Wild Spring in Copperopolis

After a wonderful week working at the SF Flower & Garden Show, I went for a little R&R in a less accustomed direction (like, AWAY from the ocean). I needed a simpler, wilder landscape to rest my mind in for a bit, and I found it in Copperopolis.   (click any photo to enlarge)

Cool name, huh? The locals call it Copper. It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that this little corner of Gold Country was actually known for its thriving copper mines. Copperopolis was founded in 1860 and produced copper from the Civil War to World War II (the town boomed during wartimes due to the demand for munitions).

The mines closed in 1946, and this sleepy community tucked into gently curving oak woodlands two hours east of San Francisco is now largely a vacation/resort town for nearby Lake Tulloch; bustling in the summer, somewhat deserted in winter.

This is a fleeting season in the Sierra foothills, before the fresh greens of early spring turn to the dry golds of a hot summer. It is my favorite time, with all the promise of the season to come.

Two of my favorite things about this area are the fantastic rocks and the wonderful trees. Here fantastic meets wonderful in an interesting (if slightly disturbing) way.

Just your plain old everyday outcropping next to the driveway...

Well, hello little fella!

The view from the deck. Now, before you snort, that's NOT an overwatered fairway below. It's actually the aeration ponds and spray dispersal system used by the Copper Cove Water Treatment Plant (there are fairways nearby, though). As nice as any lake view, I think!

It was glorious to soak up the sun under broad, blue skies after a long, rainy winter. It felt just how this oak tree looks.

All lit up from inside.

Sun's going down...

More tomorrow!

Out for a morning walk to the lake; nice view of the distant Sierras near Yosemite National Park.

 I heart rocks!

Two undeveloped lots west of Lake Tulloch. Guess someone's been hitting the Round-Up pretty hard...

Well, hello deer!

Oak blossom.

Around the lake, the view is everything. And with many houses tucked together on narrow, sloping lots you need to get creative with space. I liked how this homeowner has turned a spot at the end of the driveway into an airy retreat for outdoor cooking and watching the boats go by...the fan and curtains are a nice touch!

 The colors of a California spring...

Back at the house I was reminded how much wild creatures enjoy a really good brush pile, like this cute yellow-rumped Warbler.

And this Western Bluebird.

And, another sunset means my short vacation is over. Time to go home. Thanks for joining me on another California adventure!

Santa Fe Chronicles - The Journey Home

One of my favorite ways to pass the time when flying is taking pictures of the landscape below. That's why I love Southwest Airlines; their open seating policy allows me to choose my window carefully (heaven forbid I should be stuck over a wing!) This series was taken on my journey from Albuquerque, NM to San Jose, CA. The first shot above was shortly after takeoff, as we flew over the Rio Grande.

Rio Puerco is a feeder to the Rio Grande. I have photographed it several times, always amused by its crazy twists and turns! This is only a few minutes into the flight; the terrain changes fast!

At 30 thousand feet large trees become dots. What I find fascinating about aerial photography is seeing the affects of water and humans on the natural landscape. Few of my shots are without evidence of man (like the slim road above); none are without evidence of water.

What looks like snow is probably salt, chalk or lime deposits; your guess is as good as mine!

I liked seeing these lush green belts along the arroyos; this is monsoon season in the Southwest, i.e., as wet as it's going to get! Nature puts green in the proper places; a good lesson.

Amazing colors, and again, what interesting patterns water makes as it finds its way home.

Hmm, is that a river, or a road?

After a long stretch of cloud cover (dang!) the skies opened up to this amazing view of what my family calls 'Cumulo-clumpus' clouds!

Clouds are so cool!

New terrain (we're over Arizona now, that's about all I can tell you!)

The marks of man on the natural landscape sometimes make me think of scars...

Giant Centipedes!

I thought this shot was fascinating; the juxtaposition of the cultivated squares of farmland with the natural terrain reminds me of a collage.

As the sun gets lower, things really start to get interesting. Look at the elegant runoff patterns from these buttes. This may be southern Nevada, as we crossed the Sierras into California shortly afterward.

Final approach to home; the Santa Cruz Mountains, and a dense blanket of fog over the Pacific (probably NOT a good beach day!)

All of these pictures were taken with my trusty little Olympus point-and-shoot. If you've ever taken pictures through an airplane window, you know they usually look terrible. The secret to releasing beautiful images from sepia obscurity? Simply click Adjustments/Auto-Levels in Photoshop. That one click is the ONLY edit made to each of these photos. How much of a difference does it make? Remember 'Giant Centipedes' above? Here's what it looked like before:

Pretty amazing, huh? It's like finding buried treasure. What have you got buried, hmm?

Santa Fe Chronicles - Canyon Road

On the east side of Santa Fe you'll find Canyon Road, a narrow, winding lane that is home to some of the finest art galleries and restaurants in town. Many of the buildings were once private residences, and the lovely gardens that grace the street make this a must-see for art lovers and gardeners alike. Indeed, as you can see in the photo above, the art and the gardens play quite well together!

Canyon Road is an eclectic mix, to be sure. Here a folk art gallery makes a bright splash. I was particularly impressed with the lavish fall of Polygonum on the wall; commonly called Silver Lace Vine, it is an incredibly vigorous thug in California, and for that reason I never plant it. But I appreciate it here, and Santa Fe's long, cold winters keep it (somewhat) in check!

Santa Fe is high desert (elevation 6500') and has a fairly short growing season. June is peak time for spring wildflowers, July brings the spectacular summer perennials, and by September it feels like fall. Here pink phlox, orange daylilies and white Shasta daisies mingle beautifully with the soft foliage of annual cosmos in a large cottage garden-style bed; the colorful gallery sign is a work of art in itself!

Just over an adobe wall was this elegant sculpture garden; the refined plant palette of native juniper and pine, purple Smoke Bush and variegated Miscanthus around a pocket lawn makes a cool refuge on hot days. The pink splash of hardy geranium is a perfect accent.

On the other side of the perennial bed pictured earlier you'll find this rustic bench and trough planter; a perfect spot for us flower-loving lowlanders to catch our breath!

What an inspired choice to plant in front of this gallery; I wonder which came first, the clematis or the sign color?

No report on Santa Fe gardens would be complete without Hollyhocks and Sunflowers! I'm so envious; the leaves on my hollyhocks always look rather leperous by the time they bloom! They must appreciate the low humidity here. The little volunteer sunflower growing in the gravel strip is just the kind of touch I like.

I have confessed to not caring much for daylilies, but this simple bed might have converted me...

I love the way this whimsical wall encorporates the remains of a previous resident, although can't help but wonder if the wall was the reason for the tree's demise? Lovely lavender Perovskia (Russian Sage) is a lot tougher than it looks; it blooms all season with minimal care.

Now THIS is the way Campsis radicans (deciduous trumpet vine) should look! I love the way it flows around the weeping blue Atlas cedar. In the foreground is a lush stand of Caryopteris and the tall silver Artemisia native to these parts.

Santa Fe has the BEST Buddlejas; full, lush and fragrant. This enormous Swallowtail butterfly was kind enough to drop in and enhance my photograph. All of these shots were taken on the same day, in one half-hour stroll.