Photo Journal Week #4 2015

Visit to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, January 28, 2015

The four cubs; Ernest, Evelyn, Marion, and Miss Ellen with mom, Oshana.

I arrived at the perfect time.  The cubs had been resting up until then and they started their morning play time as I walked up to the lion exhibit.

Every since I read about these beauties in the Zoo News I was a bit obsessed and just had to see them in person.
 

She looks like she is roaring but I think she was just yawning.  Her dad, Izu, was roaring moments after this; what an awesome sound - they are majestic.

 

I don't know which one is which but I understand Evelyn and Marion are quite the tease.

She is beautiful, isn't she.  Or he?  Supposedly, Miss Ellen has a bit darker coat and this little one's was the darkest, so maybe it is Miss Ellen.  I can't say for sure.  I can tell you knowing one of their name is Miss Ellen has endeared them to me.

They are 7 months old and out for viewing mornings 9 to 12.  My zoo membership expires in 2 days, these little ones might just make me renew it.

 Playtime is over.

If you want to read more about them, visit here:

Photo Journaling - see or read more

Week 1 - Tree Falling
Week 2 - Morning Light
Week 3 - Food for the Day

Bumps, dust, smelling the roses

March 10, 2014

1 week ago I was given a clean bill of health from Dr. Ghosh.  Her comments exactly were perfect, everything looks perfect.  It would be easy to say now this path is over but I can't because is it every really over.  I mean I suppose it can be, just like Craig and I have gone on numerous hikes over the last couple of years and sometimes we will take the same path but most often we take a new path which guides us to a new summit or new views but each trail also gives similar experiences, that we have accomplish something that we might have struggle with or viewed immense beauty or strengthen our relationship. And each trail is lodged in our memory with sights, smells, and emotions.  So in that way those trails are never over because they have become a part of us and shape us.  This path is the same, has been the same - each has shaped me and lodged itself in me.

How?

Not driving for 6 weeks and relying on friends to take me to appointments
Cards of love, prayers, and encouragement
Friends visits
Not sleeping or laying on my belly
Willingness to let the young women clean my home
Accepting meals
Calling long distance friends to commiserate
Naps and sleeping in
A walk around the block can wear you out
Lunch with friends
Hand and feet massages
No yard work for 6 weeks
Not working for 6 weeks
Reading and finishing 6 books
Flowers from family
Offers of picking up items from the store
Watching 3 seasons of Sherlock
Frankenstein scar on my abdomen
Four uninterrupted days with my sister
Words of advice, comfort, information

Which were the bumps, which is the dust, and which are the smelling of the roses?  It doesn't matter because they all were part of the path that I was given and are now me. If I didn't let this path make me, I would be ungrateful.  Each path shapes me.

Photo Journal Week #3 2015

Food day - Friday, January 23, 2015

  Breakfast of Greek yogurt and pumpkin flax seed granola stirred in

After the morning walk, I wanted a healthy enriching drink - banana chocolate milk smoothie.

Lunch was a new salad recipe and a new bread recipe. The salad consisted of chopped celery, apple, dried cherries with orange juice squeezed over the top and honey drizzled on top of that.  All accompanied by a toasted cheese herb bread.

Yes, I had snacks - orange sticks still around from Christmas, roasted tomatoes Triscuits, and an apple.  There might have been some chocolate kisses from work too.

And finally dinner with the house pizza and house salad from Village Pizza in Bonsall plus a diet coke.  

Photo Journal - read or see more

Week 1 - Tree Falling
Week 2 - Morning Light

All About Me Post #2 2015

January 22, 2015

Tell Me Something that Drives You Crazy.  What do you do about it? I live in Fallbrook, California - nicknamed the friendly village. I am happy to report that if you wave at a person they are most likely to wave back.

But what drives me crazy.  Sometimes they are too friendly or too kind.  How so?  4 way stops!  I believe the rule at 4 way stops is the first person/car to arrive goes first.  Or if you arrive at the same time the car on the right is to go first.  Not in Fallbrook.  I can be the second car to the stop but the other driver will just wait for me and then finally wave me to go.

Seriously!  If they would just go after they stop instead of waiting for me to stop and then waving me to go, I actually would be going through the intersection sooner.  Why?  because then I don't have to wait for them, they all ready went.  But instead I wait, they don't go and then finally they wave me to go.

Reality, this friendly/helpful/kindness slows down traffic instead of helping it.

