A few Monday Mono pics: the east side of the Sierra

 Traipsed to the east side this weekend.

Didn't take a lot of photos, as it was rainy or sleety, much of the time.

However, I did get a decent shot of Black Point, one of my favorite Mono Lake features.

The cloudiness softened the lighting, in a place that, when sunny, can be BLINDING.

We'd planned on photographing golden aspens,

but they were not yet golden.

So, hung out at Mono Lake instead.

This is the sort of weird, beautiful view of Mono-Inyo craters that you get around here.

Which makes me inordinately happy.

However, I also have to STARE at the beautiful cattails and tule

in the peri-Mono Lake environment.

So gorgeous!

Oh, and earlier this summer we were here,

and some power birders (w/spotting scope) showed me

the osprey nest, which you can still see

on the little island in the middle of this photo.

(hm... blogger is making this very purple. Ah, well.)

Can you imagine being born, and THIS is the first scenery you behold?

Wow.

And to the left a wee bit, a pretty little squall across the lake.

Driving to Mammoth Lakes, this was the car's view at a rest stop.

I love the tiny, upside down forest vignettes in the water droplets.

So, before we left, we jammed to Minaret View,

a place with one of my favorite views of all time...

Which was totally socked in. =)

But, you can sort of imagine it via what is, no joke,

one of my favorite interpretive displays EVER.

Just a metal cut out, mirroring the amazing craggy skyline here,

labeling each little peak & naming it.

A simple, accurate and durable display.

Show me the data. Love it.

Last: where is the snow line?

If you turn your back on the view of the Minarets, you can see this. Pretty nice. =)

K. That's it.

Hope your week is a delight. =)

xobb

Storm cloud + ogling Tenaya Lake

 Had a nice little storm, yesterday.

Which proved that it CAN rain in California.

Got about .14 inches.

We'll take it.

Was enjoying the #IAmANaturalist thing on twitter, yesterday,

which inspired me to riff off of it:

#YouKnowYoureANaturalistWhen you have to unplug everything due to thunderstorm

then grab your camera & go outside. =)

Yeah. Amid a bit of lightning and a few drops of rain.

MAN, that smelled amazing.

Tenaya Lake, Yosemite NP.

Went to Mammoth Lakes this weekend, and upon our drive home,

took a wee little walk at this perfect lake.

And was delighted to see a tiny beach restoration test area (my interpretation).

And, in case you've never been there, here's shots, scanning right to left, of Tenaya Lake.

Lots of people climb that big thing, so many people also park just to watch them. 

The rest is just more trees.

=)

Can you see why it's popular?

If you go to the south side of the lake,

you'll see some really cool rock formations,

and some AMAZING reflections, if it's not windy.

Next time I'm stopping there, too.

Hoping I'll process, and later post, a few photos from Mammoth Lakes.

xoxobb

stormy sky

 Yesterday, just before sunset,

right before it rained.

kuh-wow.

I heart mammatus clouds.

Ever need to see amazing nature-things?

Google mammatus clouds & hit "images."

=)

xoxobb

800th post potpourri

classic bb photo of yore: taken whilst upside down & mega happy

at Mt. Rainier NP, hiking w/ marvelous friends.

So, not that I think numbers like this really matter, but

800 posts?!?

Apparently "biobabbler" was apt.

FUN combo of teddy bear sunflowers & pole beans I planted.

Frozen whimsey. Heaven.

I'd been thinking about what this one might be,

like a potpourri of random bio-dorky things

I've been doing & seeing & thinking lately.

'Cause that's what this blog is, really.

freakishly HUGE hole in our heads,

a.k.a. the sinus cavity. FREAKS me OUT.

But, then I randomly clicked on "insert image" in blogger,

and it brought up ALL the photos from this blog.

Trip down memory lane.

Amazing post-storm sunset after cruising Yosemite.

So, I'll share my recent things later.

For today, a random smattering of previous postage.

wetland outside New Orleans, weirdo lighting heaven.

Hi! 

Western toad at our house. Note wee size via clover comparison. *sigh*

& the 4 letter code for it is (was) WETO so we biodorks call it "wee-toe". It is wee.

bb training volunteers in rocky intertidal monitoring by doing a demo plot.

At Cabrillo NM years ago. Upgraded water wear since then. =) & now I am a volunteer.

Bambi in the yard! teeter, teeter....

Point Reyes National Seashore. Heart. Majorly.

beloved coworkers' tootsies. Good shoes for Rattlesnake Land.

Note snake gaiters on lower right. Smart. But, HOT.

Freaky things lakes do when they freeze. Had no idea. Tenaya Lake, Yosemite.

k.

Thank you all for checking in and commenting, etc., over the years.

You are are the BEST!

800 hugs.

bb

Dear ominous, threatening storm clouds,

I believe you.
(eep!)

bb

Deer snowstorm,

"Dear Snowstorm:

Thank you for bringing these tasty leaves

nearer to our noses. 

(Munch, munch, munch...)

Breakfast was so yummy,

we told our friends.

Love,

Even this little guy can reach the leaves, today.

The Deer.

Transcription provided by: biobabbler.

blizzard 24hr time lapse: Dec 2010 craziness!

  
From neatorama.com:

December 2010 Blizzard Timelapse from Michael Black on Vimeo.

"Michael Black set up a camera to photograph his back yard in New Jersey every five minutes for twenty hours during yesterday’s blizzard. He assembled those photos into this 38-second time lapse video. Note how the clock had to be lifted and lifted higher -until he finally gave up and just dug it out of the snow between pictures. -via Laughing Squid"

AWESOME!

the calm between storms...

  

(Merced NWR)

We are between rainstorms today (phew). No sun expected, but drizzle vs. torrential flood-causing rains. We have a friend who, like Rapunzel, may be stuck at her house 'cause the driveway connecting her to the main road is occasionally under water when it's really rainy. She assured us, a few days ago, though, that she's stocked up, so she can wait.  =)

Yesterday a frog decided our back porch (which was 40% pond) was his new home, and an nice place to sing a song. Very cute. I love that during some of the most intense downpour when you think "Wow, it's awful out there!" you then hear a froggie singing so happily. All depends upon your perspective.

=)

biobabbler