I know, Mineral King is supposed to be the topic on Fridays, but I have so many photos to show you that I’m breaking my policy. Can’t get fired . . .
Mineral King Water and Wildflowers
It’s Friday, Let’s Talk About Mineral King
Fridays are for Mineral King on my blog, but sometimes every day is for Mineral King. There isn’t a lot happening with my art business right now that you will find interesting (other than the one-day drawing workshop tomorrow at Arts Visalia; call 559-739-0905 to see if any spaces remain).
So, let’s continue our photo excursion in and around Mineral King, while the trails are inaccessible due to swollen streams and deep snow.
One of the things we always do is check the water level at the bridge.
I try to stop taking the same photos over and over, but each time I am sure it is the best it has ever looked.
We look at Sawtooth and think about the amount of snow and how quickly it is melting. Neither one of us has any desire to climb it. We were speculating that Monarch Lake may be accessible via the old trail sooner than other lakes, because the old trail is south-facing.
We pay attention to water flowing in places that it normally isn’t. Or perhaps it is, but we are usually out on trails instead of poking around non-trail areas.
We discovered some itty-bitty wildflowers that we’ve never seen before. Too small to see; too small to name. Perhaps Captain Obvious would have named these Blue Dots or Blue Spots.
We have gone to Crystal Creek several times. It was roaring down the trail over Memorial Weekend, so we did some trail rescue. The water level rose again, so we had to do a bit more waterology and redirect the water off the trail again. (Did the same at Chihuahua also, just above the old pack station, which runs colder than Crystal. This is not scientific, just a report from my bare feet.)
I didn’t have to get in the water to fix the flow from Spring Creek down the trail, so I’m not sure of the relative temperature on that one. See? 57 going on 12!
Sometimes trails have obstacles that we can navigate over or around.
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade? Or, don’t be sorry for what you have lost; instead, be grateful you had it. Or, be flexible, because it is better to bend than to break. Go with the flow. Bloom where you are planted. Et cetera. . .
When Mineral King Trails Aren’t Accessible
Happy Birthday, Rachelle! May this be the year of new lungs. . .
What do you do when the trails in Mineral King aren’t accessible?
You walk the trails as far as you can. This was heading to Spring Creek, where the water is still too high for maintenance guys to put the bridge in yet. These folks were exclaiming over the snow and the water; I was mucking about in the water, mud and rocks, diverting water off the trail. (I’m 57, going on 12).
This is Spring Creek, taken from as close as I dared get. This is the same creek in my drawing titled “Hard Water”, but that was from the bridge. I’m sure you must be able to tell it is the same creek. . .
We also went looking for things, like Five Spot wildflowers. Trail Guy had noticed large swaths of them from the road by the Tar Gap parking lot, so away we went, off trail, in search of these special little guys.
First, we found Blue Lips.
Looks like a nothing burger of white dandruff on the ground from here. Or, if you are a Heidi fan, it looks like the Alps.
Once again, this is getting to be too long. To be continued tomorrow. . .
Remember, there is a one day drawing workshop at Arts Visalia on Saturday. You may contact them at (559)739-0905 to register.
Wildflowers on Mineral King Road
A few days ago I was in Mineral King and took photos along the road of the abundant wildflowers.
But first, let’s start with my favorite subject to draw and paint, the Oak Grove Bridge.
Look at that water!!!
Wildflowers along the road continue to be prolific. The first photo isn’t technically of wildflowers: these are sweet peas planted by Mary Trauger in the late 1800s.
This post is too long. Hope you made it to the end. Tomorrow, Mineral King will be the subject matter again.
Meanwhile, remember there is a one day drawing workshop coming this Saturday in Visalia.
May Flowers!
Last month my 9th blogiversary slipped past unnoted. However, I am giving us some flowers to mark this milestone. Milestone? That makes it sound as if it has been a slog, a triathalon, an endless amount of work. Nope – I have loved everything about it (except finding someone to fix the blog when things go haywire.)
Belated Happy Blogiversary to us, Beloved Blogreaders!
(These are all in bloom in my yard now, last week, the week before. . . just part of the commute between the house and studio and a big fat distraction from painting.)
Speaking of distractions. . .
This last one is a little oil painting I began as a gift for a friend. We recently reconnected, and I learned that sunflowers have a special meaning for her. She is tough, brave, and is using some horrible circumstances in her life to help others through similar difficulties. Carla, I salute you! (I gave you my card but neglected to get one from you – get in touch with me soon, okay?)
Wildflowers in Three Rivers
The hill behind my house has a wide variety of wildflowers each spring.
The steepness makes it hard to photograph. Or, perhaps it is the lack of skill on the part of the photographer. I miss my manual cameras. Digital cameras have many advantages, but all this automatic baloney is a real hassle. Guess that is life – the more advantages, the more disadvantages too. But I digress. Let’s just enjoy the wildflowers, shall we?
The Rain Stopped and The Sun Came Out
The rain stopped briefly and the sun came out, so I went for a walk here in Three Rivers. This was on February 12, but there were other things to blog about last week.
Look! The buckeye trees, always precocious, are leafing out already.
Here is an unobstructed view of Alta Peak and Moro Rock.
The Red Maids are in bloom!
This ant hill is definitely a peculiar sight.
The narcissus are in bloom in my yard.
And what does a Central California artist do for fun when the sun is out?
She mixes a paint color for her neighbor’s kitchen, of course.
Neighbor recently was in Italy and fell in love with a particular color. (Could there possibly be 2 color junkies in the same neighborhood??) The hardware store mixed a too-bright red, so together we figured out the color she wanted. This required adding tan from the gallon container, lightening it with white, and correcting the resulting pinkishness with yellow ochre. Then, we tried it on a kitchen cupboard door and declared it a winner. (It took 3 attempts with minor corrections each time.) Next, I had to match that exact color to convert the rest of the too-bright-red to our newly named “Red Pepper Cream Sauce”. (Last time we invented the color of “Orange Blossom Special” for her kitchen, which looks spectacular with the Red Pepper Cream Sauce.)*
*My own kitchen is blue and white, has been blue and white for 18 years, and probably will probably be blue and white for as long as I live here. Thanks for asking.
Merry Christmas!
For you, kind blog readers, a variety of photographs, oil paintings and one pencil drawing (this year’s Christmas card to my drawing students) just to enjoy.
Nice Day on the Farm
Thus we conclude the boutiques, bazaars and shows for 2016.
Isn’t “thus” a stuffy word? I don’t think it gets used much in conversation.
Thankful
