's mirror reflections???

Same lake...one week later...

Completely iced over!!!

It's been cold...but still no snow!

We had our Rotary fundraiser dinner tonight...

and our SoPas Rotary friend's helped the Mammoth Rotary Economy significantly!!!

Thanks for joining us Tom, Tim, Kristen, and Sylvia!!!

For more participants in Weekend Reflections...click here!!!

Archive in Black and White...

2012-02-04T00:54:00.000-08:00

OK...We've got friends from So Pas Rotary up here this weekend and I totally forgot to

post something!!! So, again, I'm dipping into my archive photos that I'm still in the process of

organizing!!!

I took this on a walking tour of Pasadena City Hall with

Ann Erdman...the Public Information Officer of Pasadena and a group of

San Gabriel Valley bloggers...

It's quite an imposing building isn't it?

For more participants in the Weekend in Black and White...click here...

Hush!!!

2012-02-03T00:01:00.000-08:00

"When the sparrow sings its final refrain,

the hush is felt nowhere more deeply than in the heart of man."

Don Williams, Jr.

It's Skywatch Friday! To view more participants, click here!!!

A Lofty Mountain top...

2012-02-02T00:01:00.000-08:00

"Doubly happy, however, is the man whom lofty mountain tops

are within reach, for the lights that shine there

illumine all that lies below."

John Muir

On the way back from Yosemite Valley, very near Lake Tenaya...

Best Friends...

2012-02-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

"Love is when two people (animals?) know everything about each other and are still friends."

Unkown

The first day of the month is Theme Day in City Daily Photo...

Today's theme is Animals!!!

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

"C" is for Cats, too!!! Click here for more participants in ABC Wednesday!

The lengths we go...

2012-01-31T00:01:00.000-08:00

...to get a great photograph!!!

We had a fun visit this past weekend with

Dan's son Tom and his girlfriend Doris...

They both enjoy photography too...

and Doris goes that extra length to get it just right!!!

For more participants in Our World Tuesday...click here!

History in Black and White...

2012-01-30T00:01:00.000-08:00

Back in the archives again!!!

Yes...I'm still reorganizing my photo catalogues!!!

This is Mesa Verde...outside of Durango...

For more participants in the Weekend in Black and White, click here!!!

Lake Reflections...

2012-01-29T00:01:00.000-08:00

Little did I know yesterday, when I posted my archive photo of the

window reflection, that today I would see perfection...

Convict lake reflecting back to the mountains, their glorious countenance...

For more Weekend Reflections...click here...

Historic Reflections...

2012-01-28T00:01:00.000-08:00

In more than one way...this is a historic reflection!!!

I took this in 2008 while on a road trip through Oregon and Colorado

(and several more states!)

This is in Silverton Colorado...looking into a charming bank that

looked like it could be the set for a Western...

Oh! Yeah! That's your's truly in the reflection!!!

For more participants in Weekend Reflections, click here!!!

The Golden Light of Twilight...

2012-01-27T00:03:00.000-08:00

"I will love the light for it shows me the way,

yet I will endure the darkness because it shows me the stars."

Og Mandino

I'm always amazed at twilight when I see the sun shine on the White Mountains...

and all that surrounds them is becoming dark...

For more participants in Skywatch Friday...click here...

Crazed Dog Has Fun in Snow....

2012-01-26T00:01:00.000-08:00

Yep...that's our beautiful, sweet Kelly!!!

And her new found friend, Rascal...

She played and played with Rascal, and Rascal's doggie

sibling Rider...Rider was a bit camera shy though...

Kelly does love the snow!!!

Birds of...Ice???

2012-01-25T00:07:00.000-08:00

These are some hearty birds!!!

If my Grandma was still alive and watching these birds...she'd know what kind they are...

and why they're in the icy water in the middle of January!!!

I'm not a birder...but lately...I seem to be getting lot's of bird photo ops!!!

For more interpretations of the letter "b" in ABC Wednesday...click here!!!

Have you ever seen...

2012-01-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

...a waterfall made of ice?

This beautiful icefall is off the road in Yosemite on the way to the valley floor

from Tioga Pass.

Birdsong...

2012-01-23T00:09:00.000-08:00

"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer,

it sings because it has a song."

Lou Holtz

This little bird joined us for lunch at Ragged Point Inn,

just north of San Simeon.

