Shadows of Sonoma Coast

The sun did shine during our trip to the coast and made some interesting shadows.
The cypress cast shadows in the campground at Bodega Dunes Campground.

Smaller plants, too are casting shadows on the dunes.

At Goat Rock Beach I saw the remains of what seems to be an old railroad casting shadows on the beach.

To see more shadows check out HeyHarriet.

Sky Watch Friday

Another archive photo from our Jekyll Island Elderhostel. Maybe I'll get some good sky shots at Bodega Bay and Ft. Bragg. Not likely though as fog and clouds are forcast.

If you are not familiar with Elderhostel and are 55 or better, I urge you to check out their catalog.

See other skys here.

Duck Candy

When we stopped at Bishop City Park I was disappointed to see how messy the pond looked with all the cottonwood seeds in it.
I soon realized that the ducks thought it was great!

Duck candy!

Mama duck brought the little ones to check it out too. Enlarge the bottom one for a good view of the individual seeds. The other shots I was disappointed in but they make the point.

For more watery sites click here.

My World, My Garden

I grow a lot of iris in my garden. They are very forgiving of my neglect and bloom during the months when I tend to be home.

I have a lot of tall bearded iris.

When they are done the Siberian and Louisiana iris bloom.

Last to bloom are the Japanese iris.

The last of these are beginning to fade.

Next will be the lilies and daylilies, they also thrive in spite of me.

Thats my world, to see more worlds, click here.

Shadows on the Beach

A few years ago, Hubby and I went to a photography Elderhostel on Jekyll Island, Georgia .
Our instructor encouraged us to get up early to photograph the sunrise.

Early morning is also a good time to find shadows.

For more shadows go to HeyHarriet.

We are off to visit some of the California State Parks on the North coast before the Governor closes them indefinitely. He has little choice, the people are unwilling or unable to pay more taxes. The elderly, disabled, poor and state workers are taking a huge hit. I can't complain too much about losing the parks. It will mean more out of work and a loss of income to the nearby communities.
I left some posts but no Mr. Linky until I get back.

Skies over Manzanar

The day we visited Manzanar the skies were a beautiful blue and filled with spectacular clouds. When we moved to the Owens Valley in 1977 there was little to indicate what was significant about this place. I'm not sure this sign was in place then. There was a simple sign on the highway that said "Manzanar" and pointed to the entrance.

There were usually cars parked by the old guard house. I always wondered who these people were. What did this place mean to them? Had they lived here? Had their parents?

In addition to the old guard house, the old auditorium remains. When we lived in the area it was used as a maintenance building for the Inyo County Road Department. The Park Service now uses it as an interpretive center. Here you can see a film about the internment with the voices of many who had lived here.

At the site of one of the gardens I tried to visualize what it must of looked like when it was being cared for.

But the cemetery was the most moving place.

We were there just after Memorial Day and we could see the many tokens that had been left. There is a Japanese legend that who ever folds 1000 paper cranes will have their heart's desire come true. From this legend has evolved a tradition that 1000 paper cranes symbolize world peace. I'm sure that there are at least 1000 paper cranes in this wreath.

There were many smaller tokens left as well.

I suppose there are many people who still do not realize that we imprisoned 120,000 people, most of them born American citizens in ten camps just because of their race. None of these people were ever accused of a crime much less convicted

It would be impossible to visit Manzanar and not think of how we can allow fear and prejudice to cause us to treat a group inhumanely.

It would be impossible to visit Manzanar and not see parallels to what has happened over last 7 years and is still happening today.

You can find more information about Manzanar at the Park Service site.
The Library of Congress has many pictures taken at Manzanar by Ansel Adams here.

You can see find many beautiful skies, most without a lecture,

by clicking here.

Manzanar Garden

What's that, no water here? There was in the early 1940's

Open your imagination and see a Japanese garden with water running down a stream into a pond.

Ten thousand people, most of them American citizens were sent to Manzanar. They had done nothing wrong, they were there simply because there ancestors had been born in Japan. Many tried to make the best of a bad situation and tried to bring some beauty into this bleak landscape. With water and care, this desert can bloom but it is hot, windy and dusty in summer and bitter cold in the winter. The barracks, hastily built, offered inadequate protection.
I'll have more on Manzanar latter in the week.

For more watery sites click here.