Category Archives: Nature

Lovella’s Walking Club Tally ~

Dear and I headed out again to Ventura to take our walk along Emma Wood State Beach. We started earlier than usual and the weather was more active today as a storm is blowing in. Here are a few of the many photos I took.

 

There were a lot more birds out today. We were the only humans out and about for a while until the groups of runners descended on us training for the Los Angeles Marathon.

 

On the way home we stopped at the Farmers Market in Camarillo on Ventura Blvd. We decided to buy some veggies for later. Lots of pretty flowers to look at, too. We bought a purple cauliflower, 2 huge artichokes, some brussel sprouts and a couple limes.

Have a wonderful day and keep on walking. Oh yes my totals were great this week because Willow and I walked an hour each day but Friday and I went on a hike and the beach walk too! 10,706 step average for the 6 days! I think hikes uphill should be double steps!

Photobucket is holding all my photos I stored with them from 2007-2015 hostage. They have blacked out all those photos on my blog posts. OH BOTHER! I’m slowly cleaning up my posts.

Sky Watch Friday ~

Photobucket is holding all my photos I stored with them from 2007-2015 hostage. They have blacked out all those photos on my blog posts. OH BOTHER! I’m slowly cleaning up my posts.

 

This was taken at the City Hall in the City of Ventura. This is Fray Junipero Serra who founded the Mission San Buenaventura. If you are interested in seeing more photos from the Mission he founded click here. The sky was clear and blue on this Saturday.

 

This great looking tree was kitty corner from the Statue and I liked how the sky looked through the branches.

This is the tree. I’ll need to do some research to see what kind of tree it is.

For more Sky Watch Photos click here.

Wildflowers in Winter ~ Week 6

Week 6 – February 20 – 26. Wildflower Art – Share art made by you or someone else that features wildflowers.

 

I bought these two pieces at Goodwill a while back. I really was drawn to the Old Fashioned look. They are on a wall in the livingroom at my house in Washington.

 

These two tins that I enjoy have a cross-stitch looking design on them.
~
To see more Wildflower Art go visit Elizabeth Joy at Wildflower Mornings.
Photobucket is holding all my photos I stored with them from 2007-2015 hostage. They have blacked out all those photos on my blog posts. OH BOTHER! I’m slowly cleaning up my posts.

A Hike Yikes and My weigh-in!

Please Scroll Down for Fun Monday… 

It’s Monday morning weigh-in time. After my .3 gain last week I’m down .1 this week. I’m still clinging to the hope and the encouragement that this is an activity level and eating plan I can stick to for the long haul and I’ll decide after 6 months if it’s working well. I’m not doing anything drastic in a diet plan, just eating less and not eating after meals, etc. With this effort I think the numbers are going to change gradually and not drastically. So as they say “time will tell”. In the meantime I am always happy not to have put on an extra 5 pounds…

I have some photos from a hike I took yesterday with someone I met at church last week. She invited me to go on a hike with her and another gal and I said yes. I generally walk on mostly flat surfaces but this was a feel new muscles hike for sure. Here are some sites I saw during my 9394 steps…

 

This hike was in the Santa Monica Mountains whose north western boundary ends in my own front yard. We went on the Satwiwa short hike up to some falls.

 

The Santa Monica Mountains are 10 miles across at their widest spot and 50 miles long from Griffith Park to Point Mugu. We really have some amazing places to walk and hike during our stay here in Southern California. We are more and more thankful for the area we live in.  Poison oak grows well here, too, so it’s good to be aware of the danger it poses. Some people (like our oldest son) react quite violently when they come in contact with it. I decided to take a photo to make sure I recognize it.

 

Because of all our rains and snow in Southern California this year there is more water in the creeks and streams. It is refreshing to come upon this site on a hot uphill hike.

 

This is what you are treated to at the end of this trail.

 

The view on the way back to the trail head.

Have a wonderful Monday and week. Keep on walking…

Photobucket is holding all my photos I stored with them from 2007-2015 hostage. They have blacked out all those photos on my blog posts. OH BOTHER! I’m slowly cleaning up my posts.

Fun Monday ~ Feb. 18

Photobucket is holding all my photos I stored with them from 2007-2015 hostage. They have blacked out all those photos on my blog posts. OH BOTHER! I’m slowly cleaning up my posts.

 Sayre has this assignment for us…

Every day as I go to work, I see things around me that make me laugh. Usually these are in the forms of signs. So take your camera with you as you go about your business and take a picture of the things that make you laugh along the way (but it doesn’t necessarily HAVE to be a sign).

I don’t go to work everyday but when I’m out and about and when I am walking I see lots of things that make me smile. Here are a few things I saw last Wednesday.

 

I stopped at Costco and came upon this Rat who was loudly picketing the store. I think he was protesting the sale of Rat Poison.

 

Then on my walk with Willow we came upon this Bunny Topiary (that’s Willow in the blue, she tried to get away before my camera snapped). And then there’s me all shocked and scared because of this sign.

 

This kind of sign doesn’t make me feel real comfortable. But I got a tip about walking and hiking where there are rattlesnakes. Don’t walk along the edge of a path. Walk in the middle. If you are walking with two other people, let them flank you, one on either side. 🙂 Reminds me of the hiking tip for the mountains in Washington and the possibility of coming upon a bear. Make sure there is at least one person in your party who runs slower than you. You can’t out run a bear but at least you can out run the slowest person in your party.