For more participants in Macro Monday...click here!

Winter's Baaaack!!!

2012-01-22T01:04:00.000-08:00

"And finally Winter, with its bitin', whinin' wind, and all the land

will be mantled with snow."

Judge Roy Bean

Winter is making it's comeback!!!

According to Mammoth Mountain ski report, we've had over 26" of snowfall

over the last 24 hours!!! WooHoo!!!

It rained all afternoon and evening yesterday and I thought there

was no way we'd get snow...

But last night, it turned from rain to snow storm, complete with

heavy winds, downed trees and power lines...

yep...no power for somewhere between 10 and 15 hours!!!

And still no TV...anybody have a dish warmer you don't want???

For more participants in Sunday Bridges, click here!!!

Journey to the Past...

2012-01-21T00:01:00.000-08:00

Sooo...last week I posted one of my favorite photos of the tall ships

in Dana Point...

I kept wanting to post this one too...

Which one do you prefer???

Check out these other posts for more wonderful black and white posts!!!

The Weekend in Black and White

Moonlit Musings...

2012-01-20T00:01:00.000-08:00

"Life is a series of collisions with the future; it is not the sum of what we have been,

but what we yearn to be."

Jose Ortega y Gasset

For more participants in Skywatch Friday...click here...

Confession is good for the soul...

2012-01-19T00:01:00.000-08:00

Ok...so...yeah...

part of the reason I posted archive photos this past weekend is...

we went to the Central Coast for the weekend!!!

We headed up the coast one day to view the Elephant Seals

for a little excursion...

and these two chaps decided to put on a bit of a show for us!!!

It was almost like being back in the Galapagos Islands!!!

Every where we looked, we saw Elephant Seals...

TheChief taught a class in a program for wannabe Chief's,

we visited our dear friends Gary and Su,

our other dear friends, Art and Linda, visited too...

It was a relaxing weekend filled with

good wine, great friends, lots of laughter, sun, and ocean breezes!

Oh...and did I mention wine???

Back to Yosemite!!!

2012-01-18T00:01:00.000-08:00

I'll bet you thought this was going to be a spectacular photo of El Capitan,

Bridal Veil Falls, or Tuolomne Meadows...

Gotcha!!!

This wild cat was perched at the door of one of the employee houses by the

Ahwahnee Hotel!!!

Still Raiding my Archives...

2012-01-17T00:01:00.000-08:00

I'm always glad to see our wonderful ski patrol when I'm out

there skiing...just seeing them patrolling makes me feel safer!!!

Returning to the Lotus...

2012-01-16T00:01:00.000-08:00

Huntington Library Gardens, Pasadena, California

"You must be a Lotus, unfolding its petals when the Sun rises in the sky,

unaffected by the slush where it is born or even the water which sustains it."

Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Not much slush or water or snow falling in these mountains yet...
still reorganizing my photos...this is one I really like...

For more participants in Macro Monday...click here!

Another one from the archives!!!

2012-01-15T00:01:00.000-08:00

My photo files have been pretty messed up for awhile now...

thankfully, one of my friends up here is also a photographer...

and knows Lightroom so much better than me...

she helped me the other day and I've been reorganizing since...

and while doing that...

I've gotten to see and play with old photos!!!

Thank you Rebecca!!!

For more participants in Sunday Bridges...click here!!!

and the Weekend in Black and White...again!!!

No...It's Not a Chairlift!!!

2012-01-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

It's a tall ship, at Dana Point, California!

I've been reorganizing my photo files and saw this one...

and just felt like posting it!!!

For more participants in the Weekend in Black and White...click here...

The Burning Light...

2012-01-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

"Never regret thy fall,

O Icarus of the fearless flight

For the greatest tragedy of them all

Is never to feel the burning light."

Oscar Wilde

For more participants in Skywatch Friday...click here...

Can't Go To Yosemite Without a Shot of This...

2012-01-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

Not my best shot...

I think I prefer this one...

What do you think???

Lunch Stop!!!

2012-01-11T00:01:00.000-08:00

From the Tenaya Lake Ice Dancing to the Ahwahnee Hotel for lunch...

Unfortunately, we missed brunch in the main dining room...

and settled for pulled pork sandwiches in their cafe...

I was surprised at the number of people visiting there...we were all in various

states of dress, most dressed for outdoor activities...

