circadianreflections

Whatever Wednesday- Storm Clouds over Job’s Peak

Job's Peak under Clouds

The view from my backyard all week has been cloudy with some rain. In between He-Man and I have gone out hiking twice each time on a new trail. If you follow me on Instagram you’ve seen some images of the trail there.

Our hike on Monday was a 5.3-mile loop that wiped me out. In Silicon Valley, I lived 257 ft above sea level. Here I’m 4,750 ft above sea level and the hike took us up to nearly 6,000 feet. I was huffing and puffing and light-headed for most of it. I am out of shape and not used to this elevation yet. A sinus infection and plugged ears didn’t help, but I hope this summer’s hikes get me ready for snow-shoeing this winter!

The weather may be unsettled here this week, but we are settled and on the road to discovering new trails and sights. I hope you’re feeling settled in and finding some time to enjoy the outdoors this week.

Nikon D810| Nikkor 24-120mm f/4| Hoodman STEEL Digital Film| PS CC 2019

more to come…

Whatever Weds. Great-tailed Grackle

This bird was on the back fence competing for food with the Yellow-headed Blackbirds making rather lewd calls to scare them off.

He looks a bit grumpy, doesn’t he?

Blackbird

Since we’ve been pretty well settled in we’ve been having family and friends come to visit which is why I’ve been less active on the blog lately.

Baby Girl, the Handsome Surveyor, and the boys came for Mother’s Day and my Birthday, then a good friend stopped by for the night while traveling, and we’ve had Big Baby Boy home for 5 days. Sadly, he’s heading back to SOCAL today.

Both the kids said, “it feels like home!” at the new house and are happy, and like it here too.

The weather has been a bit gloomy lately and driving home from Baby Girl’s Sunday we had snow in the mountains. It was a gorgeous winter wonderland with the tall pines flocked in snow.

On the homefront- I’m still waiting for the countertop for the base laundry room cabinets to come in. The pantry cabinet I ordered arrived damaged and went back, and a wall cabinet got smashed in transit and I’m waiting for that replacement.

The closet shelving in the office and retreat are complete, and He-Man’s Master Closet is finished. He wasted no time filling it up!

The house in Silicon Valley went on the market Friday. Here’s hoping for a sale soon!

I hope you all are having a good week!

Nikon D810| Nikkor 200-500mm| Hoodman Digital Film| PS CC 2019 & iPhone 7 Plus

more to come…

Whatever Weds.

We’re settling into our new home. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel of boxes!

Sunday I went out with a local birding expert and guide for a morning of birding.

It was so much fun and a great birdy day with so many bird highlights. We saw a pair Great-horned Owls, some Owlets, a Barn Owl, Bald Eagles, lots of Red-wing Blackbirds, Yellow-headed Blackbirds, sparrows, Turkey Vultures, and a pilot practicing aerial loops, swoops, and dives!

I’ll share just two images today though.

A pair of Kestrels in a tree with breakfast. I didn’t notice the prey until I uploaded my images. I’ve never seen a pair together before so this was a real treat for me.

American Kestrel Pair with Prey

and from my backyard, there are flocks of Yellow-headed Blackbirds enjoying the trees and my feeder. I never saw these in Silicon Valley. I love their vivid heads and lovely white pattern on their wings. I’m not sure if these are year-round birds or just spending Spring here. I’ll soon find out!

Yellow-headed Blackbirds

Yesterday the cabinets for the laundry room arrived so the contractor is going to open those boxes up and see what we got. I have to select and order my counter top still, and I think he’s going to paint He-Man’s closet. He textured the new framing for it yesterday. I’ve been taking photos of the project at each step. I’ll share those later.

I hope your week has been going well and continues to go well through the week-end!

Nikon D810| Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6 top image and 300mm f/4 bottom image| Hoodman Steel Digital Film| PS CC 2019

more to come…

Whatever Wednesday The Best of This Day

It’s crunch time now with the packing and being ready for the movers.

Truth. It’s mostly all my shit that needs to be packed and it’s this shit that makes a home Home! Just sayin! I don’t want to live without this stuff.

It’s stuff. Stuff you worry about when you’re on vacation or away for a few days. It’s my stuff and I love it!

Let’s take a deep breath and relax with some time away from home and all my stuff. From last July and then some…

Okay, He-Man was home guarding the castle so I was able to live these moments. 😄 I know I got myself a keeper. If only he realizes that!

