Lazzora and I day hiked 6 miles to Boulder Oaks Campground. This will make a 12 mile day hike - the farthest I've hiked in a while. We met Nathan, a thru hiker from Seattle taking a lunch break.
I'm anxious to get on the road to meet Tailwinds.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Dennis does my hair. I'm trying to see if I remember how to send a phone photo in an email to my blog.
Here goes.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Last year I backpacked all of NM except for the 91 miles I skipped from Snow Lake to Pie Town.
I will drive back to NM straight from the annual ADZPCTKO weekend I attend each year. I leave for the KO on Thursday morning. I haven't decided if I'll drive to NM Saturday night or Sunday morning early. Sunday I meet my friend and backpacking partner Tailwinds in Quemado, NM. We'll spend Monday driving to drop one of our cars off at the Snow Lake Campground and then driving back to Pie Town to the start of our southbound hike back to Snow Lake.
I'm not very well trained, but neither is Tailwinds. Tailwinds is a very special lady I met online. We've become good friends, mostly over the phone, so I am really looking forward to spending face to face time together.
Tailwinds is Suzanne Finney's trailname. She hiked most of the PCT last year and will be finishing up the remaining miles later this summer. She is an exceptional writer and is well into the process of writing a book of her PCT adventure.
Here is a link to her journal:
http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=212970
If I have reception in NM while on the trail I'll post some photos. Otherwise I'll update my trail journal from last year after I get home.
I'll be back home on or before May 7th. I'm leaving just in time. The temperatures are rising here in the desert.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjLCJKoot4U
How the hell did someone capture this fantastic happening?
Thanks to Carol D for sending me this link.
Ray probably thought he was safe going out for a walk at night with me. You see, during the day I usually stop and take way too many photos and Ray usually just walks on leaving me to whatever it is that has my attention.
Today it was near 100 here. We knew this morning we'd be doing our exercise after the sun went down.
The night was so balmy. The walk went by so fast. I was fascinated with shooting hand held photos of the night lighting when the shutter was open for a full minute. Trying to get an in focus shot was out of the question but I still was curious what the photos would look like. I had the ISO set to 800.
We're walking on Inverness Drive and I'm shooting back across the 15th fairway lake to our home (the house with the palm tree growing out of it!). I used a 100% sepia photo filter in Photoshop to hide a tiny bit of the noise or excessive graininess.
Ray is already back home when I shot this photo of our street. Our home is at the end of this cul-de-sac. I actually sat down on the street pavement trying to get as much as I could of the lighted tall palm trees.
I entered our courtyard and began shooting the lit cactus. Almost ready to go inside, I noticed my shadow. I never pass up a shadow photo op. I even posed, turning my head to the right to get a good shadow outline of my profile, while I'm holding the camera out away from me with my left hand, trying to check to see if I'm actually framing myself properly in the LCD. I'm glad the neighbors can't see into our courtyard. On more than one occasion I have been accused of self obsession. But the neighbors don't need to see it. After I got this shot and I came out of my shooting blackout, I looked to see if Ray had been watching me. Nope. He was at work on his new Lenovo Thinkpad T500 probably shopping for, yes, another putter. 'Cause you know, like a new camera will make me a better photographer, Ray is on a never ending search for the newest and bestest putter. Every day! Oh, Ray isn't going to like that I wrote this. 
Look how long my pony tail is getting.
Hike: 8.5 mile hike/2251' elevation gain, accessed from Hwy 74 (Palms to Pines Hwy) off Fobes Saddle Rd (a 4 mile dirt road that goes to a trailhead that connects in 1.6 miles with the PCT at Fobes Saddle.
I planned this hike for the Saturday MHCC hike so I could, 1. check out snow conditions on the PCT and 2. run into some PCT thruhikers.
I have posted photos and descriptions of this hike on my Smugmug site.
The highlight: Meeting PCT Class of 2009 thruhiker, Neil from Seattle, WA. At the end of the photos he is pictured holding the new PCT Class of 2009 bandanna.
On the way home from our hike, we noticed 4 thrus at the Paradise Cafe, and two coming down the trail just before the gate at Hwy 74 where the PCT crosses the road.
Lots of early starters.
There were 4 empty gallon jugs of water at Fobes Saddle as of April 18th.
