Category: photography

San Dieguito River Park

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Winter succumbs at 78
Off the 78
Water, grass, oak, flower and fern

Spring begins March 19th and in typical southern California fashion the climate is reluctant to act like it’s still winter. Yesterday we hit 78 degrees and as we have discovered, the African daisies are already popping in color. (These are near our property).

We hiked a little with our daughter near her home. There is a place called San Dieguito River Park near her house. It is just off highway 78, down a dirt road, then onto a narrow-paved road to the trailheads. The entire park is massive and we have explored only a small section. The cover photo is a phone panorama looking south through a stand of oak and rock outcropping.
This section of trail is an old ranch road of decomposed granite (mostly). The terrain is fairly easy with a little up and down in the mile or so we traveled in.
The ascent follows a gorge and there is currently a stream running. Currently, oaks dominate the scene, but the gorge is filled with sycamore skeletons waiting for leaves (as seen in this photo looking east).

This area is definitely on my future visit list. We were there for a little over an hour which is fine for a short hike, but barely a “creative loosening up” for me.
Along the way, we found an outcropping of north facing granite, with ferns growing out of them. Immediately I started channeling Alex Kunz and his mastery of isolating life overcoming adversity. Plants that pop out of the most unlikely places are not only intriguing but encouraging to the soul.

Here is a link to the map, we were in the Pamo area (#12).
https://www.sdrp.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/SDRP-Park-Map-002.pdf

Take a Breath

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If only I could stand on mountains
Or on the shoulders of men
Greater than I

Those whose lives have meaning
Beyond mere living
Statements made in their dying breath

Where can I find such a place
Within a heart
Of such complacency

This life lived
Head down
Burrowed into survival

And now as I survey
The landscape of past decades
That flash of lightning

A daughter calls
Or embraces
And says “I love you dad”
Thanks for all you did

I find
I am already there

Gated Community

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A fence with a gate
Access
To get above it all

Hope everyone had a good holiday season. Looking forward to the new year with all its promise of discovery.

Cover photo taken from behind our home, up the hill looking west.

The view looking east:

Before the Journey

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One should first stand alone
Above the fray of discovery
Void of limitation or expectation

All the while
Knowing the dangers
And pitfalls that lie ahead

There is a plan to build
A path to follow
An end in sight

Shadows and mist
Must not cloud the vision
They are welcomed

After the climb of brambles
The descent onto hot sand
The plateaus of water

There will be peace
There will be creation
There will be resolution

Sometimes the artistic mind knows exactly how things will go. Other times, it’s about gathering information and responding in kind. A little out-of-body experience.