That short clip was showing my love #1 Grandson, some Dear Friends, the Eastern Sierras, and the Wild Mustangs of the Eastern Sierras, and me in shadow. I’m looking forward to seeing the

wild Mustangs this year.

I’m going to be largely missing for the next few weeks. The movers are coming tomorrow and arriving at our house in NV on Friday. I’ll be busy packing up the weirdly shaped odds and ends then unpacking and setting up house in our new home.

I have heard the road to the Wild Mustangs opened early this year for lack of snow so as soon as I’m settled I’ll be heading south to photograph them.

I hope you all are well and enjoying Spring! She chased winter away here with temperatures over 90 degrees! She’s serious about coming in!

iPhone 7 Plus

more come…

Whatever Weds. Night View

I’m still packing. I probably will be taping up the last box and running it to the moving truck as they’re pulling down the door and revving up the engine to take off for my new home!

We’ve been taking stuff over that we think we’ll need before the movers arrive, and spending the night when we can. I’ve been waiting for Milky Way season to be back in our Hemisphere. What is she talking about the Milky Way is always there, you’re probably thinking. It is, but the Galactic Center is only visible in the Northern Hemisphere April through mid-September. I’ve been anxiously waiting to see how it will look from my new backyard/patio since I have a southern unobstructed view.

I set my alarm for the wee hours of the morning to find out. Lookie there! I was doing my happy dance.

Milky Way from the Porch

There’s a lot more light pollution than I thought there would be, and the Moon while really low was 40 minutes from setting adding more light to the sky. The street lamps added our house and the neighbor’s shadows on the fairway below.

I’m already eyeing trails to explore for dark skies in the upcoming months.

The movers come in 9 days! I’m so ready to be moved and settled in.

Back to packing, and notifying those that need to know I’ve got a new mailing address.

I’m sure I’m forgetting someone.

Hope you all have a great week!

more to come…

Whatever Weds. Spring in Stanislaus Co.

I’m waist deep into packing paper, boxes, and all my stuff.

I spent almost my entire adult life amassing stuff, and now I just want to get rid of most of it! I’m not really into the Komari (sp) thing, but I’m all for me having less stuff to worry about and pack! But, I have this nagging feeling I’m getting rid of things I’ll regret, and keeping things I should let go! It’s agony!

I spent the morning packing up most of the kitchen and getting our homeowners, and car insurance set up for NV. Next up will be getting our mail set up over there, and the list goes on and on, but we’re making progress. Fifteen days and the movers come to get all our stuff and really it’s mostly my stuff and take it to the new house! Well, they’ll be there the next day so, we will be sleeping on the air mattress, and have the stuff we’ve already taken over to get us through a few days should it snow or something and the truck can’t get over. Winter is hanging on. The major Interstate they’ll probably take over the mountains has closed a few times recently because there have been two. Two avalanches in the last two weeks on that Interstate.

This is how I remember winters being when I was a girl and a young adult. I’ve always felt the weather is cyclical and has a pattern here in CA. Really good skiing winters, followed by long dry, thirsty spells. We’re in the great skiing season now, but my head is saying, Drought is coming prepare! I’m saying that with the Game of Thrones tone of Winter is Coming. 😃 I’m staying in the west so drought is probably going to be in my planning for the rest of my life.

Ah, but I digress. Since I’ve been preoccupied with the packing and moving and feeling the need to share some images and stay connected to you cause I’ve missed you I dug into my earlier images from just about a month ago when Big Baby Boy and I took a ride out to Knight’s Ferry.

The hills are still this green.

Early Spring on the Stanislaus River

and the Lupine was just beginning to bloom. I had the wrong lens for this shot, but I like the way you can see the environment that these were blooming in. These Lupine were huge bushes. I bet they’re gorgeous now.

Spring Lupine Stanislaus County

We’re reflecting a lot about all the things we’ve experienced while living in this house 37 years. Big Baby Boy came home for 5 days to help us move some stuff over to the new house, and say Good-bye to the house he’s always called home. We treasure the memories here but we’re taking them with us. We are looking forward to new beginnings, new memories to be made, and to blooming in our new home.

Happy Wednesday!

Nikon D810| Nikkor 20mm f/1.8G| Hoodman Digital Film| CS PP 2019

more to come…

Whatever Wednesday- Let the Sunshine in

Sunshine Rural Santa Clara CO

Nikon D810| Nikkor 20mm f/1.8G| Hoodman Digital STEEL Film| PS CC 2019

more to come…

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