What can I do about it?  Maybe I should wave them on as I am slowing and stopping.  Maybe I should just go when I think it is my turn even if it isn't.  Maybe I should drive really, really slow up to the 4 way stops.  Maybe I should just not let it bug me and remind myself - it's Fallbrook, the Friendly Village - that and people don't know how to drive.

North Shore Lake Hodges Trail

I love hiking with my husband.  If you were to ask me about some of my favorite things to do, hiking with Craig would be on the list!  Maybe because it is a time with just him and me.  Maybe because we talk and talk and talk.  Maybe because we are in nature, another favorite thing.  Maybe because I feel healthy while we are hiking.  Lots of maybes but believe me when I tell you it is the best.

Obligatory selfie

The beginning of January, Craig and I planned our Saturdays between work on home project days, hiking days, and adventure days.  Today was a planned hiking day.  We actually started a home project but made sure we had a couple of hours for hiking too.

The longest stress ribbon bridge in the world

Our hike, North Shore Lake Hodges Trail in Escondido.  We drive right past this every month on our way to San Diego and I have always wanted to check it out.  Since there was only a couple of hours to hike, I chose an easy one within a short drive from home.

Lake Hodges

I did a little reading about where we were going and the egrets were mentioned, lots of them on the water of Lake Hodges.  Once we were on the west side of the trail, we could hear the constant calling of the birds the whole trail.  It was awesome.  The trail is quite removed from the lake so I used my new zoom lens from Christmas.  It was great to bring them in somewhat.

Egret in flight with I-15 to the east

Craig even caught one in flight. Egrets are such beautiful, graceful birds.

Hawk

I couldn't believe this hawk wasn't afraid of us.  He held still long enough for me to take his picture.  Again the zoom lens helped immensely.

Twisted tree

This trail starts on the east side of I-15 walking right along the noisy freeway, under the freeway, and then finally heads west away from I-15.  It is amazing to think of all this nature right in the middle of busy San Diego County.  

Hundreds of lake birds enjoying the bushes for their home and mostly likely feeding spots.

North Shore Lake Hodges Trail

This was one of the smoother spots on the trail without rocks and a little down hill.  It is watched over by those trying to keep it natural as possible.

Craig

My handsome husband indulging me in a picture.  From here you can see the lake, the freeway, and Escondido homes.

For the planes warning

We didn't quite make it to the dam.  I thought the wires with their color balls were pretty cool.

Me - ha ha ha

I am taking a moment to enjoy the surroundings.  What a fun, fun day.

Photo Journal Week #2 2015

Monday morning Craig worked from home.  Sunday day we received rain most of the day.  These two combined together lead to our Monday morning sunlight pictures.

Craig glanced out the window and noticed how there was a ray of light shining through the trees.  I grabbed the camera in hopes to capture it.

Sunlight is not easily captured because it surrounds us but these beams and my camera happened to be at the right place at the right time.

Our mulch pile was letting steam off, steam is not something you can easily catch on the camera either but this time with the sunlight it worked.

This one is my favorite, my friend pointed out to me it was an e (ha ha ha - e for ellen.) But I love the sunflare.


Photo Journal - read or see more

Week 1 - Tree Falling

All about Me - Post #1

What is your favorite school subject?  This one is easy, literature! anything to do with reading books.  I love to read books and I never really minded if a book was assigned to read because it meant if I was reading a book, I was doing my homework.

One class I had in college was children's literature.  That was awesome, I had to read kids' books, kids' books! you can't get better than that.  I think I read about 100 plus books that semester, it was the best.  I still love to read children's books and I am happy to spend more time in the children's section of a library or bookstore than the adult section.  I especially love juvenile literature.

At one point in my life also I was the book fair specialist for the PTA at my children's school.  It was the best volunteer job ever.  I had to read children's books and then talk about them.  I would go each fall to Scholastic Books listen to their talks about the new books coming out, choose about 15 of them, read them, and then talk to each grade and class about the new books.  I only promoted what I thought desired being encouraged.  It got the students fired up on reading too.  What was better than that.

Reading, is still the best.

Photo Journal Week #1 2015

We had a tree come down in the rain this past week.  I don't know how old the pine tree was, the only thing I do know is that our home is about 45 years old, so I would estimate our tree is about the same.  

Can you count all the rings?  The pine appears to be full of sap and was very much alive.

It was around 50 plus feet tall and landed on several other trees.  Amazingly it only completely wiped out 1 other tree, our apricot tree.  The apricot was taken down to a stick about 1 foot tall.

The roots of the pine were not strong or wide enough for its foundation.  Craig said it actually was growing on top of a rock.  The pine did not set a tap root into the ground, so the rain washed away its foundation.