Category Archives: Nature

Wildflowers in Winter ~ Week 8

Week 8 – March 5 – 12. The First Wildflower of Spring photo challenge.

Be searching for wildflowers in your area. Try to find the first one blooming and post a photo of it on your blog.

On our walks along the coast the most abundant wildflower we see is the Sea Fig. They come from the Carpetweed family. The yellow one is a Hottentot Fig and I think the more purple colored one is just called Sea Fig.

I’m hoping to get the names correct for this collage of flowers. I searched my Coastal Flowering Plants book but some were hard to identify. Here’s what I came up with from left to right. Purple Nightshade, Sea Rocket, more Sea Rocket, California Encelia (Bush Sunflower), Not sure maybe Wild Morning Glory?, more Bush Sunflower, Again not sure but think it’s Wild Morning Glory, Our Lord’s Candle (Yucca whipplei) Agave Family, Turkey Mullein Dove Weed.

An extra note on Our Lord’s Candle, the flower stalk is 4 to 8 feet tall. There is a basal rosette of spine-tipped, sword-like leaves 1 to 3 feet long. The white flowers sometimes purple-tinged, appear in a terminal compound cluster up to 4 feet long. They are very fragrant and even have a pleasant taste when nibbed. The fruit is a capsule.

Now since I am in California I really need to include some photos of our state wildflower the California Poppy!

These are all blooming at the same time here along the coast in Southern California so I included them all.

For more First Spring blooms head over to Elizabeth Joy’s.

Lovella’s Walking Club Tally ~ Oh the Steps I Stepped!

My new Bloggy Walking Buddy Willow and I walked everyday this week. After our regular walk on Friday afternoon Dear and I had Willow and her husband over for dinner. When I took my pedometer off for bed it registered 14,176 steps. I had a busy Friday before our afternoon walk and the steps just added up. My average steps for the week were 12,089!

Here are some dinner photos and our Saturday Beach walk collage…

We had a nice evening. It’s always fun to find out all the things you have in common with people you’ve just met.

Willow and her husband. Willow is enjoying one of Dear’s famous Kensington Dreams. Here’s the recipe for you, Willow. In a shaker over ice cubes, combine juice of half a lemon, 1 oz. Brandy, 1 oz. Amaretto, 2 oz. Creme de Cassis, shake and strain into water goblet then add 4oz. of Champagne. Don’t drive after you drink one. 🙂

Our beach walk on Saturday morning. A misty moisty morning. We saw some new wonders today. Because of the high rough surf this week there were lots of piles of driftwood and boulders thrown up onto our path. There was a lot of seaweed washed up, too. We even got down onto the sand this Saturday to explore.

The birds above are Marbled godwits. They use their beaks to probe the sand. They migrate to California and Mexico in flocks in Autumn from Canada.

Have a wonderful Saturday everyone and keep on walking and enjoying God’s wonders.

Ventura Harbor ~ High Surf Advisory

Monday I drove up to the Ventura Harbor to see the high surf that was promised because of storms in the area. The day was clear and warm for a North-westerner. The power of the waves was amazing. I wish I could have made a video with the loud crashing sound. The power of the waves produced airy foam that floated up on the shore.

I was amazed that this boat decided to head out in this surf.

The awesome power of God’s creation is breathtaking…

Rejoice, the Lord is King ~ Hymn ~ Wesley

Rejoice, the Lord is King

Rejoice, the Lord is King! Your Lord and King adore;
Mortals give thanks and sing, and triumph evermore;
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

Jesus, the Savior, reigns, the God of truth and love;
When He had purged our stains He took His seat above;
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

His kingdom cannot fail, He rules o’er earth and Heav’n,
The keys of death and hell are to our Jesus giv’n;
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

He sits at God’s right hand till all His foes submit,
And bow to His command, and fall beneath His feet:
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

He all His foes shall quell, shall all our sins destroy,
And every bosom swell with pure seraphic joy;
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice,
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

Rejoice in glorious hope! Jesus the Judge shall come,
And take His servants up to their eternal home.
We soon shall hear th’archangel’s voice;
The trump of God shall sound, rejoice!

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!

Sky Watch Friday ~

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.

A Hike Yikes and My weigh-in!

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…