Though we've been to many places around here, we'd never heard of this monument! It was designated as land to be set aside as it is still purely like the western plains when the country was being settled. And once again, it's because I saw the photos Phylm-S @elatedpixie posted on 365, I asked where we could find this! We left at 8 this morning and didn't return home until 6:30, but my very patient Ken made nearly every stop I asked for so I could get pictures! We've got a variety of birds, old and dilapidated buildings, beautiful wild flowers, the western town of Santa Margarita, and a most unusual lake bed that is so alkaline, the ground around it is while and it's covered with crystals! (It's Called Soda Lake) On both sides of the road, this was the biggest swath of yellow in the park, and yes, it IS that color! And I heard the birds before I saw them and knew they were red-winged blackbirds! As they flew across and dipped and turned, I crossed my fingers that I was capturing them! It truly was a spectacular day with some amazing vistas and geological formations! And speaking of same, this area lies along the well-known San Andreas Fault, that is so distinct, I've picked it out easily while flying over, and took some photographs today that clearly must be a part of it!
Check out this of Phylm-S's with the local antelope https://365project.org/elatedpixie/365/2017-04-21 I was happy enough for the inspiration to see it all for myself, but it was probably too much to expect to see an antelope as well!
This is so pretty, and I like the way you caught all the birds in the air. Did you stir them up so they would all fly at once??? I have never head of this place!! I thought I knew just about every nook and cranny in CA.
@aglennc See! If You and John didn't know, it really IS a well-kept secret! We took a back road through Ojai and saw some wonderful sights! Just when we thought most of the color had gone off, we came across this, and what more could we have asked for!
Absolutely stunning! These flowers blooming in such abundance is a rare event according to Phylm-s @elatedpixie and I have been admiring her wonderful images. You are so lucky to have seen this amazing colour splash! Thanks for sharing! I so love seeing the different wonders of the world on 365! Sounds like a perfect day Louise! I can just hear you calling "stop Ken" lol! Tell him to prepare himself for getting it in stereo in June! Huge fav!
Wow, what a great image and I love your narrative too. To think of all those little red wings. I too had seen Phylm-S's photos and thought they were spectacular.
Fabulous! I love the beautiful purple hills along with everything else. Ken is a dear fellow to stop for you all along the way. Can't wait to see your photos. So, are these Canola flowers ? They are that same extraordinary yellow I see in Montana when we go there. Absolutely a favorite!
@pyrrhula Ferry, you came to my mind so many times as I was capturing these pictures! Thinking of your weekend drives to capture photos, the fields of flowers (!), and on some very different area, rows of trees along a hillcrest! It was a pretty spectacular day for the beauty of it! Thanks, my friend!
@lynnz And that's *exactly* what I said to Phylm-S when I saw her photos as I know she doesn't live far from our daughter! She told me where to find it, and that how we came to spend the day there...again, all thanks to 365 Friendship!
@Weezilou Thank you dear Louise. And I was thinking you was very busy with traveling and meeting friends. I did watch you nice, lovely , beautiful pic.`s but did n`t comment as I`m afraid I take to much time of you to comment mine in return.
Amazing! It looks like the birds are actually flying out of the picture! I have read the flowers are so vivid in California this Spring that they can be seen from high above the earth. This certainly proves it. I expect to see this picture in the TT!
@pyrrhula Wow, Ferry! I just got around to reading the Daily Mail article you sent, and the statistics are astonishing! Better still, what gorgeous photos! Don't you wish you could take a picture like that from a plane? I hope people will see your note and have a look at the article as I just did!
@Weezilou Dear Louise. From out my earliest childhood I`m grow up with those fields. We can stand between them. I`m also spoiled with cultivation flowers. I`ve stopped my profession because of this. Now I love wild flowers the best.
Sounds like a fabulous journey.