Perhaps the casualness of dress prompted this admonition...

Ice Picnics...

2012-01-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

While watching the exquisite ice dancers...

a lot of ice picnicking was going on!!!

Ice Dancing...

2012-01-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

What the well dressed ice dancers are wearing these days...

On Sunday, TheChief and I drove over Tioga Pass and headed in to Yosemite...

we stopped at Tenaya Lake to watch the ice skaters...

these young ladies were from Mammoth!!!

This is the latest the Tioga Pass has stayed open in over 40 years...

it's looking like a dry year...

Bridge of Sighs...

2012-01-08T00:17:00.000-08:00

"That is the road we all have to take...
over the Bridge of Sighs to eternity."
Soren Kierkegaard

For more Sunday Bridges participants...click here!

The Weekend in Black and White...

Weekend Reflections...

The Blue Dream of Sky...

2012-01-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

"I thank you God for this most amazing day,
for the leaping greenly spirits of trees,
and for the blue dream of sky
and for everything which is natural,
which is infinite,
which is yes."
e.e. cummings

For more Skywatchers...click here!

A Big Oooops???

2012-01-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

Or abstract art???

I was just about to delete this oops when I decided to play with it a bit!!!

I think this one started out to be Kelly...

then I thought I'd go bold...

and funky...

I never delete photos from my camera...

you never know how they

might turn out on the big screen!!!

What Are These Flowers Saying???

2012-01-05T00:01:00.000-08:00

"Flowers have an expression of countenance as much as men or animals.
Some seem to smile; some have a sad expression; some are pensive and diffident;
others again are plain, honest and upright, like the
broadfaced sunflower and the hollyhock."
Henry Ward Beecher, Star Papers: A Discourse of Flowers

Blogging Makes the World Smaller Every Day...

2012-01-04T00:01:00.000-08:00

I'll bet you're wondering why I took this photo of

one of my Christmas ornaments today...

Yes...my day was filled with Christmas tree needles all over the floor

and ornaments and decorations all over the table...

but why single out this little angel that TheChief brought back from

South Africa, 10 years ago???

If you click here...you'll see that my blogger friend, LadyFi,

of Sweden...has a photo of the exact same ornament!!!

Also from South Africa!!!

Another reminder of just how small the world really is...

and how blogging can bring us together in unusual ways!!!

Ooops!!!

2012-01-03T00:01:00.000-08:00

Grandma was completely mesmerized...

...by this little Princess...

I thought I posted for Jan 2!!!

Photo of the Year...City Daily Photo Theme Day

2012-01-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

My photo of the year...

How could I possibly pick any other photo???

Our brand new grandbaby, Addison, is one month old as of

12/30/11!!!

Don't Ask Me How I Did This One!!!

2011-12-31T00:01:00.000-08:00

Ok...so first I had a symbol show up in my f stop that I couldn't figure out...

Called Samy's and got that figured out...

But when I downloaded tonight's shots of

dinner with "the kids"...

somehow I ended up with this cool vignette!!!

But don't ask me how I did it...

Alpine Glow...

2011-12-30T00:01:00.000-08:00

"What is life?

It is the flash of a firefly in the night.

It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime.

It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and

loses itself in the sunset."

Crowfoot

For more participants in Skywatch Friday, click here...

(the color is straight out of the camera!)

All Ready for Winter...

2011-12-29T00:01:00.000-08:00

"And finally Winter, with it's bitin', whinin' wind, and all the land

will be mantled with snow.

Roy Bean

Well...we've had the bitin' and whinin' wind...

but where's the snow???

This patch of snow was surrounded by dirt and dry road...

left over from our early snow in October...

(Having fun exploring v-e-r-y low light photography with my new camera!)

X Marks the Spot!!!

2011-12-28T00:01:00.000-08:00

No...she's not proposing!!!

She was trying to take a photo while they were out on the ice on Gull Lake...

Last week a dog fell through the ice on one of Mammoth's Lakes...

and that ice is much thicker...today was warm...

the ice didn't look very thick...

but they made it back to shore ok...

Xtra glad no one fell through the ice...

For more participants in ABC Wednesday...click here!!!

Playing with Low Light...

2011-12-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

Using my old lens...and in v-e-r-y low light!!!

Tomorrow I'm venturing out to play...

With this one...I just had to join Ruby Tuesday...click here for more!!!

