getting closer...

I don’t know what happened but something flipped the switch. I think it’s all the fitness magazines that I’ve been looking at (lol)... been doing a couple of miles for a while now, usually pretty slow. A couple days ago I really felt the urge to do two different trails and spend a lot of time in Malibu. The key is to get there late on a colder day and to hike till it gets dark. That way I miss traffic on the way home and the entire day just “flows” :))))

So I did part of the backbone trail for a while (mostly taking pictures) probably a mile total (great warm up) and then drove to another spot and conquered the hill! The loop was 2.5 miles (a bit more than I remember) with a 450 ft gain. That meant that I had to PUSH to get back to my car before dark.

In hindsight I realize that I was following my intuition…. I really really really wanted to do each of these trails, and to just keep going and going. I want to prepare for a 4 miles hike in the mountains so now I have a REAL reason to get back on track and push harder, get back into shape.

Yea! I’m back on track!!

Hiking rocks! (haha)

See more progress on: Get back into shape – be able to hike entire Solstice loop under 3 hours

El Dorado Nature Preserve

Sneaky squirel.... "I didn't do it, really.... I didn't!!"

RIGHT lol

lunch... (poor kitty)

Misc pictures :)

I was going thru some of my old pictures and ran across this really cool one that I did while exploring 4th Street in Long Beach. There was this really cool telephone pole and I'm really happy with the way this one turned out!

Aaauuuugggghhh!!! Damn technology!!

I'm soooooo frustrated! I'm trying to enter a photography contest online and for some reason their system keeps booting me out! It keeps saying they're unrecognizable, that they only accept jpeg's .... they are jpegs you dumb computer!!! Now I know why I like nature so much... so much simpler ;)

Oh well, things happen for a reason. I think I'll go to plan B and start making some prints to put up in coffee shops and work on developing my portfolio instead.... and maybe even the Pasadena Art Walk!! hmmmm....

Here's some of my nature pics....

Malibu hike - end of May

Daisy field on the way up to the hike

Beautiful sunny day, hiking under the trees ;)

secret campsite on the hike, wonderful shade on a warm day

This was a wonderful surprise... there were these wild orchids...

they were sooooo beautiful.... growing in patches along the path.... very cool.

Palm Springs visitor center & natural gardens .... and a CRAZY bird!!

This is the CRAZY bird that we saw... at first we thought that he was doing a mating dance, but later (thanks to google! :) I learned that this is actually a 'bit' that he does to lure preditors away from the nest... very effective! I know I was distracted!! The bird will leave the nest and do a "broken-wing" dance, fluttering his wings, going in circles, pretending he can't get off the ground...we fell for it at first but I've got your number now baby!!

Crazy yard in Long Beach!

I was out one day and stumbled across this! The guy has his *whole* yard covered in succulents that are blooming with these beautiful purple flowers.... the whole thing!

I actually got a chance to talk to the guy and it was amazing!! I love hearing stories about what made him decide to do something different and the process (there's *always* a process!).... very cool!

Giant VW Spider - outside Palm Springs

How cool is that!?? I got an upclose picture under the belly of the Giant VW Spider!!

I also got a chance to walk around the place a bit and take a few pics...

cacti garden and sculptures galore!

secret hide out for kids.... would have gone up there but, well, I felt like I was intruding lol

(people really do live there!)

Art and Cacti - Morongo Valley

While on my adventure, I stumbled across this shop with a giant lizard on the roof so I had to stop and take a pic....

turns out it's a cactus shop with lots of really cool things. The place was really colorful, well organized and had awesome energy....

but wait, it gets better..... as I'm starting to leave I notice there's an art gallery too! Omgosh, how cool is that??!!

They had this **awesome** b&w (desert) photography ....AND I got a chance to talk with the photographer!

really cool sample b&w's for the art exhibit opening this Sat

Dinosaur diner - Cabazons

Had to do it! It seemed so classic and how many times have you driven by a place and not stopped there? I'm so glad I did! The waitresses were so friendly and right on top of things... whatever I wanted I got! It was classic... country music playin softly in the background, the truck stop atmosphere, a sign in the window that says "No hitching".... a place where you could come and take a load off, resting from the open road.... it was *awesome*!!

(cute bird o/s the diner)

Nature Preserve - Morongo Valley

This was a wonderful surprise and such a change from the typical dry desert trail.... an unexpected oasis :)

Beautiful trees and swamp land on part of the preserve

(okay, this wasn't real.... but it sure scared the $#it out of me, not expecting to see it there! It was on top of the nature center on one of the trails to teach people about mountain lions.... very effective! I was spooked the rest of my walk!! )

Wicked trees trying to regrow after a fire a few years back

LA Garden Show - Arcadia

Gorgeous day for the LA Garden show...

The back trails of the gardens

My new friend ;)