Chia

Yellow Monkeyflower

Caterpillar Phacelia

A New Image! Finally.

This is the view from one of my favorite places. A storm has ended, but as usual it lingers over the Continental Divide. We're looking west from a ridge above the YMCA camp near Estes Park, Colorado. I spent summers as a child here, and would come to this point daily to watch the light change over the mountains.

Giant Phacelia

There are many kinds of plants from the phacelia genus in southern California. Giant phacelia is the biggest, although its size varies a lot. I've seen them one foot tall, and also five feet when they had no competition. This one is about three feet tall, growing by itself in a rocky stretch of the Backbone Trail. A conveniently placed handrail helped me stabilize the camera.

Busy Bees

I rode over the hill to have lunch with a friend. It being flower season, I took my camera with its macro lens. It was lovely and windy.

Bees were very busy in this poppy bush. In this image, a bee is on final approach, blurry because it's out of the lens' depth of field. You can still see the orange blob of its pollen baskets on its back legs.



In this image, the bee is foraging for nectar and also picking up more pollen. The hairs on the back legs are designed for this purpose. The bees use the pollen to make food, but the plant also benefits as the pollen is moved around, ensuring genetic diversity.

Sticky Monkeyflower

Santa Anita Canyon, California

Poppies and the Tehachapi Mountains

05P-4

Oak Limbs (Nicholas Flats)

I like patterns... yes.

Nicholas Flats oak leaves

I like patterns...

Lost Lake (Cajon Pass)

This is a strange lake. Right in the middle of the alluvial deposits from Lone Pine Valley. Last place in the world you'd expect a lake, and it truly is hidden. I found it by looking at a map.