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Thursday, June 30, 2011

Looking for a tractor???






I found this cool old tractor near the Benton Hot Springs Hotel...
there's actually quite a bit of old cars and wagons around this area.

We were at a fundraiser dinner Saturday night for the Eastern Sierra Land Trust 
where one of the speakers was a gentleman who had grown up in Benton
 and owned a considerable  amount of property in the area...
the crux of his property is his ranch and he pledged a great deal of his property to 
open land in perpetuity...part of what the land trust is all about.
At any rate, during the course of the talk, a slideshow was playing in the 
background...I was fascinated by the town sign that 
stated...population 13 1/2....

Heck...I'm from the big city...this just boggles my mind!!!

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Xanthic Flowers..."X"


It's ABC Wednesday again!!!



Did you know that these are Xanthic flowers?  In each flower is a yellow center, right?
Well, the yellow center has some water soluble yellow matter that causes the center to be yellow...
well...did you know that that is the Xanthein???
And if the pollen flies through the air and lands on another plant (rather than in your nose) 
it is referred to as Xenogamy!

Have a happy "X" day!!!

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Tioga Pass is open!!!






Tioga Pass opened last weekend for the first time this year!  This is the gateway to Yosemite
National Park, if you happen to be on the Eastern Sierra side...
The snow was still anywhere from 6-10 feet deep on the side of the road in places...
This was taken on Friday close to the gate to Yosemite...

The snow melt is fabulous for waterfalls and LADWP!!!

(PS...they're predicting snow up here on Wednesday!!!)

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Remnants in Black and White





"Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever."
Napoleon Bonaparte


Bodie's glory days are over...
may it's history live on...


If you're planning to visit Bodie, anytime soon, you might want to head to Bridgeport 
around July 16...
and support Bodie by attending the Bodie Benefit Concert!!!


Please visit the Weekend in Black and White to see more wonderful black and white photography!


Friday, June 24, 2011

Skywatch Friday....



Mono County Courthouse, Bridgeport, CA

"It ain't no sin if you crack a few laws now and then, 
just so long as you don't break any."
Mae West

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Jackpot!!!




I'm not sure who scored the bigger jackpot...
Kelly getting a new home on the edge of forestry land...
the kitties on getting a new big sister...(uh...scratch this one...they're still a bit perturbed)
Or us...for getting a new home...and Kelly...and our two beautiful kitties!!!  

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Hmmm...I Wonder What to do for "W"?


How about a Woodsy cabin?


With Wood on the front porch?


Or these cool Woods in the back...




What Would you say if I told you...
this cool Woodsy cabin is our very own...as of today!!!

Stay tuned as we make changes and spruce it all up!!!



Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Seagulls???


...at 6,400 feet elevation???



Believe it or not...seagulls actually come to Mono Lake to breed...
Kind of like the salmon swimming upstream to spawn...
The lake is 3 times the salinity of the ocean...
and it's filled with brine shrimp...
and the seagulls think that's the greatest!!!



Monday, June 20, 2011

A Bodie Blue Monday...





"If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, 
if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you,
if the simple things in nature have a message you understand,
Rejoice, for your soul is alive!"
Eleanora Duse


Sunday, June 19, 2011

Snapshot? Or photograph???





"Beauty can be seen in all things, seeing and composing the beauty is what separates
 the snapshot from the photograph."
Matt Hardy

What's your vote???


Saturday, June 18, 2011

Reflections




"In water one sees one's own face; But in wine one beholds the heart of another."

My sentiments exactly...

Thursday, June 16, 2011

In case you were wondering...


...just how much snow we had this year...


I took these on Wednesday (yep..June 15) at Lake Mamie...
With well over 600 inches of snow over the season....
is it any surprise we still have all this white stuff?


Now...to alleviate the suspense...
please meet Kelly...the newest addition to our furry family!!!!


She's 15 mos old, and came to us from Forever Friends Golden Retriever Rescue...
We managed to find a rescue that saw past the lack of 6 foot fences and figured out a way to 
have a home inspection with out being in the same area!!!

Thank you FFGRR!!!

Kelly and I went driving around yesterday, checking out her new town...
She particularly liked the snow up by Lake George!!!


She chewed it...


She chased flying snowballs that disappeared when they hit the ground...


She shook it...


She chased it...


She ate it...


She shook it some more...


She romped in it...


And then she collapsed!!!


She's settling in nicely...

except...remember that contented kitty from Tuesday???

She's a bit huffy today because she's got Kelly scared to be in the same room with her!!!

