Nothing like a desert sunset

One of the store windows in the abandoned town of Bodie, California

Sorry, I’ve been out of commission the past week. Now that I’m back, I thought we’d take a little trip. This one to Bodie, California, a town in one of the worst weather zones in Northern California, near the Sierras. Between bitterly cold winters and snows, and horrendous winds, the people here were tough, indeed. In fact, on March 9, 1882, the town’s first newspaper was published.  

Here’s a clip from the Bodie.com website: “After a long day working the claims, the miners would head for the bars and the red light district to spend their earnings. The mixture of money, gold and alcohol would often prove fatal. It is said that there was a man killed every day in Bodie. Presumably, the undertaker never had a slow day.” 

It’s a fascinating town, now a state park. Abandoned in the 1930s, it feels like people still live there. They left so much behind.  I hope to get back up there this year.

Shrimp plant

I think the shrimp plants in my yard have succombed. Time to get some more. Those “tongues” remind me of bearded irises.

Squirrel POV

The intention of the day was to shoot winterscapes. But it was more like spring. Adapt, adapt!

A Zen moment at sunset

Sometimes the best shots are the last shots of the day.

Been a wild winter here. More pix tomorrow of today’s snow and the trucks/equipment being used to clear the storm drains and debris. Looks like the weather is warming up over the next week into an Indian Summer.

We were treated to a double rainbow at sunset yesterday, as raindrops continued to fall below the foothills that got their own snow dusting. Gorgeous–and cold! Us wimps here in SoCal arent’ used to this! I took this at Woodbury and Fair Oaks.

This road goes somewhere, but I haven’t gone down it to find out where. What’s wrong with me?

It’s January and the first sunflower of the year is showing its happy face against the snowy backdrop of the foothills. This is the magic of SoCalifornia, and especially Altadena. The unexpected lies around every bend or turn of the head.