Ray is in LA until tomorrow. He stayed over Thursday and tonight for two speaking engagements. Not having my normal routine....like making dinner...which I have no interest in doing when Ray isn't here...left me wandering outside around 6pm. I've wanted to see how close I could get to the Geese family. I got close. They obviously were already quite habituated to people.
I shot the photos below with my Canon 40D and 70 - 300mm lens on a tripod. I used live view and zoomed to 5X trying to get the geese in focus. Boy, you have to work fast with moving subjects. You also have to know your camera well to move fast. I see I need to go out more often with this particular lens and with my larger camera in general. Not many of the photos I took were in focus. I'm thinking I should never zoom all the way to 300mm if I want an in focus shot.
I was shooting just outside our condo which means I was on the 15th fairway. Thank goodness only one foursome of golfers played this hole during the half hour I was out with the geese. I hid behind a narrow tree as the golfers took their 3rd shots to the green. One of the golfers noticed me hiding behind the tiny tree in line with his shot and was polite enough to not curse me out for his duffed approach shot.
The night was balmy, just the perfect Palm Springs weather. I understand we'll be in to 3 digit temperatures by the weekend. 
Carol Leigh posted a live view link to viewing an Eagle Family in British Columbia and I've embedded the link off to the right and down the sidebar of this blog so I can monitor the daily goings on. Very cool AND I get to see the birds without the mess in my courtyard.
Click on the screen located in the sidebar of this blog for previous happenings in the day. Wait a second to connect to the live view. Turn your sound down this family is LOUD.
Don't forget to check out the other Seekpoints on the Live View link, especially the one where dad brings gull.
Walked to the 6:50am Xizer class at the gym this morning. The 15 minute walk warms me up for this upper and lower body class. Then, what I really like about walking over to the class (rather than driving) is I walk home and play with the Canon PowerShot A650 IS handheld camera that goes with me everywhere. It was a beautiful morning and I felt 100%.
Mt San Gorgonio beyond the MHCC Clubhouse.
Lingered out on the 15th fairway outside our place hoping to see Mr and Mrs Geese and their 6 new babies when I spotted this 100 yard marker reminding me I can have a 100% day anytime I want.
I've been hoping for, and not so patiently waiting, the major camera companies to put a rotating LCD on their "real" cameras. The rotating LCD allows me to take photos without having to bend over and risk my back going out. Everyday I visit http://www.dpreview.com/ hoping to find a new model "real" camera with a rotating LCD. While on Scott Kelby's site which I also daily visit, I found this on his April 14th blog entry: Nikon Announces New D-5000 DSLR with HD Video, Swivel Screen, and More!
LR, better put some more money in my account. tee hee! (The camera is supposed to be available at the end of April - too late for the upcoming New Mexico hike.)
The low:
Before leaving this ER room, I shot a photo of where I'd hung out this morning from 7am to 11am after waking with a pain in my chest that scared me.
I'm fine now. No one thinks the pain was heart related, but after calling and canceling a morning workout with Stacy who said I should go to ER and then calling and talking to Keenan (Ray's retired cardiologist golfing buddy) who said have Ray take you to ER , I decided I better go. Ray drove me the 7 minutes to Eisenhower Hospital's ER. Ray knew the procedure would take about 4 hours from the last time we'd been there.
This is the second time I've gone to this ER since we moved to the desert with concern over heart related pain. I didn't want to go. I hate going there. I feel like a hypochondriac or the girl who cried wolf. It's the 4th time I've been in the hospital or ER since we moved here. First when I fractured my hip bike riding, next when I had an systemic reaction to a red ant bite, and then the two heart pain related scares.
The pain in my chest went away in the hospital. After eating lunch at home, the pain came back a bit. The ER doctor wants me to have another cardio stress test but he, and I too, think this is gastrointestinal. Maybe my nightly popcorn snack is playing havoc with my intestines or esophagus? Do you think? Wouldn't that be horrible? Anyway, I am not worried, so I hope you aren't either. Just reporting my day.
The high:
On the evening news, Brian Williams reported a story about this lady singer and gave the viewers this link to hear what he was referring to. On the news clip I noticed Simon Cowel was involved as it was some British American Idol type show. I raced to my computer to view this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY The judges mouths fell open and remained that way as the woman continued to sing for her audition.