Things have settled a bit...but Kelly has learned just how formidable 
a middle aged, clawless cat can still be!!!


"Hissssssss"













Wednesday, June 15, 2011

It's a Very simple "V" day...


No...it's not "V" day in the traditional sense...



It's simply a Voyage into yesteryear...
with the clouds painting an incredible sky...
Very nice to have you Visit today!!!

Come back tomorrow for a peak into some changes at the 
Chief and Chieftess' Chateau

Monday, June 13, 2011

Blue skies and a warm afternoon...






Sitting on the deck...reading...two kitties hanging out with me...a glass of wine...
the warm sun surrounding us all with warmth...
what could be better???  

A camera up to my eye checking out the clouds?!!!


Friday, June 10, 2011

It's another Skywatch Friday!!!




For some reason, Mono Lake has been really green this past month...
And of course, with all the stormy weather, it's been quite windy too...
But what gorgeous skies!!!

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Anyone for a round of golf???



We can play 9 holes at this course...
or 18 at the other one here in town...
We can play pretty soon, the snow's almost gone!!

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

The Ubiquitous "U"!!!


What could be more Ubiquitous and Uplifting than this gorgeous sky behind the
charming chapel in Bodie, California???


This is the first church in Bodie, it is Methodist, and it is still in quite good shape for a 
ghost town church.  The last time I was here, a Forest Ranger told me that 
there used to be a tapestry of the ten commandments on the wall behind the altar...
he also said that someone stole it...
Given that Bodie was quite the disreputable town, full of thieves, murderers and the like...
it certainly lends credence to the little girl's entry in her diary, 
when told she was moving to Bodie, 
that said:


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

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Whoa Nellie!!!


Ever had lobster taquitos and mango margaritas...in a gas station deli???



Trust me...it's true!!!  Right at the beginning of the road to the Tioga Pass entry to Yosemite is the ultimate in gas station deli's.  The Whoa Nellie Deli is owned and operated by Chef Matt Toomey, a very fine chef!!!  Check out the website and menu here, and a review here...

The fish tacos and mango margaritas are stellar and what's most well known...
but I have to say, the last time I was there I tried the lobster taquitos and they were heaven!!!!
Add the mango margarita, and Whoa Nellie!!!
Add to that a fabulous view...music on the weekends...and you've got yourself a fabulous afternoon!!!


But keep in mind, it's closed winter and spring...at least when spring is like this last one!!!

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Sunday Bridges...





"That's all water under the bridge!"
Eric Lindros

Well...heck...what else can I say about this bridge???
It's not fancy, but it certainly got us to the other side of the creek with dry feet!!!


Saturday, June 4, 2011

$1500 an ounce???


"Oh accursed hunger of gold, to what dost thou not compel human hearts!"
Virgil


Part of the Stamp Mill in Bodie, CA...

As near as I can figure, gold is about $1500 an ounce these days...
Perhaps the State of California could climb up out of the economic hole
we're in if we just started mining here again!!!

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

Friday, June 3, 2011

It's a Sierra Wave!





"The Sierra Wave is a type of lenticular cloud created by winds that lift off the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California.  Known as lee waves, Sierra Waves form as winds hit the Sierra Nevada and are forced to rise, causing water vapor to condense as it cools and forming lenticular clouds on the leeward side of the mountain range. (that would be our side of the mountains!)  These clouds can remain stationary for many hours.  The formation of a Sierra Wave is dependent upon many factors, including wind speed and direction, leeward wind patterns, and water vapor.  Given that Sierra Waves are dependent on many variables their formation is unpredictable."
Wikepedia... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sierra_Wave

The Sierra Wave is also one of our Eastern Sierra radio stations!!!
92.5 

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Under Construction...CDP "T"heme Day (and ABC Wednesday!)



Townies a bit Touchy over new Town Trial venue...



The new courthouse under construction in Mammoth Lakes is a bit of a Touchy
subject with Townfolk These days...

The State of California apparently has one or Two approved architectural designs 
for new court houses and This is one...
The Town Tried valiantly to Talk the Titular state Team in charge of putting up The 
new building, but apparently They must have Thought The Town wanted a Tent or 
something equally Tacky instead of a Tectonic design That blended more with the
 Tamarack ambience of Mammoth...
Ah well...while some may believe this Tort should result in a Trial in and of itself, 
I think now That it's almost done, our only recourse is To finally  accept
This Tawdry Tax expenditure on our Terra firma...