In a world of so many great photographers and writers, I am venturing into some unknown territories, leaving comfort zones, finally very willing to practice the art of seeing. By maintaining the practice of posting daily photos, I hope to continue learning about the possibilities that I trust are out there for the taking.
Ray took this photo of Katya, Paula and me before leaving for dinner at Tipico’s. Katya spoke at the ABC Club one block away from the restaurant. Katya gave a great talk.
So I’m eating clean right? As is Katya, Ray and Sandi (who joined us for dinner and the meeting). We’re at the Mexican restaurant where the chips and salsa arrive as we are seated. On the food plan you get one grain or starch with dinner. Hmmmmm. I’m starving. I want to eat chips, NOW. But then if I eat the chips I can’t have the tortilla with dinner. While going back and forth in my head…”Chips or Tortilla?”….I decide to lay out chips on the table in a circle the size of a tortilla to see how many chips I could have if I decided to choose to eat chips. Paula thought that was funny. I was quite serious! The tortilla won. Actually, I had two tortillas with my Fajitas dinner!!!!!
Katya feeling her oats heading up the Bump & Grind hill. Paula and I were dying in the 95 degree heat.
A nice lady took this photo of us on our way down from the top of the Bump & Grind hill.
Down from Bump & Grind, on the walk back to the car, I asked Katya if she wanted to carry my pack. She said, “Carrying it makes me walk funny.”
Sunday Ray and I went to the Southwest Art Festival in Indio. I was so happy to see Vern Clevenger there selling his photos. I went over to talk to him. I reminded him of how I met him nine years ago in the Sierra. After we talked and I had walked away, I went back to Vern’s photo stall and asked if I could have my photo taken with him.
Anyone who has been to our home recognizes the photo behind me of the Sierra cottonwoods in fall color. I have this print taken by the photographer, Vern Clevenger, the man on my left. 
I came to meet Vern while Tina and I were backpacking in 2000. Tina and I had just arrived at our night’s campsite – Guitar Lake – stragically positioned to camp there for our early morning Mt Whitney summit at 4am in the morning.
Not long after we arrived at this campsite I noticed a family of four hiking up the trail towards us. The man, Vern, looked like he’d been in the back country for years. Vern was carrying a massive backpack. As I recall he responded, after being asked, that he was carrying around 70 lbs. That’s a lot and it’s really a lot at the 11,000 foot elevation of Guitar Lake. Behind Vern, was his 9 year old son carrying a small backpack the size of a day pack. Vern’s wife came into view next carrying a child carrier backpack that was empty. The child was out of the backpack, behind Mom, running up the trail in her cute but very dirty dress and bare feet. The family of four was doing the JMT (John Muir Trail – 220 miles in the most beautiful section of the Sierra).
Long story short….
The kids were ecstatic when Tina and I unloaded some of our extra candy and offered it to the kids. What I didn’t know until the next morning was the family was not only out of candy for the kids but were mostly out of food.
We met the Clevenger family at the top of Mt Whitney the next morning and chatted some more. It was during this talk that I found out Vern had no food. I couldn’t believe he was carrying that heavy backpack up another 3000 feet with no food for energy. I’d left my backpack at Trail Pass for the summit of Mt Whitney and was only carrying a large fanny pack. I felt so sorry for Vern I gave him the food I had packed in my fanny pack to eat while luxuriating after having reached the summit.
Vern was so grateful. He took my snail mail address and not long after I arrived home I found a package delivered from Vern. He sent me a signed copy of one of his beautiful Sierra photos. Previously I had not known he was a photographer.
When Vern had a showing of his photographs in Beverly Hills a year or two later, I went and bought another 5 photos of his. That’s when I bought the large photo of the cottonwoods in full fall color.
More shadow photos of me and Stacy behind while on the Bump and Grind months ago.
Me, Ray and Stacy.
I don’t think I mentioned that I am now using http://gottago.smugmug.com/ instead of the Flickr.com photo site.
I post the photos I take on the hikes I lead for the Mission Hills CC hikers. Check it out. Today’s hike was beautiful. We took a snack break at the Whitewater River.
I’ve been hounded by LR to start posting photos again. He says that photos shot off the TV don’t count as practicing photography. So here are two shots I took today. I’m considering turning in one for the Straight Lines #2 Lesson due Feb 9th.
left side of group photo, rear to front: Roberta, Sandy, Karen and Carol.
right side of photo, rear to front: Frank, Ernie and Linda.
center of photo, rear to front: Ellen and Peggy.
We had fun. I was thrilled to see 8 hikers show up this morning. That made 9 of us on the Shannon Trail Loop hike. We deviated somewhat from the scheduled Shannon Trail Loop hike after the first two miles and hiked east toward Mt Murray before circling back north and northwest to return on the Araby trail by Bob Hope’s house. We figure we hiked about 7 miles in the 3 and a half hours we were out there.
We were a very flexible group. Everyone was up for anything and everything suggested. Watching everyone chatting with each other made the hike for me. I don’t know what it is but I enjoy getting people together and seeing everyone have fun. As I said, We had fun.