Another video brings tears to my eyes.
I got up at 9:40am this morning! 9:40am. I remember going to bed around 10pm thinking that I would gift myself the process of waking up and not racing out of bed. I did wake a number of times this morning, but never looked at the clock. It's funny but I have this old idea, that obviously isn't so old, that I waste most of the morning sleeping so late. I love the feeling of getting up early and getting lots done before the day really starts. But I must acknowledge I did enjoy waking and rolling over back to sleep this morning.
Ray and I were couch potatoes today. We sat in front of the TV and watched the Masters. I don't ever watch TV during the day. Again, I'd feel unproductive and guilty not "doing". But I'd be remiss to not acknowledge I had a ball watching Tiger and Mickelson and Perry.
An hour after the golf Ray and I went for a walk. While on our walk I shot some photos. Here are a few:
This statue always gets me. I asked Ray to pose next to this statue of a man on a bench with an allegator under it. 
See Lane, I may not have sat outside for an hour the other day as you suggested, but I did give myself some "rights" today.
What an incredible message about attitudes, visions, perspectives. I always welcome an attitude adjustment and Dewitt Jones accomplished just for me that in this video he put together depicting what he has learned over the course of his career as a National Geographic photographer. This video is not about photography. The title of this video is what it is about: Celebrate What's Right With The World. While viewing the video through tears I heard the message I try to practice yet presented in a little different way. Listening to Dewitt it is quite obvious he has had his fair share of psychic changes or spiritual awakenings. What comes from the heart, goes to the heart.
Thanks to you Dewitt Jones for making this very special video.
p.s. To my ladies who read this blog, please watch this video. Make time for this gem and let me know what you think.
p.p.s. Lane sorry you won't be able to see this video or any other videos until you receive your new computer!
Celebrate What's Right With The World
I had my regular Friday afternoon massage. I was relaxed and in a dream-like state when I pulled in to the Bed and Bath store.
On my way to check out, a man and woman passed. The man, looking at me, said, "I need a nap too." His wife chuckled. I thought, did I just yawn? Why are they saying that to me. Do I look THAT tired? I was hurt. I was confused. Then I was mad. How dare he!
I thought to myself, let me remember to never say to someone "You look tired. Or, you must be tired." I kept wondering why he thought I look so tired. I went on a trip in my head about how old and tired I must look to others anymore. I wasn't a happy camper.
The lady at the check out counter handed me back my credit card. I was trying to fit the credit card back into my wallet when she said, "I need a nap too. That's a great t-shirt."
She had no idea why I smiled so broadly and looked so relieved.
Duh. That's what that man meant. 
I snapped off the photo below while waiting in line to check out of Bed and Bath. On April 7th Katya had posted this blog entry about muffin tops. I never knew what a muffin top was before I read her blog.
Once I bought a yellow car. From then on all I saw was how many yellow cars there were on the road.
Well, now all I see are muffin tops.
Reading Carol Leigh's post on our Yahoo Alumni Group site this morning, motivated me to visit Leslie Avon Miller's blog.
In Leslie's "About Me" section on her blog she has written: "I am a collage artist who’s question is “I wonder what would happen if I…?”
Thoughts that came to me after reading the question “I wonder what would happen if I…?”:
1. I don't have the time to even consider this question?
2. Why try, you aren't creative.
3. I'll feel frustrated when I try something and realize I don't know how to do "it".
4. People will think "it's" stupid.
5. I don't have an original idea.
6. I have to finish my to-do list first.
7. When I'm old and can't do other things, I'll try.........
Beliefs on the page look very different than they do in my head.
I keep saying I'll schedule myself into the day....I say, This week I'll block out 2 hours and actually use the multitude of photography tutorials available to me on Scott Kelby's website.... Tutorials I signed up for, I'm charged for as they are auto deducted monthly, and I don't make use of them. That's just plain insanity because I really want to watch the video tutorials on Adobe Photoshop CS4, Lightroom 2, and many, many other available tutorials.
