Howling Point

December 9, 2020 - II

The view from the north side of the Oceanside Pier.

December 9, 2020 - III

More of the view from the north side of the Oceanside Pier.

December 9, 2020 - I

Watched a big-surf day from the pier. Might feel old to not be in the water, but was not disappointed with what the camera captured.

Angel Duck

Disappointed that he lost the role of Nativity Angel when December Nights was cancelled this year, this duck was hanging out at the Lily Pond on this Sunday morning showing all from near and far just how well he would have done with the role.

Mid-hop

Kangaroo caught mid-hop at the Safari Park's Australian Walkabout.

Just a bit of Taurus

One of the later singles from the night's star-trail composites, this 25-second exposure still includes Cepheus, Cassiopeia and Andromeda, and but now includes part of Taurus rising above the horizon.

Stars

A single from the star-trail composites made from that night. This is a single 25-second exposure looking roughly northeast, with the constellations Cepheus, Cassiopeia and Andromeda visible.

Green Desert

Landmark palms of the Fortynine Palms Oasis on the northern edge of the Joshua Tree National Park.

Marines

Marines finishing a morning run as I was heading out on the Fortynine Palms Oasis Trail.

First glimpse

My first view of the trees of the oasis from the Fortynine Palms Oasis Trail. This was an early hike and the sun is just coming over the mountain behind the oasis.

Shangri-La

The Fortynine Palms Oasis, a natural oasis on the northern edge of Joshua Tree National Park. For scale, note the trail and sign in the lower right corner of the image.

The Earlier Universe

Though processed and posted later, this was the first of the two star trails I shot that night. [60 25-second exposures at f/5.6 and ISO 3200] Kind of impressed with the strict adherence to the flight patterns, but unsure what the horizontal line of red dots represents, especially the gap in the middle. It didn't go dark and I didn't skip an image. It just jumped forward (right/east) from one image to the next. A short hyperspace jump though, if confirmed, would corroborate my theory that the other streaks aren't airplane lights but a Tholian web being covered up by the Men In Black.

Skull Rock

While I was alone here this morning, my previous two stops had it swarming with tourists doing skull-selfies. For scale, there's gap of about eight feet between this front rocks and the bottom of the skull. Standing in front of the feature at 6'1 I still don't come up to the top of the nose hole.

Just, Wow

Still have trouble with the fact that these are natural and not from Disney or Lucasfilm.

Baby Joshua Trees

Nice little cluster for an early morning shot.

My Little Friend

He stalked me for a while near the Jumbo Rocks area.

Tree From A Crack In The Rock

"Life breaks free. Life expands to new territories. Painfully, perhaps even dangerously. But life finds a way." Michael Crichton, Jurassic Park

Black-tailed Jackrabbit

Been seeing these since I got here, but damn they're fast. Barely got this with the 300mm telephoto before he jackrabbited away.

The Universe

The Park is certainly amazing, but then the sun goes down and you look up at the sky... [A composite of 60 25-second exposures at f/4.5 and ISO 3200]

"Classic" auto

Most places would call it trash and tow it, but here it's an historic artifact alongside the Wall Street Stamp Mill, a former gold mine.

Worth Bagley Stone, kinda sorta

According to a nearby plaque, the original Worth Bagly stone was damaged by vandals in 2014 and moved to the park museum. This plaque, with the original (and accurate) inscription marks the place the stone sat for years after being erected by Keys upon his release from San Quentin.

Shadow Selfie

Early morning light gives me a tall and skinny shadow. I can live with that.

Moonset

Got the setting Moon between the leaves (fronds?) of the park's namesake joshua trees.

Flowering Cactus

Bloom on the cholla cactus in the Cholla Garden.

Organized Rocks

Gotta love it when Mother Nature keeps things organized. Outhouse left in for scale.

Really Old Graffiti

Almost missed these petroglyphs on the trail to the Barker Dam, but karma rewarded me for helping another visitor translate a sign.

Old Point Loma Lighthouse

The original lighthouse only operated from 1855-1891, but still serves as a museum at the Cabrillo National Monument.

Big Lens

The tower and fresnel lens of the Old Point Loma Lighthouse at the Cabrillo National Monument.

Nyah nyah

Andean Bear wants you to know who has the bone and who doesn't.

Andean Bear

Just a bear, looking adorable.

Amur Leopard

I felt like one of those little sushi rolls floating down the bar, waiting for someone to reach down and make me her brunch

Sloth Bear

He was being decidedly unslothful this morning, out and about playing with his enrichment devices.

Morning nap

Sea lion just being all relaxed.

Cuddles

Naptime is better with a partner.

Birds

First thought: what died? Second thought: just how much water did I bring on this hike?

Protection?

Tempted to be cynical and ask when Karens became protected. More serious wondering how serious the protections are if developers are still allowed to expand right next to the preserve.

Not a Rose

Went to the park this morning to try and get some shots in the Rose Garden. Came home with this cactus shot too.

Rainbow Sorbet

I was beginning to get a bit disappointed in my trip to the Rose Garden this morning. August heat was taking its toll, but then I stumbled on this guy.

Ketchup and Mustard

Beautiful red, but maybe not as much yellow as some of the other Ketchup and Mustard roses in bloom this morning. Still in great shape for August heat.

Cherry Parfait

Seriously, I'd like to know more about how these roses are named, though with the deep red and pure white I think I understand this one.

Posturing

A bit of a kerfuffle as a late-comer forced his way to the front of the flock.

Ducklings

These guys were hiding in the brush as Mom foraged for brunch and kept returning to feed them. For reference, Mom was black with a white bill.

Nesting flamingos

Lesser flamingos watching their eggs.

Still there

Lesser flamingo checking on her egg

Plumeria on the balcony

First blooms on the plumeria on our balcony. The cutting was originally purchased back in 2018 at the Southern California Plumeria Society's annual Hawaiian Plumeria Festival at Balboa Park in September 2018, and with some nurturing and good fortune is finally hitting its potential.

Waiting for victims

This is reedited from a 2014 gallery for that year's San Clemente Ocean Festival. The original caption read: "Rescuers in the rescue relay event waiting for their designated victims to reach the buoys."

Evening Surfer

One of my first shots of the trip, on an evening walk on the beach across from our hotel.

Randy took this

He even made me look cute, if I do say so myself.