February 7, 2020
UC Riverside Botanic Gardens
Last weekend I went and explored a little bit of the UC Riverside Botanic Gardens (map). Somehow I had never heard of these gardens until just a few weeks ago. Here are a few of the photos. The complete collection of photos is here.
permalink | February 7, 2020 at 09:36 PM | Comments (0)
January 5, 2020
Some Infrared Photos
Most digital cameras filter out infrared light before it gets to the sensor. The early Canon Powershot G cameras (G1, G2 and G3), however, allowed some through. I used to have a G3 and all I needed to do was put on a deep red filter to take infrared photos. But the G3 was stolen. Some years later I acquired a used G2 to do the same thing, but it was old and had a few burned out pixels. Those are easy to fix in editing if you've only got one photo, but it gets pretty tiresome to fix the same 12 tiny specks on every photo if you've got a lot to edit, so I haven't used it in a long time.
Last month, I acquired a Canon G12 from LifePixel that they converted to shoot infrared. They remove whatever internal infrared filter there is and then install an internal deep red filter. I already had a regular G12, so I was completely familiar with the camera and the two cameras could share some equipment. Here are some of the resulting photos:
The Amtrak station in Palm Springs.
New housing behind the Target.
At Pioneertown Mountains Preserve.
A cholla at Pioneertown Mountains Preserve.
permalink | January 5, 2020 at 08:01 PM | Comments (0)
June 1, 2018
U.S. Botanic Garden
Some photos from my visit there about a month ago.
The complete set of photos from the U.S. Botanic Garden can be seen here.
permalink | June 1, 2018 at 07:37 PM | Comments (0)
July 28, 2016
A Different Sort Of Map Of L.A. Restaurants
This map shows restaurants in Los Angeles that are identified with one of the 50 states. For Massachusetts there are two places: the Dunkin' Donuts downtown and Malibu Seafood in (where else?) Malibu.
It even lists four California restaurants, one of which is Smittens ice cream which comes from San Francisco.
Missouri gets only one entry, a St. Louis style barbecue. Fortunately, the map also includes a Kansas City, Kansas, barbecue joint: Charcoal Silverlake, although when I look at their website their description of how they cook their meet is not Kansas City style.
permalink | July 28, 2016 at 06:38 PM | Comments (0)
July 27, 2015
Payoff From The Rain
permalink | July 27, 2015 at 07:48 PM | Comments (0)
June 1, 2014
Succulent Flower
This is a plant I got from my friend Emrys last year. He lived in Concord, California, which has a warm, dry season, but never experiences heat like we do here in Coachella Valley. The succulent is still in the very lovely pot that Emrys put it in. It's in a spot with a little shade and it gets regular water. It didn't seem to be dying, but I couldn't say it was thriving either. Just sort of at stasis. And then today I saw this flower stalk on it. Apparently all it needed was four sequential days of trans-100° heat to achieve rapturous joy so that it could flower.
Here's a picture of the leaves if anyone would care to give it an identity.
I don't know what it is.
permalink | June 1, 2014 at 07:21 PM | Comments (2)
April 27, 2014
Jumbo Rocks Campout
These are some photos from the Great Outdoors campout at Jumbo Rocks in Joshua Tree National Park a couple of weeks ago.
We visited Samuelson's Rocks again.
We were able to find the site of Samuelson's cabin for the first time.
This is Scott in Samuelson's cellar which was in pretty decent shape.
The Jumbo Rocks campground was completely filled.
There were Joshua Trees and rocks.
I think I was standing in front of my tent when I took this shot.
We went looking for the Crown Prince Lookout which was an observation point during World War II. We made a wrong turn. The lookout is in those rocks over there, which we did not explore.
Bonus. Here's a brief GoPro video of our lunch spot one day.
permalink | April 27, 2014 at 11:33 AM | Comments (0)
May 5, 2013
Photos From The Jumbo Rocks Campout
Panorama on the North View Trail.
This is where the aliens climbed the rock on their way back to the rocket ship.
My newest tent - a little two-man model from REI. It is destined to suffer the trials of Burning Man.
A fallen Joshua Tree. As you see, they have no tap root. We saw several live Joshuas down during this campout and on the hike earlier in April. These were probably due to the big windstorms we had in March.
Pink moon rise at Jumbo Rocks.
The biggest damn nolina I've ever seen, by far! I had no idea they could reach this tremendous height. Nearby was a huge clump of nolinas that weren't as tall, but much more massive. Obviously, this little area was ideal for nolinas.
The complete set of photos is here.
permalink | May 5, 2013 at 07:14 PM | Comments (0)
Hike in Joshua Tree
Earlier in April I went on a hike with Great Outdoors in Joshua Tree while the blooms were still blooming.
The Mojave yuccas were blooming too.
The complete set of photos is here.
permalink | May 5, 2013 at 10:57 AM | Comments (1)
April 22, 2013
A Visit To The Gardens At Sunnylands
permalink | April 22, 2013 at 05:22 PM | Comments (0)
April 16, 2013
Cactus Flower
A cactus in my yard that had never bloomed before. Had a few of these blooms for a day and none since.
permalink | April 16, 2013 at 12:09 PM | Comments (3)
February 17, 2013
Cholla!
Not me, not my photo.
permalink | February 17, 2013 at 08:53 PM | Comments (1)
August 15, 2012
Something Loves This Weather
permalink | August 15, 2012 at 02:30 PM | Comments (0)
April 20, 2012
Boy Scout Trail
Yesterday I hiked the Boy Scout Trail with Great Outdoors in Joshua Tree National Park. It was my first time on this trail, which is about 8 miles one way from the main park road to near Indian Cove campground. We did a car shuttle, so we could avoid hiking back and uphill. Temperatures peaked at around 90° up there yesterday.
Map of the trail. We hiked one way, roughly south to north.
More than a thousand foot drop going in our direction.
Including a few Joshua Tree blooms.
 |  |
| Yucca blooms. | |
An old, sanded-up watering trough.
The complete set of photos is here.
permalink | April 20, 2012 at 09:44 AM | Comments (2)
July 31, 2011
Cactus & Ants
This is from well before the rain.
permalink | July 31, 2011 at 12:02 PM | Comments (0)
May 13, 2011
Cactus Flowers again and again
These two blooms are on the same plant. As the bloom ages it turns from yellow to orange.
permalink | May 13, 2011 at 07:54 PM | Comments (0)
May 8, 2011
Yet More Flowers
permalink | May 8, 2011 at 11:53 PM | Comments (0)
May 4, 2011
Flowers In The Yard
permalink | May 4, 2011 at 04:22 PM | Comments (0)
April 28, 2011
More Flowers
permalink | April 28, 2011 at 11:04 AM | Comments (0)
April 19, 2011
Flowering Cacti at Cabot's
All at Cabot's right now - maybe not tomorrow.
