More Rain!

We had some really good rains the other evening, in fact, it rained all night. Perfect. All this rain we've had this year should bode well for the Spring flowers. In fact, the bright yellow daisies are already popping up by the side of the roads. By the end of February, we should start seeing flowers down by Cottonwood. Before the rain unleashed I went into the Park, it was late afternoon, to see if I could get some photos. I drove out Queen Valley Road and climbing up to a bluff overlooking the valley, got a nice shot back towards the Barker Dam area, with the light falling on the distant rocks and the threatening clouds on the horizon.  I meandered around in the cold and found these pictures of a red barrel and some chamisa, all so vibrant in the light. The scent of the desert is intoxicating when it rains, earthy and wonderfully fragrant at the same time. As I was leaving, the rain started and I got a couple shots from the car as I was driving out through the Park. While driving, I was listening to a classical music station which fit the mood perfectly. At one point, the announcer indicated the next piece would be Debussey's 'La Mer', one of my favorites. He noted that occasionally the printed material for a concert would erroneously list the piece as 'Blamer' instead of 'La Mer', interesting... The other piece that often gets listed incorrectly is Franz Liszt's 'The Battle of the Huns'. It is often referred to as 'The Battle of the Nuns', which sounds more like a Russ Meyer movie...  I'll leave you on that note.

Hidden Valley Adventure

The other day I got up early and decided to explore the rocks around Hidden Valley. The first shot I took was of this lone pine with the light just beginning to creep up the rocks. I cropped it in linear fashion as in Japanese scroll paintings. The rock formations in Hidden Valley sometimes resemble the fanciful, molten rocks in Chinese paintings, especially if there is early morning mist. I love just clambering around this area, with no real destination, just seeing what I discover as I move about in the chilly morning air. Everything changes as the light gradually floods the nooks and crannies of the canyon. A claret cup cactus previously in darkness is suddenly illuminated. I'll have to return in the Spring when they're blooming. The second shot is a group of boulders that I came upon just before a wash-valley overlook. They appear as if they'd been placed there by unseen hands, a fortification of sorts. The next photo is a panoramic of the wash below and the rocks beyond, looking out towards Ryan Mountain (Click on it and it will expand). The last photo is my interpretation of pine cones in a wash. I call it Pine cone peonies in homage to those masterful Asian painters of the past.

Hike Out To Samuelson's Rocks

We hiked out to Samuelson's Rocks yesterday and were lucky enough to see seven big horn sheep in the area. I've never seen any there before, so that was a real treat. Unfortunately, I didn't have my long lens with me, so you can just see them in the picture on the right, up on the rocks. The hike is about four miles round trip. You park at the first pullout on the right coming into the Park from the Western entrance and walk south, through some rock formations and then sloping down to the valley below, where you'll see the single small hill where the rocks are located. I processed these in an 'antique style', as if printed on old, weathered glass plates found in a garage, to give them a sense of 'history'. Here's some more info on Mr. Samuelson.
http://www.nps.gov/jotr/historyculture/samrocks.htm

The Beautiful Colors of Lichen

The other day, I got up early and went clambering around the boulders in one of the canyons off Lost Horse Road. This canyon trail used to be one of our favorite breakfast hikes in the warm weather. We'd get up at the crack of dawn, make coffee, warm some bagels, take a little fruit salad, the newspaper and head up the canyon where there was a sandy bench out of the wash. You had to do a little bouldering to get to the spot, but it was a place you could enjoy the coolness of the morning until about nine, then the sun would come peeking over the rocks above us, signaling it was time to head for home. We have to do that again sometime, that was fun. Anyway... as I was bouldering around, I kept noticing the beautiful Lichen on the rocks in the early morning light and started taking some pictures. I love the shapes of the rocks intersecting, the textures, and the subtle, rich colors, almost like abstract paintings. It's always the small things that bring the greatest pleasure.

