Place: Cleveland National Forest and black star canyon hiking............

We were on our way to Black star canyon on a weekend hike. As we entered the wilderness, GPS lost signal and we drove through the narrow alley flanked by old houses in Silverado and ended up in a forest. Huge oaks, pines, sycamores, wild rose bushes, a creek, cliffs densely wrapped in vegetation, bluebirds, woodpeckers and crows hopping among the trees dotted the landscape. Before long we realized, it's Cleveland National forest falling under Trabuco Division. We had no clue that a national forest exists in the vicinity of our house and the discovery was exciting. 

After a brief confusion, we reached to Black star canyon and had a refreshing hike......it is rich with its unique attractions. In the 3-4 hour hiking along the paved path edged by bluffs and canyons overgrown with countless bushes bursting with wildflowers, summer-dried golden grasses and crooked, lichen-draped oaks, I clicked several pretty pictures... 

A luxuriant patch of common green shield lichen on scrub oak bark.......

A crushed giant puffball full of powdery spores......

Drapes of dodder spreading on the native bushes...

An innocuous-looking young poison oak....

A heart-shaped cactus cladode..........

A scary-looking barbed-wire to check trespassers....

Fauna: Cicadas abound in hot climate.....

Cicadas certainly prefer hot weather. We reached at a hotel in Las Vegas on a smoldering summer evening. My cheeks were almost burning with the heat being reflected from the high-rises. I was standing on the premises of the hotel and the shrill ringing noises buzzing from the Crape Myrtle was adding to the vexing sultry climate. I searched for the source of the din and saw an overwhelming number of cicadas clinging to the plant and swarming the ground.

Just look at the big eyes!

They are nuisance to plants...
They are bred to feed zoo animals....some employees handling them regularly develop occupational allergy....

Fun: Dolphin watching..........

It was certainly a great day for dolphin watching. Barely a mile off the shore, our whale watching boat was surrounded by pods of Pacific white-sided dolphins. It was to be seen to believe their sprightly rhythmic diving and swimming. Watching the  cetaceans in the open waters made a fabulous experience.

People: Stand-up paddle boarding........

Stand-up paddle boarding is the latest craze among water sport enthusiasts. Dozens of them could be seen enjoying the ride on the placid waters of the Pacific. This surfing method of Hawaiian heritage is fast getting popular owing to the wholesome workout that it offers along with broad scenic view.

It was a pleasant sunny day in Newport beach...Dozens of water sports enthusiasts were seen navigating the placid Pacific Ocean on their colorful paddle boards.

People paddling at Strait of Juan de Fuca, Deception Pass...