Saturday, January 26, 2013

Fauna: Bread lunch for the critters....

Going by the pictures below, it seems that the leavened bread has found favor among the furry, feathery and slimy creatures also..



Thursday, January 24, 2013

Plant: Poppy bloom...............

It's the time of poppy bloom..
Street sides are vibrant with these colorful flowers...each one looking more attractive than the other..
Myriad buds waiting to burst and unfurl...




Season: Rain treat for us..

South California gets very scant rainfall..so when it showers, its a thing to rejoice..
This morning, I walked up to the porch to see the drizzles teasing the plants, to inhale the sweet fragrance of wet-earth and listen to the melody of myriad ripples on the puddles..
Seemed, I was not the only one enjoying the rain-reprieve..a whole lot of apartment resident critters were out there reveling in the precipitation...







Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Photography: Miscellaneous pics.....

Random clicks of day-to-day objects...




Hole in a rock...


Bird food...

Place: Scenic road trips.......

For me the journey is as important as the destination itself...so the road traveled is a significant part....
The scenic road to the Grand Canyon..the road trip traversing the Colorado Desert makes for an memorable experience....





On our way to Mono lake from Tahoe lake, we got to see wonderful landscapes...It was after all, the scenic Highway 395, that runs along side the majestic Sierra Nevada mountain range...
I would be glad to share that with you...

Large swathes of Alpine forests....



Snow-clad blue mountains...

Green valley dotted with houses and ranches...

Bird's-eye view.....

Nestled in the foothills...

Picturesqe road that is a traveler's joy.....

Lee Vining Canyon scenic byway....as we drove through this road, saw some of the most wonderful landscapes...rugged volcanic terrain,, mountain peaks, deep valleys, groves of conifer forests....





Sierra......

Bryce canyon region.......


Through the Sonoran desert.......

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Food: Grilled dishes from our kitchen................

Some grilled foods prepared in our kitchen...
Chicken wings with bell pepper....

Chicken salad...

Shrimp and asparagus...

Tofu and bell pepper....

Chicken thighs with asparagus....

Chicken kabobs........

Monday, January 14, 2013

Plant: Ponytail palm blossoms

Inflorescence of ponytail palm at various stages...brightening the wintry greys..



Saturday, January 12, 2013

Place: San Joaquin wilderness attractions.........

I had a hike in San Joaquin wildlife sanctuary this afternoon....some stunning critters and plants made the chilly venture worth-it...cottontail rabbit foraging on the sun-bathed lawn, osprey dining on a big fish perched atop a pole, a big spherical mistletoe on a leafless sycamore tree...



I was amused to see a black ibis and a snow white egret foraging in the swamp, by the edge of the reeds. Together the duo looked like yin-yang image..they seemed to be having a conversation....