Come on out and hike with us Mission Hills CC Hiking Group members! Maybe watching the video will entice you to join us next Saturday. Hike to be determined, but you may count on there being a hike next Saturday, January 3rd! Look for an email.
There were four of us who braved what we thought would be a very cold 7:30am morning hike here in sunny Palm Desert: Linda, my friend Heidi, Sandra and Ellen. This was the first time Sandra and Ellen joined us on one of our hikes. I’ve said this before, but MHCC Hiking Group has the neatest members.
Surprisingly, the only time I felt a bit cold was at the WAMU parking lot before we headed out to the Living Desert in Palm Desert to hike the 5.5 mile Eisenhower loop trail.
The first mile of the hike is level. Once we started to climb everyone began shedding the many layers we were wearing. (After last week’s cold hike, we made sure we were dressed properly.) We skipped taking a break at the shady picnic area at the top of our 1.8 mile ascent, as the sun was still down behind Eisenhower Peak. Not stopping for a break didn’t keep me from eating my snack of walnuts and raisins while descending the next 1.7 miles. No siree! I don’t need to be seated to eat. The last 750 yards, before reaching the level desert wash, took us through a rocky and sandy canyon! Oh, and today was the first time I ever saw pooled water on the canyon portion of the hike.
Below are two videos that I hope will inspire and motivate all you MHCC hiking group members to join us on our Saturday hikes. And don’t forget Bonnie’s Wednesday hikes.
After the first flat mile, you’ll see us hiking up the 1.8 miles before descending on the return loop.
It was a nice after-hike treat to view the sheep. The Bighorn Sheep aren’t always visible in their fenced in mountain home at the Living Desert. Take a look and pay attention to the last part of the video.
To see still more photos from our hike, go to http://flickr.com/photos/gottagolinda/.
By the way, Bonnie’s rained out hike last Wednesday is now rescheduled for January 14th. Bonnie will be sending out email notification I’m sure.
Pretty cool Palm Oasis #1 and, further on, #2 up the dry, desert Art Smith Trail on Highway 74 below the San Jacinto mountains.
Saturday morning at 7:30am we will drive to the trailhead for the 2nd hike of the season with the MHCC hiking group. Last week there were only 4 of us who hiked out of the 102 people on the Hiking Roster. Hmmmmm. I have a goal to get more hikers involved. To be continued…..
Isn’t Heidi cute?
Kenny, Katie and Rick on our way up the Bump and Grind at 5:30am.
Rick and Katie.
Sunset taken on the I-5 near all the smelly cow lots.
I have been trying not to listen to the news. I don’t turn on my car radio. I walk out of the room when Ray has the news on TV. I avoid reading the newspaper. It’s the only way I seem to somewhat quiet my head and my heart.
I am on the road, headed to Half Moon Bay to meet Carol Leigh and 12 other photography students for a 3.5 day shoot for a book Carol is publishing depicting Half Moon Bay. Last night I stayed in a Holiday Inn Express 2.5 hours from Half Moon Bay. This morning I ate their complimentary breakfast in front of the large screen, high volume TV. I’m back in my room, with my friend, my computer, trying to numb out from the news of other nightmare day in the stock market.
So…..here are a couple of photos I took yesterday. The first two I took on yesterday’s morning Bump and Grind hike with 3 very special people. The last photo I snapped while driving on the I -5 last night.
Golf cart path along the Palmer one #1 fairway. 
I called out for our neighbor Carol to join Ray and me on our walk.
Reseeded early light on the fairway #17 on the Westin course near Sandi’s house.
I’m online at Starbucks in Mammoth.
Cindy sent me an early birthday present – a history of Cind and Lind she put on a YouTube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksJgGzhpSe4&feature=related
Cindy and I do have history. I’m surprised by all the photos Cindy has in this slide show depicting so much of our history together. (I’m always telling Cindy to use her camera and she usually says, “I don’t have it.” or “Yeah, I should.”)
I love my gift. I love you Cind. And, I miss spending time in the mountains with you. Thank you for putting together such a very special gift. I really love it.
Lind
Tina came up to visit us in Mammoth the last three days. The photos below were taken today.
Miss proper hiker on our morning hike.
Cute Tina.
Pretty lake on our morning hike.
Tina left to go home after our morning hike, but as she was loading up her car she came back to the cabin screaming, “Bear, come, come see the bear.”
I put my shoes on, changed to a telephoto lens on my Canon 40D and ran out to the lake where the bear had been swimming! I missed him swimming, but ran in the direction he’d taken off. When I found the bear he was checking out some cabins.
But then I guess he wanted to go for another swim as he headed back down by the lake. I followed him.
I guess I followed him a bit too closely as he turned back in my direction. He looked as startled as I was when I clicked this photo off. I stepped aside to give him room and he ran by me…..thank goodness. Ray had been watching me from the cabin while he was on the phone. He ran down to the lake when he noticed the bear and I were only a few feet away from each other.