Leslie's blog got my attention. People motivate me. I know that about myself. Of myself, I am lazy, an excuse maker, a rationalizer and addicted to reading about others work/art online, instead of doing my own work. I do end up feeling motivated viewing the incredible art others create. I seem to have good intentions and then the phone rings, I get distracted by one task, then another and another, and I'm off and running, forgetting my desires and feeling sad I don't have more time in the day. You know, the old, poor me.
Time is precious. I deserve. Somehow I have to learn to start saying yes to Linda. I've always thought I needed to learn to say no to others. I've not ever thought about saying yes to Linda. Hmmmmmm. I wonder if this will work. I'm always telling others, "My happiness is my responsibility."
To be continued............(as my friend LR says)
Hiding out from the rain drops before we could get in to Milly's.
L>R Taye, Linda, Angela and Sandi
In Milly's living room before our teleconference call to the out of town ladies.
Many thanks to Milly for allowing us to use your living room each month.
While getting in some exercise this morning I detoured off my route as I noticed Ray walking off the practice putting green. He walked over to his buddies. They drew numbers or something to see who played with whom.
They were ready to get on the course but indulged me long enough for me to click off one shot.
Errands are done and I'm dressed and ready to pick up Sandi in 5 minutes. We're headed in to LA. Waiting and seated at my computer, I noticed Ray walk by the large window. I walked out, kissed him good-bye and heard he was playing well. They played fast. He was already on the 15th fairway.
Off to LA now.
Our photo teacher, Carol Leigh, puts together a gallery of our work following each class. Here is an email she just sent out:
I created an online gallery of your work at my website and it's up and ready for you to see. Here's the link (to view class
#7, with lessons in straight lines, spirals, garage art, fish, motion, and symmetry): http://www.photoexplorations.com/Gallery072009/HTML/index.htm
What I did was select three images from each of you, trying to pick what I thought were your best. (That explains the feeble showing in the "Garage Art" section!)
Thank you for making this yet another successful online class.
Carol Leigh
We did good, didn't we?
May 08 - Here I am crossing the Gila River with Cookie following behind making sure I get across ok.
I didn't know Paul was keeping count of all the crossings we made while in the steep walled Gila River canyon for a couple of days.
I was looking at Paul's flickr photos from his CDT 08 hike when I found this photo of me. Cookie and Paul are the hikers I joined for about 5 days after my partner got injured. We are hiking in the Gila River in New Mexico.
I haven't a clue what type of birds we have building their nest in our front courtyard but I'm thrilled to have some new photo subjects. (A while after I wrote this blog I looked online and found out what type of bird it is.)
I noticed birds flying around in our courtyard and then spotted the nest they are building 2 to 3 days ago. They're fast home builders.
Their nest is so much larger than the hummingbird nest built last year. Ray asked me if I thought we should tear down this new nest because of the mess the birds will create. Without hesitation I said, "NO".
I'll deal with the mess I know they'll make. This morning I set up my camera in front of the front door (with the front door open). Later, I realized a better shooting angle from just inside the garage.
Shot from inside the front door.
The next four photos are all shot from inside the garage door.
I used my Canon D40 with a 70-300mm lens at 300mm. Morning shooting will be better as the light is low in the front courtyard after noon. I usually shoot with Aperture Priority. The last four photos were shot at a larger aperture than I wanted to shoot at in order to get a shutter speed of 125 to stop the motion of the bird.
Fun.
I just found this on the internet!
Verdin
Auriparus flaviceps Order PASSERIFORMES - Family REMIZIDAE
Summary Detailed
A tiny, active songbird of the arid southwestern United States and northern Mexico, the Verdin is the only North American member of the penduline-tit family (Remizidae). Vocal and often conspicuous despite its size, it builds a large enclosed nest in thorny scrub.
Cool Facts
* The Verdin builds nests for both breeding and roosting; roosting nests are much smaller. The outer stick shell is constructed mostly by the male, while the female does most of the lining.
* The Verdin's roosting nests help it stay warm in winter. Winter roosting nests have thicker insulation, and may reduce energy requirements for thermoregulation by as much as 50 percent.
* The Verdin builds roosting nests all year round. One pair of Verdins in Arizona was observed building 11 nests in one year.
* During the heat of the desert summer, the Verdin rests quietly in the shaded interior of a shrub, sometimes panting or spreading its wings. Nests built in summer open toward prevailing winds, perhaps to aid in cooling.