Grampa made Granma cry for Christmas...

2011-12-26T00:01:00.000-08:00

Tears of Joy!!!
Dreams do come true!!!

A sample photo while I'm figuring it all out!!!

And my contribution to Macro Monday!!!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T00:40:00.000-08:00

"Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind.

To cherish peace and goodwill,

to be plenteous in mercy,

is to have the real spirit of Christmas."

Calvin Coolidge

Merry Christmas to you all!!!

Christmas Sparkles...

2011-12-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world,

and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful."

Norman Vincent Peale

On Wednesday, Petrea of Pasadena Daily Photo, asked the question

"What part of the holidays do you revel in the most?"...

Christmas has always sparkled for me...

An Improvisation???

2011-12-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

Do you remember a scene with Ryan and Ali playing in the snow?

Well, that was improvised."

Arthur Hiller

No snow...no clouds...just a whole lot of cold...

Had to reach back into the archives for this one!!!

For more participants in Skywatch Friday, click here...

Is it a Jinx???

2011-12-22T00:01:00.000-08:00

We had several early snow storms in October...

and many of us up here weren't quite ready for winter to set in...

sooooo....

did we jinx it when we said winter's coming too early???

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas...

Comfort and Joy...

2011-12-21T00:01:00.000-08:00

Comfort...

and Joy...

Ho, Ho, Ho!!!

Wishing you all a warm and comfy, joyful Christmas and Hannakah!!!

For more participants in ABC Wednesday...click here!

A Mammoth Education...

2011-12-20T00:01:00.000-08:00

Learning how to ice skate in the new Mammoth skating rink!

Our granddaughter Kasey and darling girl Doris!!!

The Best Gosh Darn Fireworks Show Ever!!!

2011-12-19T00:01:00.000-08:00

Mammoth Mountain Night of Lights 2011

Snow cats, snow mobiles, skiers...all lit with bright lights and

dancing to the music...

lights dancing in the sky...

Taken with my Droid phone...

Does a Bridge Need to be Stationary???

2011-12-18T00:27:00.000-08:00

Bridging the way from the Zodiac to our Celebrity Xpedition...

Please visit the other participants of Sunday Bridges...

click here!!!

A Dance of Light and Dark...

2011-12-17T00:01:00.000-08:00

"Nature is so powerful, so strong.

Capturing it's essence is not easy-

your work becomes a dance with light and the weather.

It takes you to a place within yourself."

Annie Liebovitz

For more participants in the Weekend in Black and White, click here...

Skywatch Friday in the Galapagos...

2011-12-16T00:01:00.000-08:00

"When I admire the wonders of a sunset or the beauty of the moon,

my soul expands in the worship of the creator."

Mohandas Gandhi

For more participants in Skywatch Friday, click here!

Can't Leave the Galapagos Without Paying Tribute to....

2011-12-15T00:12:00.000-08:00

The Iguana!!!

Marine Iguana, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

"Isn't he a handsome dude???

Land Iguana, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

The Land Iguana has a different coloring and isn't quite as prolific...

A whole heap of Marine Iguanas!!!

Group Hug!!!

A Very Vanguard Vestibule...

2011-12-14T00:25:00.000-08:00

A gate in San Cristobal, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

One of the most intriguing "vestibules" I've seen in a long time!!!

For more participants in ABC Wednesday, click here!!!

The Galapagos Coup de Gras!!!

2011-12-13T00:37:00.000-08:00

Giant Tortoise, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

The coup de gras....the Galapagos Tortoise!!!

Isn't he a handsome devil (I think he's a he...)

These tortoise are the largest living species of tortoise...

some of the ones we saw were as big as 600 lbs!!!

and can be even bigger!!!

This gives you an idea of it's size!!!

They're also one of the longest living vertebrates...

generally 100-150 years.

Records show that in the 16th Century there were upwards of 250,000 Giant Tortoises...

in 1970 records revealed the numbers had decreased to approximately 3000...

Because of substantial conservation efforts in the 20th Century,

the numbers have risen to over 19,000...

but they are still considered to be a vulnerable species...

Unfortunately, five of the original 15 subspecies of these tortoises

no longer exist...

Much of the conservation efforts takes place or originates from

the Charles Darwin Scientific Center...

Puppy Love in the Galapagos...Sea Lion Style!!!