A Nice Hike Out to Willow Hole

This is an enjoyable winter 'ramble', not too many ups and downs, but there's some wide open country with a pleasing mix of vegetation and beautiful views. You start at the Boy Scout Trailhead and follow the path for a little over a mile and then the trail to Willow Hole branches off to the right for another 2 miles. The trail gradually leads into a rock filled wash and finally into a canyon with huge rock formations on either side. At the end of the wash is a group of Desert Willows and a shallow pond, a good place for a picnic, so bring your lunch and rest a bit before heading back. The round trip is a little over 6 miles. On the way back, we found a perfect spot to have lunch, where we had some expansive views of the countryside. Leaning back against a flat rock, we enjoyed our homemade chicken sandwiches with a bottle of crisp, dry Sauvignon Blanc. Everything always tastes so good when you're out in nature. For dessert, we sliced up some apple, nibbled a little dark chocolate and sipped hot tea from our thermos. Life couldn't be better. When we stop for lunch on the trail, I'm always struck by how quiet it is in the park. The lively conversation slowly ceases and you look around and listen. Absolute silence. It doesn't get any better than that.

Happy New Year! Thank You For Staying At Spin and Margies.

This past year has been a whirlwind of activity for us. During the summer, we renovated all the windows on the north side of the Inn, putting in glass block and double pane windows. We added interior doors to Suite #2 and gave it a fresh coat of paint in soothing, desert colors. We now have flat screen TV's with DVD players in all of our rooms. NEW fluffy white towels and crisp white sheets. And saving the best for last, brand new Euro pillow-top mattresses for an even more restful stay. We do it all for you. Hope to see you soon.
All the best from Spin and Margie for 2011!

A Frosty Morning At Covington Park

I got up early the other morning and went over to Covington Park, next to the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve and the ground was covered with frost. Here are some 'still lifes' of the frost on the ground cover there. I love the subtle colors, rhythms and textures I found in these leaves. Each season brings something new, something different.

Winter Reds

During the cold winter months, the Desert Trumpets and Buckwheat turn a magnificent reddish hue. They appear to be on fire when the light hits them. The other day, before the huge rains, I went in search of pictures of these beautiful, native plants. This is what I found. Enjoy.

Taking A Walk At The Cholla Garden Just Before The Rain

A 'wall of rain' was forecast for the area, so we thought we'd drive down to the Cholla Garden and take a walk before the deluge. The light was quite dramatic, going in and out of the clouds like a spotlight, hovering over the ground the whole time. The Cholla Garden is always an adventure, full of grotesque yet strangely beautiful shapes and textures everywhere you look. From here, you can see far down into the Pinto Basin toward Cottonwood, an inspiring view. When you go, just be careful where you step, the area is littered with pieces of 'jumping cholla' that love to get stuck to your shoes and clothing. Ouch!

A Beautiful Day Hiking At The Desert Queen Mine

It was a perfect winter day, so warm and bright you could see forever. We hiked up to the overlook of the Desert Queen Mine, got some photos of the old stone miner's cabin and did some hiking around and up the other side of the mountain. It's a great hike, a nice amble really. There's a nice mix of vegetation, rock formations and beautiful views along the way. Don't miss it when you visit.

Fall Color at Big Morongo Canyon Preserve

I took a walk at the Preserve this morning, looking for some golden colors in the cottonwoods, but they haven't quite reached their peak yet, maybe another week or so. For the most part, I was looking up, into the trees for color, but when I looked down, there at the side of the trail, was abundant color all around my feet. The Preserve is one of the few places here in the desert where you really get that sense of fall like back east. The smell of the leaves, the morning breeze, the quiet, the birds singing in the trees, it's all there. The Preserve is a special place indeed.

Fall Color

Fall is in the air. The days are nice and warm and the nights are chillier. The Cottonwoods are turning golden, the peach tree a reddish hue and of course, the leaves are falling, lots of them, which means lots of raking. The hiking, biking and climbing are wonderful in the park. It's a great time to visit.