Description
top
* Size: 9-11 cm (4-4 in)
* Weight: 5-8 g (0.18-0.28 ounces)
* Small songbird.
* Gray body.
* Yellow face.
* Short tail.
* Sharp bill.
* Dark lores.
* Dark red shoulder patches not often visible.
* Eyes black.
* Legs dark.
Sex Differences
Sexes similar; male with brighter yellow on face.
Immature
Plain gray, including face. Base of bill pinkish yellow.
Similar Species
* Lucy's Warbler similar to juvenile Verdin, but bill is thinner and dark, without pinkish yellow base.
* Bushtit has smaller, blunter bill and longer tail.
* Gnatcatchers have longer tails with black-and-white markings.
Sound
Various calls, including loud chips issued in rapid succession. Song is a three-note whistle.
Habitat
Desert scrub, especially along washes where thorny vegetation is present.
Food
Insects and spiders.
Behavior
Foraging
Moves actively and nimbly among limbs of scrub vegetation, in a manner resembling that of chickadees. Often holds blossoms with feet while looking and picking at prey with bill.
Reproduction
Nest Type
Large sphere with a hole usually located near the bottom. Outer shell of sticks, lined with leaves and smaller twigs. Placed in shrub.
Egg Description
Light greenish, with irregular dark reddish spots, especially at larger end.
Clutch Size
Usually 4 eggs. Range: 3-6.
Condition at Hatching
Helpless and naked.
top
Conservation Status
Declining across much of range. Land development in southern California has reduced Verdin habitat, and has resulted in the possible extirpation of the species from San Diego County, CA.
Other Names
Auripare verdin (French)
Baloncillo, Párido del desierto (Spanish)
This is an email I sent to my teacher Carol and the online photo group after I'd uploaded photos and was in a que for critiques:
Hi Carol Leigh,
I've been thinking (which is always a problem). I uploaded two "old" photos and submitted them for this motion assignment. I didn't have or make the time time to shoot for this motion assignment and the few tries to shoot for motion generated nothing.
Why I'm writing you is to let you know you don't have to give me a critique on motion. I don't want to put you in the awkward position like I did on the previous assignment when I just uploaded "something". When I shot the photos I placed in the motion folder I wasn't even shooting for motion.
Believe it or not, on the previous spiral assignment, I spent lots of time on this assignment with many different subjects. I just didn't come up with anything I liked. However, I did learn a lot from the time I spent on the spiral failed shots. Really a lot.
For this motion assignment however, I hadn't had the time. Hence I learned nothing. I feel really bad and WILL on my own, when I have a bit more time, go out and shoot some motion just so I get the awareness and experience I have gotten from all the shooting I've done for the previous assignments.
So, you don't have to critique the photos in my motion folder.
Phew. I have to tell you, I really checked my motives before writing this email. I'm clear my motive is clean and unselfish. I really don't want you to struggle with photos that I didn't even shoot for this assignment.
Thanks to you and everyone. I love you and your classes and I'll be back when I have more time.
Love and gratitude,
Linda Jeffers
And here is the critique Carol sent me:
SALTON SEA 1
Hmmmm . . . What I like about your
photo are the warm sunset-like colors
and the strong layered elements.
You've got a slash of orange sky.
Then some dark and darker horizontal
slashes of mountains and shoreline,
and then a large slash of more sunsetlike
colors in the water. The pelican
stands out strongly against the water.
What's neat is that it's not a
completely black silhouette -- we can
see that this is a white pelican, and
the black and white markings on the
wings are very visible.
All the layers create movement in
your picture as our eye hops down
(and up) from the sky to the pelican
and from the pelican to the sky.
There are a couple of things bugging me, however. The first thing is that the background slants
way over toward the left. I know this is the Salton Sea and I know how the area does slant, but
in a photograph that slantitude becomes a distraction and makes the picture looks like it was
taken carelessly. With a level horizon line your photo would look a lot better.
The second thing is that the overall look -- which might be a post-processing watercolor effect
— is really choppy and pixelated. I get the feeling that not only has the photograph been
cropped way down, causing the look to deteriorate, but that the deteriorated look has been
enhanced by whatever filter or effect was applied to the shot. Look, too, in the upper right
section of the frame where there are some darkish elements against the greyer mountains. We're
not sure what those are and so they become distractions.