2011-12-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

Sea Lions, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Sea Lions were almost as prevalent on the Galapagos Islands as the

Iguanas!!!

And so many babies!!!

For more participants in Macro Monday...click here...

Bright Reflections...

2011-12-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

JW Mariott, Quito, Ecuador

"A reflection of an exact image is the closest thing to you-so that you can see it-

but it's far enough away so that you really understand it.

There is real life in this movie, but it hovers just an inch above reality."

Wes Bentley

A Photographic History...

2011-12-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

The clouds were the perfect backdrop to this fascinating exhibit of

early Ecuadorian photography...

For more participants in Skywatch Friday...click here...

How About a BABY Blue Footed Booby???

2011-12-08T00:01:00.000-08:00

Ahhhhhh!!!

Sharon may be right...this is obviously a pre-pubescent Baby Booby!!!

Those feet haven't turned blue yet!!!

The Ubiquitous Blue Footed Booby...

2011-12-07T11:42:00.000-08:00

Blue Footed Booby, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Yep...he's for real!!!

Undoubtedly one of the most Utterly Unique birds ever...

For more participants in ABC Wednesday...click here!!!

Iguanas...or Sea Lions???

2011-12-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

I opted for Sea Lions!!!

Papa Sea Lion was holding school for the young 'uns!!!

When travelling through the Galapagos you are assured to find

two species...without a doubt....

Iguanas and Sea Lions!!!

When we were there we saw Sea Lions everywhere...

everywhere we didn't see Iguanas!!!

The Sea Lions were abundant...and many had babies...some as

young as two weeks old...

These young 'uns were a bit older...

perhaps early Sea Lion Teenagers???

Welcome to the World Addison!!!

2011-12-05T00:01:00.001-08:00

Introducing...

Our precious new granddaughter...Addison

(and Mom Melissa too!!!)

11-30-11

The Land that Time Forgot...

2011-12-04T00:01:00.000-08:00

Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

I wasn't expecting the Galapagos Islands to be so reminiscent of

a prehistoric setting...

After all, they're located at or near the equator...

I was expecting more of a tropical

"If every one were cast in the same mould,

there would be no such thing as beauty."

Charles Darwin

For more participants in The Weekend in Black and White...click here!!!

Glimpses of a Blue Sky...Galap

2011-12-03T00:01:00.000-08:00

Galapagos Islands Ecuador

We did a lot of skywatching in the Galapagos...

frequently looking for a break in the clouds and a glimpse of

a Blue Sky...

For more participants in Skywatch Friday, click here...

Guarding the Presidential Palace...

2011-12-02T00:01:00.000-08:00

Presidential Palace Guards, Quito, Ecuador

They may not be the Swiss Guards at Buckingham Palace...

but they were quite impressive!!!

Fabio...Ecuadorian Style!!!

2011-12-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

This gentleman was selling his handmade jewelry on the bluff across from

one of Quito's largest cathedrals...

Ramona was quite taken with him and called him "magnificent"...

TheChief called him the Ecuadorian Fabio and figured he

gave the guys permission to oggle the beautiful women we saw...

No...I didn't buy any jewelry...but I thought about it!!!

Take Time for the Music...

2011-11-30T08:00:00.000-08:00

ABC Wednesday

Street Musician, Quito, Ecuador

"I think music in itself is healing. It's an explosive expression of humanity.

It's something we are all touched by.

No matter what culture we are from, everyone loves music."

Billy Joel

Take Time to listen to the music...

While I'm Taking Time to meet our brand new Granddaughter!!!

For more participants in ABC Wednesday, click here...

Thank you for joining me in my most recent vacation pics...

the Galapagos Islands and Quito, Ecuador

A Rose is a Rose.....

2011-11-29T00:01:00.000-08:00

Is an Ecuadorian rose...

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet."

William Shakespeare

Did you know that one of Ecuador's main exports are roses???

A Portal to a Another World...

2011-11-28T10:31:00.000-08:00

These magnificent doors were not a church or a special building in Quito...

They seemed to be doors leading to somewhere special,

set in a regular cement building in the downtown...

For more participants in Portes de Lundi (Monday Doorways), click here!!!

Reflections of Fall...

2011-11-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

Reflections of Fall!!!

It really wasn't all that long ago that I took this one up by Silver Lake

on the June Lake Loop...

