Shasta Bally from Whiskeytown Lake. 7/14/10
It was a beautiful day in Redding, a little hazy perhaps, but beautiful none the less.
I waited until around 4 in the afternoon to get some shadows to help define the hazy hills, and drove out to Whiskeytown Lake to find out if conditions were right for a little photo magic. The layers of ridges were softly defined, but distance and shadow were there in the varied color tones. I got several picturesque images of Shasta Bally.
Mount Shasta from Shasta Lake. 7/14/10
I wasn't sure if I could bring much definition to Mount Shasta. It seemed to be washed out in the haze to the naked eye, but I took about 70 different shots in the hopes that I might find one to work with when I put them on the computer. I ended up with about 15 really nice pictures.
I enjoy the Shasta Lake sunshine. 7/14/10
It was only 97 degrees up by the lake. That put it more than 10 degrees cooler than it was around the Treehouse apartments. I love this place.
Lassen from Shasta Dam road. 7/14/10
It was Lassen that remained misty behind all the upper valley suspended particulate matter, but it still made for some nice images.
End Of The Pod
Tuesday showed the pod about to open. 7/13/10
I have been watching a few last pods on the lily plants out back in Dorothy's garden. They seemed reluctant to open. I have been watching them for a couple of weeks. The one pod just kept closed up tight while it puffed up bigger and bigger. It finally showed some action on the tip late Tuesday, after Dorothy gave the garden a good watering.
The Lily Emerges
Early Wednesday morning a lily is born. 7/14/10
The next morning, when I went out to check on it, it had exploded out of its confinement to become a very large lily. It's too heavy for the stem to point it upward. Get a load of that pistol. What a whopper.
Coming Attraction
Tomorrows lily begins unraveling today. 7/14/10
Not as large, but likely more colorful, another lily should debut during the night, or first thing tomorrow. I will have my camera ready to catch it's first appearance.
This last week has been full of introspective moments. I see the bums on the street corners and outside the stores and I realize that I was fortunate enough to have stopped at the crossroads of prospects and ignominious defeat. A whole world of influences turned me away from the road of total despair. I was made aware of my potential prosperity and given the tools and encouragement I needed to realize that this life I have been given is a miraculous gift.
I think about what words would have gotten through to me when my thinking was warped by the alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs in my system. I entertain the thought that there might be something I could say to a cardboard sign holding derelict that would awaken their inner spirit so they, too, might find their way back from the dung heap of future-less addictions. Maybe a song or something, one day.
In the meantime I thank God for filling me with fascination, wonder, and respect for this delightful consciousness called life. I also thank all the people, past and present, who shape my thoughts and decisions as I happily go forth on this path of enlightenment.
Popcorn Tree?
Blossom(s) on a tree in Raley's parking lot. 7/14/10
At first it was the pretty color of the blossoms against the evening sky that got my attention, and camera focused on this tree. But what kind of tree can it be?
I had gone to Raley's after dinner to get milk, a pie, and more Breyer's ice cream, (on sale). It was when I got out to the parking lot where a bunch of Lily's of the Nile looked attractive enough for me to get the camera out to capture a few moments of shape, shadow, and color. While I was taking closeups of the blossoms, I happened to look up and that's where I saw the colorful shapes on the ends of a tree's branches against the sky.
When I got closer, I saw this was a unique bloom that I hadn't photographed before. I also haven't any idea what kind of tree these are part of. If you know, let me know, and I will add it to the pages of newfound knowledge that are some of the substance of this blog.
Today's Relatively Appropriate Song;
iPad Crazy Face Pirates
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