Some photos from the trip, featuring some of my favorite subjects:
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| Old Ford Pickup Along the highway leading to Vallecito, this old rusted truck attempts to maintain some of its former glory via the bright yellow hood paint |
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| Rocky Mountain Iris (Iris missouriensis) These native iris are starting to bloom all over in moist woodland areas |
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| Western Serviceberry (Almelanchier alnifolia) These attractive shrubs are found throughout the Vallecito area |
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| Shooting Star Columbine [aka Crimson or Red Columbine] (Aquilegia formosa) Found in shaded, moist areas, these lovely flowers are just starting to come into bloom |
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| Star Lily (Smilacina stellata) The small, delicate flowers on this plant are easy to miss along the side of the trail |
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| Canada Violet (Viola canadensis) Also found in moist areas of the forest, and often near Western Blue violets |
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| Four-Spotted Skimmer (Libellula quadrimaculata) The first dragonfly photo of the season! These skimmers seldom sit still, so to find him on this tree stem was a treat. Isn't he fabulous? His front pair of legs, used to snatch mosquitos and other prey, are folded up behind his head. |
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| Four-Spotted Skimmer - rear view Another shot of this amazing insect to show the beautiful patterning and detail in his wings. |
Back to painting...
Great pics - love the pick-up, flowers and dragon fly! You rock!
ReplyDeleteI can see these as paintings....hope you do them soon!
ReplyDeleteGreat photos of a lovely spot. I especially like the Columbine and it's name "Shooting Star." It has the shape that suits its name!
ReplyDeleteLove the flowers. The little irises are awesome, I love seeing them.
ReplyDeleteInsects, no thanks. :)
Hi Helen - thanks for stopping by and commenting! I'm glad you enjoyed all the various subjects here :).
ReplyDeleteHi Cindy - at some point, I probably will paint the truck; I took several photos of it. And, the flowers are always a possibility! Thanks for stopping by :).
Hi Katherine - isn't that Columbine pretty? This was the first time I've seen them, and at first, I thought it was a type of Shooting Star flower. Thanks for your visit!
Hey, Jala - I was so excited when I saw these irises! Iris are my favorite flower, and I love seeing them out in the wild. And, yeah, I know you aren't into insects, but you know I have a thing for dragonflies. Anything that is a voracious consumer of mosquitos is a friend of mine ;).
Beautiful photos. Looks like it was a lovely day! We're discussing a little outing today - haven't decided where yet.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Liz - I hope you and Mike were able to get out yesterday and enjoy what I'm sure was good weather in your area.
ReplyDeleteWow, those photos are absolutely amazing. What a beautiful place. I'm glad I found your blog, because I think your work is beautiful and inspiring. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Crystal - thank you so much for stopping by and for your kind words about my work and blog!
ReplyDeleteGreat photos!
ReplyDeleteI especially love the truck (one of my favorite subjects!) and the iris (one of my favorite flowers ;-)
Glad you were able to enjoy the beautiful day!
Thanks, Debbie! It was fun to get all of these subjects (all favorites of mine as well) in a single trip. Made for a great afternoon :)!
ReplyDeleteLovely photography of a beautiful area. I also adore your painting, particularly the kitty!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my blog and leaving a comment.
Great shots Sonya! Glad to see you got to enjoy one of those rare sunny days. What a cool old truck too, I'll have to go see that one in person.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the visit and comment, Carol :).
ReplyDeleteThanks, Susan! The weather has been a bit funky lately, hasn't it? If not rain, then unrelenting wind. There are neat old buildings, and an old Plymouth right nearby the truck...perfect for plein air painting ;).
Would have gone bonkers if I had seen that truck! What a great painting subject! Would love to see what you do with it, Sonya.
ReplyDeleteIsn't that truck amazing, Diane? We first saw it almost 2 years ago when we were out visiting. I took photos back then, but I've never forgotten about it. It will have to show up in a painting at some point, no doubt...
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