For more participants in Weekend Reflections...click here!!!

A Quito Treasure...

2011-11-26T00:01:00.000-08:00

I love the description of Gothic churches before the printed word,

they were the bibles of the poor."

John McGahern

For more participants in the Weekend in Black and White...click here...

I was watching the sky when all of a sudden...

2011-11-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

Awesome!!!

For more participants in Skywatch Friday...click here!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2011-11-24T01:00:00.000-08:00

"Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year;

to the honest man it comes as frequently as the

heart of gratitude will allow."

Edward Sandford Martin

Thank you dear friends for sharing my photographic journey...

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Softly, Sleeping, Snookums...

2011-11-23T00:01:00.001-08:00

Sooo...have you ever Seen Such a Softly, Sleeping, Snookums???

For more participants in ABC Wednesday...click here!!!

Black and White???

2011-11-22T00:01:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not...this (and yesterday's two "black and whites")
were taken and processed in full color...

Yep...It's winter in Mammoth Lakes, California!!!

To visit more participants in Our World Tuesday...click here!!!

A Sunday Afternoon in Mammoth....

2011-11-21T00:01:00.000-08:00

We woke up this morning...later than usual...

still recuperating from the Galapagos...

nothing like a snow storm to bring you back from the Equator!!!

Kelly thinks the snow is pretty awesome...

Even when it dumps on her!!!

"Huh???? Mom....but I don't want to come in...

Kelly can't figure out why Pop is still outside and she had to come in!!!

Reflections on the bridge...

2011-11-20T00:17:00.000-08:00

We got to tour the bridge of our delightful ship, Celebrity Expedition...
Lot's of interesting gadgets to look at and wonder about how these ships are
run...and then thinking of the computer pulling it all together!!!
Hopefully, if the electricity goes out...the engineer still knows how to run the boat!!!

Click here for more participants in James' Weekend Reflections...

Love in the Galapagos...

2011-11-19T00:01:00.000-08:00

On the video...these guys looked like they're dueling...

I think it was more of a love fest!!!

For more participants in the Weekend in Black and White, click here...

Equatorial Gold...

2011-11-18T00:01:00.000-08:00

"We all live under the same sky, but we don't all have the same horizon."

Konrad Adenauer

Sunset over the Galapagos Islands...

For more participants in Skywatch Friday, click here...

Uh Oh!!!

2011-11-16T00:01:00.000-08:00

Uh Oh!!!

Computer %&%^&%^@#$% Glitch!!!

Lost my files and have to reload...

Hopefully I'll be back tomorrow!!!

Just a Couple of Show Offs!!!

2011-11-15T00:01:00.000-08:00

Another tidbit from the Galapagos...

Sooo...remember my posting on Sunday for the Weekend in Black and White?

These handsome gentlemen Frigatebirds are the same bird...

showing off their incredible gular sacs!!!

This is my first entry to the Our World Tuesday meme...

Normally I post a daily photo of Mammoth Lakes, CA...

However...after a two week vacation in the Galapagos Islands...

I just have to post some highlights!!!

It's a Bird's Eye View...

2011-11-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

"The Eagle has landed."

Neil Armstrong

There was one beach on one of the islands that was the training ground for

young eagles...this young guy was as entranced with me as I was with him!!!

This is my first entry in Macro Monday!

Click here to visit more participants...

Flight of the Frigatebird...

2011-11-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

Another tantalizing tidbit from the Galapagos...

These birds were like our seagulls...

They followed the ship and flew above us for hours at a time.

Male Frigatebirds are all black except that they have a beautiful red gular sac

that expands when they're trying to attract a female...

These birds are made for flying...they don't land in the water as they

don't have the oils that waterproof their feathers...

and they can fly for a week without stopping on land...

Pretty awesome don't you think?

For more participants in the Weekend in Black and White...click here!!!

Reflections of Another World...

2011-11-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

Another treat from the Galapagos Islands...

Have I ever mentioned I have a collection of vintage porcelain flamingoes???

One of the highlights of the trip for me was seeing flamingoes in the wild...

There were only four in this spot...but what a treat!!!

They are amazing!!! Their knees bend backwards and forwards...

They actually fly...(I have proof!)

And yes, in their own way, they are graceful and beautiful...

For more participants in Weekend Reflections, click here...

Skywatch Friday in Ecuador!!!