Now I thought this post was done but I went to a different Costco on Thursday and this is what I saw on the way and while I was there…

 

I passed this Semi headed for my exit and I so wished I wasn’t driving so I could snap a photo but then he got off at my same exit so I was able to snap this not so clear photo. “Jesus Christ is Lord, not a swear word” was on each side and the back of the semi. I got a big kick out of this and it made me smile. And it’s so true.

 

Then I was in Costco making a cd of all my bloggy photos so I could empty my memory card so I could take more bloggy photos and look at these 2 sweet nuns I saw. I took this photo with my back to them so they wouldn’t know what I was doing and come over and smack me with a ruler (no I didn’t go to Catholic school, I just heard stories from my friends). I couldn’t tell you the last time I’ve seen nuns in a Habit out and about…

For more Fun Monday click here. 

Lovella’s Walking Club Tally ~ 11,083 Steps

Time again for our early morning Saturday walk at Emma Wood. We took a new trail this week and took a closer look at the Flora and Fauna along the way.

 

Sitting already.  The waves were crashing and giving off wonderful spray again today.

 

I found this wonderful book at the Friends of The Library in Camarillo for $3.00 and it shows among other areas the flowering plants of the coastel region. Here’s some of what we found today.

 

Sea Fig and Hottentot Fig

 

We’re still working on identifying these two.

 

We saw this pod on a Eucalyptus tree and then this bloom that we guess comes from it.

 

After our walk we walked some more along Main Street in Ventura. We went to some used bookstores and some thrift stores and I’ll show you our “finds” at the end of the post. But first we decided to refresh ourselves at Anacapa Brewing Co.

Good ole Queen Victoria said “Give my People plenty of Beer, good beer and cheap beer, and you will have no Revolution among them”

 

We decided on the brewed on premises IPA and lo and behold we aren’t joining any revolutions today!

We split a pulled pork sandwich, coleslaw and some North Jetty Fries (fries with fresh garlic, rosemary, and Parmesan cheese) We’ll be tasting garlic and rosemary for the rest of the day!

 

After lunch we walked uphill to see the Statue of Father Junipero Serra at the Ventura City Hall. He founded 9 missions in California, including his last and most cherished, Mission San Buenaventura in 1782. He died in 1784. One of these days we’ll take a side trip to the Mission down the street.

The first elementary school that Josh and Dan (our sons) went to was Junipero Serra in Ventura.

Now to the bargains we found today. I bought this cute cake plate at the Mission Thrift Store for $4.95.

The hardbound Jane Eyre for $2 at a Span thrift store and my most exciting find the Elizabeth Goudge book The Child From The Sea for $3.25 at Abednego Bookstore.

We also bought this breakfast in bed or computer in a chair table for $2.95. It folds up flat and the tray also tilts up to set a book on at a reading angle. I like the magazine or book holders on the side.

 

So with all of our walking today my average steps went up nicely to 11,083.  Woohoo! Look what was in the mailbox when we got home, my new pedometer. Now I hope to get more accurate step counts.

Have a wonderful President’s Day Weekend for those of you in the states and a lovely regular weekend elsewhere.

Photobucket is holding all my photos I stored with them from 2007-2015 hostage. They have blacked out all those photos on my blog posts. OH BOTHER! I’m slowly cleaning up my posts.

Monday Walk in Whittier

Photobucket is holding all my photos I stored with them from 2007-2015 hostage. They have blacked out all those photos on my blog posts. OH BOTHER! I’m slowly cleaning up my posts.

I drove Southeast through Ventura County into Los Angeles County to the suburb of Whittier, east of Los Angeles to visit my sister Kathy. Whittier is home to Whittier College, Richard Nixon’s alma mater. He majored in History. We decided to combine a nice healthy walk up the hills and down in the older beautiful neighborhoods of Whittier so we could then have a guilt free nice lunch as a reward.  Kathy chose the Crepes and Grapes Cafe on Greenleaf Ave. in Uptown Whittier. I have a few photos of our time. The first photo is of the great Avocado tree that keeps me well stocked by Kathy when the avocados are in abundance. Then we walked along such wonderful canopied streets and we saw some beautiful blossoms. The last photo is of my yummy crepe. This was a build your own crepe for $6.95. I chose turkey, red onion, tomatoe, green pepper and a ginger lime sauce on the side. Kathy chose a white sauce, chicken, spinach, tomato, and Jack cheese. Duhlicious!

 

This is my sister Kathy with her grandson Jackson. She is my oldest sister, a wonderful friend and Godly woman. Thanks Kathy, that was fun…

9999 Steps!

Willow and I had a 4-Niner walk yesterday. (9999 steps) Many of those steps were uphill steps as you’ll see with some of the views I’ve included.

 

 

We huffed and we puffed to the top of the lookout… (well I huffed and puffed!)

 

On the way down some more great views…

I loved this tree…
And the trail was shaded here and smelled so piney.

 

The creative side of blogging. Baby steps with my camera.

Beautiful Runicula that we came upon in someone’s yard. I think this is the sweetest flower. I’ll be posting my walking numbers tomorrow. Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Photobucket is holding all my photos I stored with them from 2007-2015 hostage. They have blacked out all those photos on my blog posts. OH BOTHER! I’m slowly cleaning up my posts.