We walk a fine line when we crop like crazy and when we choose different painterly or
specialized effects for our pictures. Just as you think to yourself before you click the shutter --
what attracted me to this? -- you need to ask yourself why you're using a certain painterly effect.
Just because you can, doesn't mean you should, etc.
SALTON SEA 2
I like your concept. You
created a stark and bold and
simple image with a slice of
black at the bottom, grey
sand up top, and a black
slice of a gull in between.
Your picture is very
monochromatic (shades of
black and grey) and there's
no question what you want
us to see first, where you
want us to look. Well done.
You know what's
interesting? If you stare at the gull, sometimes he looks like he's flying away from us and other
times he looks like he's flying right toward us! How M.C. Escher-esque!
The only thing I'm finding disturbing is how coarse the bird's silhouette (or shadow) looks
against the grey background. The picture looks like it's a tiny little slice cropped out of a much
larger photograph, and it's beginning to fall apart as a result.
Sometimes that can work for us, where we can turn a shot that's perhaps already soft and grainy
into something that's REALLY soft and grainy. Architectural detail is especially good for this
type of treatment, where maybe you've shot the side of a building that has a gargoyle on it. You
then crop away the entire building, leaving just the gargoyle. When you blow up that gargoyle,
it's going to look soft, grainy (noisy), and maybe very cool! It can easily be very awful,
however. It all depends on what we're looking for.
So what about this gull? If it's a shadow, it seems a bit too dark and too choppy around the
edges. If it's a silhouette, it looks too choppy around the edges, especially on the left wingtip.
I like that you're experimenting with a lot of different looks. By playing around with this stuff,
by not being afraid to experiment, you eventually learn what works, what doesn't, and why. I
recommend you keep experimenting. Lack of fear will help you eventually find your own
unique photographic voice.
Carol Leigh
April 3, 2009
This is the email I sent to the Group and Carol after reading Carol's critique:
Thanks Carol Leigh for my Motion critique and the encouragement to explore. I don’t really have a clue what my photographic voice is. I do know I love the excitement and drive that leads me to want to learn more and more. Thanks for being so sensitive and making this class such a safe environment to learn.
It’s hard for me to say good things about myself but I do know I am learning and know I will continue learning forever and ever. I like that I no longer let the fear of what others will think stop me from even trying. That is exciting in itself. For years I wanted to take photography classes. For years, I used one excuse after another and never took any classes.
Then I met Carol Davis. Carol Davis sent me note cards while I was away hiking a long hike. Her note cards were made containing pictures of some of her online class photos. I was impressed. Later, I’d see Carol Davis regularly at meetings we both attend and she’d share her excitement over taking more of Carol Leigh’s online photography classes. Hmmmm. I began to think that maybe I too could do an online photo class. That seemed easier and safer than actually being in a classroom with other photography students.
I signed up. Was scared to death until your first critique Carol.
The rest is history. I’ve taken about 3 online classes and two workshops in the last year and a half. I’m hooked and only wish I had more time to continue taking every class you offer Carol Leigh. Thank you for knowing how to be with each and every one of us. You certainly know how to be with me. I feel safe and I learn so much.
Linda Jeffers
Lesson #1 learned - I don't need to beat someone up when they've messed up. They know they messed up and have already beat themselves up worse than I ever could.
Lesson #2 learned - Make sure I have enough time before taking something on I really care about.
Oh, so many old feelings came up from long ago during the last two class assignments when I didn't have the time and just submitted anything.
Yesterday and today we got to watch as the Pro Am golf foursomes played on the Palmer Golf Course, the course our condo is on. Both days I took my lunch outside and had ringside seats watching the golfers try to make birdie and even eagles on the 5 par 15th hole just outside our windows.
Tomorrow the LPGA golf tournament play begins on the Dinah Shore course.
Michele Wie and David Ledbetter (one of the greatest golf coaches).
Michele listening to David.
Michele and David with Michele's parents.
I ran behind a palm tree to take these photos with my Canon D40 with a 70 - 300 mm lens handheld. I was pretty pleased that of the 15 shots I fired off quickly I got these photos.
Posts
All Comments