2011-11-11T00:03:00.000-08:00

Just a little diversion from the status quo...

Going to Ecuador to begin our vacation in the Galapagos, I kind of

thought we'd be heading into the land of sunshine...

This is our first day in Quito, Ecuador...looks kind of like our

weather today here in Mammoth!!!

We took a gondola up to 14,000 feet altitude...yep...in the Andes!!!
(The top of Mammoth Mountain is a mere 11,000+ feet)

At the top, there was a little visitor center with this cute little

Nescafe cafe with enormous windows overlooking the valleys below...

To view more participants in Skywatch Friday, click here...

We're Baaaack!!!!

2011-11-10T00:26:00.000-08:00

We made it back!!!

A fabulous trip...fabulous sights...hopefully some terrific photos...

I'll be back on track with regular posting by the first of next week...

if not sooner...

In the meantime...here's a preview of things to come!!!

The Weekend in Black and White...

2011-11-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

El Capitan!

3000 feet of sheer rock face!!!

A favorite of rock climbers from all over the world...

I think I'll pass, but if you want to climb it...I'll come take your picture!!!

For more participants in the Weekend in Black and White, click here!!!

I am taking a short break from blogging...

I have pre posted for ABCWednesdays,

Skywatch Fridays, Weekend Reflections,

and the Weekend in Black and White.

I hope to be back November 10th...

Thanks for visiting!!!

Weekend Reflections...

2011-11-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

Reflections

Christina Aguilera

For more Weekend Reflections, click here!

I am taking a short break from blogging...

I have pre posted for ABCWednesdays,

Skywatch Fridays, Weekend Reflections,

and the Weekend in Black and White.

I hope to be back November 10th...

Thanks for visiting!!!

Skywatch Friday....

2011-11-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

"Autumn, the year's last, loveliest smile."

Unknown

For more participants in Skywatch Friday, click here...

I am taking a short break from blogging...

I have pre posted for ABCWednesdays,

Skywatch Fridays, Weekend Reflections,

and the Weekend in Black and White.

I hope to be back November 10th...

Thanks for visiting!!!

A Plethora of Pretty Leaves...

2011-11-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

"P"

ABC Wednesday

Pretty golden leaves are Plentiful in this Pretty season...

For more participants in ABC Wednesday, click here...

I am taking a short break from blogging...

I have pre posted for ABCWednesdays,

Skywatch Fridays, Weekend Reflections,

and the Weekend in Black and White.

I hope to be back November 10th...

Thanks for visiting!!!

City Daily Photo Theme Day...Fences

2011-11-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

It's the end of October and Winter is just around the bend...

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Happy Halloween!!!

2011-10-31T00:01:00.000-07:00

Have a Ghoulish Halloween!!!

Surreal Reflections...

2011-10-30T00:26:00.000-07:00

"Weekend Reflections"

"God's gifts put man's best dreams to shame."

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

I am taking a short break from blogging...

I have pre posted for ABCWednesdays,
Skywatch Fridays, Weekend Reflections,
and the Weekend in Black and White.
I hope to be back November 10th...
Thanks for visiting!!!

Steeled in Persistence...

2011-10-29T00:14:00.000-07:00

"The Weekend in Black and White"

"Persistence is to the character of a man as carbon is to steel."

Napoleon Hill

I am taking a short break from blogging...

I have pre posted for ABCWednesdays,
Skywatch Fridays, Weekend Reflections,
and the Weekend in Black and White.
I hope to be back November 10th...
Thanks for visiting!!!

Sky with a Golden Frame...

2011-10-28T00:05:00.000-07:00

Skywatch Friday

"How beautifully leaves grow old.

How full of light and color are their last days."

John Burroughs

I am taking a short break from blogging...

Thanks for visiting!!!
I have pre posted for ABCWednesdays,
Skywatch Fridays, Weekend Reflections,
and the Weekend in Black and White.
I hope to be back November 10th...
Thanks for visiting!!!

Lions and Tigers and Bears...Oh My!!!

2011-10-26T00:01:00.000-07:00

"O!"
It's ABC Wednesday!

Oliver the Bear is just letting you know that I will be taking a brief

rest from blogging...

There will be posts for ABCWednesdays, Skywatch Fridays,

The Weekend in Black and White and Weekend Reflections...

but I will not be commenting...

I hope to return to my regular blogging November 10th!