Sweet Spots Around Bishop, CA

Just north of Bishop there is a lovely location called Pleasant Valley. The Owens River winds its way through the grasses and reeds, providing a popular location for fishing. I was taken by the beauty and peacefulness.

One of the really great things about this part of the Eastern Sierras is the smell of sage. After walking through some I carried the smell on my clothes the rest of the day. And it is actually quite beautiful if take a close look at it. I comes in a variety of colors from red to yellow and shades of blue.

To the east and north of Bishop you can often find ponds. I say "often" because all of them are not always there. During the drought this particular pond was dry. I was so happy to see it full this year as it is one of my favorite to visit. There are other ponds east of town that were full even during the drought years so it you want to see some ponds, they are there to be found.

On the last morning of my stay, on the way out of town, I stopped at the ponds for a last visit. After shooting most of sunrise I was packing up to leave when a group of coots entered the scene. A welcomed intrusion.

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White Tailed Kites - A Family Affair

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The East Side of the Sierras is Beautiful

Why “Notes to My Mother”? My mother was the one person in my life who was always interested in what I was doing, what I had to say, who I was. She was never too busy to listen and take an interest. Never critical, always accepting. Even when I was wrong or misguided, there would still be a gentle interested listener present. Though she has been gone over 6 years, I still get the urge to write or call her, to share an image I am proud of or share my latest adventure to some beautiful place. I know she would love to hear about it. My mother was an artist. She painted most of her life, right up to her passing at the age of 96. When I was 4 years old we lived on the east side of the Sierra Nevada Range. She would take me out to paint with her - she with her easel, me with mine - and we would sit together creating our art. While I gave up on the medium she kept at it. Then, in the year she passed I picked up a digital camera and began my adventure into the world of landscape ph...

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Notes To My Mother

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