tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1710132161914597012024-03-12T16:25:11.841-07:00DalmDad's Photo and Travel BlogStories and Fine Art Photos From Travel Across the US.Steve Reisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09523817161666083575noreply@blogger.comBlogger108125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171013216191459701.post-82286152170893862752015-09-26T16:42:00.000-07:002015-09-26T16:42:38.661-07:00On Forced Bighorn Relocation and Death in Arizona...<i>by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad Landscape Photography - <a href="http://www.dalmdad.com/">www.dalmdad.com</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad">https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad</a>.)</i><br />
<br />
<i> I reproduce the text of the article, because headlines and links disappear over the years.</i><br />
<br />
<i>As we consider most bighorn-sheep related news to be important, we archived the report here.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Commentary on the article will come from us soon. </i><br />
<i>***</i><br />
<i></i>http://www.foxnews.com/science/2014/03/23/bighorn-sheep-conservation-arizona-mountain-lion-catalina/<br />
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Deaths of bighorn sheep in Arizona spark controversy over conservation effort</h1>
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<time datetime="2014-03-23T00:00-04:00" itemprop="datePublished" pubdate="">Published March 23, 2014</time><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="CatalinaBighornsheep.jpg" src="http://a57.foxnews.com/global.fncstatic.com/static/managed/img/U.S./660/371/CatalinaBighornsheep.jpg?ve=1&tl=1" height="224" itemprop="image" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; opacity: 1;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This
photo, obtained by FoxNews.com, shows part of the bighorn sheep herd
relocated from Yuma to the Catalina mountains, just north of Tuscon.<span class="source" itemprop="name"> (George Andrejko/Arizona Game and Fish Department) </span></td></tr>
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Some animal welfare groups are pushing for an end to the project, but
wildlife officials say the conservation effort is not a failure and
expect the projected $600,000, three-year plan to result in greater
numbers of bighorns in an area where they once co-existed with mountain
lions for centuries.<br />
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The issue, say Arizona wildlife officials and biologists, is a complex one.<br />
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Bighorn sheep, a gregarious, herd-forming species, once thrived in
large numbers across the western U.S. until their population dropped
dramatically over the past 100 years -- for reasons biologists continue
to study, such as disease, fires or loss of water source. Wildlife
officials in Arizona estimate the current count to be around 6,000 in
the state, and they are working with conservationists to rebuild a herd
that disappeared from the Tucson range in the 1990s.<br />
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Last November, the Arizona Game and Fish Department implemented the
first phase of a three-year plan to transplant the creatures from the
Yuma area into the Catalinas, where they once lived. Wildlife officials
in the state said they spent $150,000 -- none of which was taxpayer
money -- to catch 31 bighorns by helicopter, place satellite transmitter
collars on them and transport the herd to the Santa Catalina Mountains
just north of Tucson.<br />
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Four months later, 15 of the bighorns had been killed by mountain
lions that thrive in the area -- leaving some animal welfare advocates
to question whether such a plan was prudent on the part of an
independent panel formed by state wildlife officials.<br />
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The Catalina Bighorn Advisory Committee -- comprised of groups such
as the Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society, the Wilderness Society and
the Center for Biological Diversity — had recommended that officials not
kill any mountain lions prior to the transplant of bighorns.<br />
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After nearly half the bighorn herd was killed, state wildlife
officials in turn killed two mountain lions -- leading to protests by
individuals who claimed the big cats should not be targeted for acting
as natural predators in the wild.<br />
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An editorial published last December in the Arizona Republic posed a
question at the heart of the controversy: "Re-creating a bighorn
population in the Catalina Mountains is a good goal that may result in
the loss of some individual animals. How many are too many? When does
the project cross the line from ambitious and worthy to sacrificial and
cruel?"<br />
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The Arizona Game and Fish Department and its supporters stand by the
transplant decision, although Jim Paxon, special assistant to director
Larry Voyles, said "in hindsight, we should have taken out some mountain
lions."<br />
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"Conservation of wildlife is never easy, never quick and is often
what biology professors call messy," Paxon told FoxNews.com. He said the
plan moving forward is toassess areas in the Catalinas where the
bighorns have the greatest chance of survival and place additional sheep
there in the fall. He said the hope is that the remaining bighorn
transplants and their lambs will move toward the new herd. Paxon also
said some mountain lions near the determined location will be killed,
but stressed that officials are not planning a "wholesale removal of
mountain lions across the Catalinas."<br />
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"All we’re doing is removing mountain lions that prey on bighorn
sheep in the best habitat area for those sheep," he said, adding that
the mountain lion population is "not only healthy, it's thriving and
expanding."<br />
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Critics, however, say the current plan should be stopped immediately.<br />
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"I don’t think that they really thought this out," said Ricardo
Small, of the group Friends of Wild Animals, adding that, "this decision
was pushed by hunters."<br />
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"The response to mountain lion killings of bighorn sheep has been to
kill the mountain lions. <br />
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That's a mistake," Small said. "When
competition among mountain lions is removed, the litter sizes of the
females increase and the result is more mountain lions than were there
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"I think that the Arizona Game and Fish Department should stop this
program completely. It's a waste of bighorn sheep and a waste of
mountain lion."<br />
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But supporters of the group claim it's premature to abandon efforts to rebuild a population that once thrived in the Catalinas.<br />
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Kevin Murphy, conservation director of the Wild Sheep Foundation,
called the bighorn deaths "frustrating," but said he was fully
supportive of the plan in place. He also noted that the transplanted
herd successfully birthed lambs and said more are expected in the coming
months.<br />
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"Wildlife management is not a perfect exact science," Murphy told
FoxNews.com. "You can't measure the success yet. It’s designed to be a
three-phase release."<br />
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*** </div>
Steve Reisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09523817161666083575noreply@blogger.com0South Santa Monica Trail, Tucson, AZ 85739, USA32.5163765 -110.8721229999999932.5096815 -110.88220799999999 32.5230715 -110.86203799999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171013216191459701.post-17989200123043156182015-01-20T13:34:00.001-08:002015-01-20T13:34:41.102-08:00Fantastic Once in a Lifetime Luck in the Virgin River Gorge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad Landscape Photography - <a href="http://www.dalmdad.com/">www.dalmdad.com</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad">https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad</a>.)</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>January 8, 2015: On I-15, between <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Littlefield,_Arizona">Littlefield, Arizona</a> and the Utah state line.</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
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</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="SW0000">To me, the </a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_River_Gorge"><span>Virgin River Gorge</span><span></span></a><span> is a jaw-dropping spot. I-15's four lanes
twist their way through the gorge, the highway elevated above the Virgin
River. This portion of I-15 cuts through the </span><a href="http://dalmdad.blogspot.com/2014/02/geograstrotrivial-question-about-new.html"><span>Arizona Strip</span><span></span></a><span>, a remote portion of Arizona,
more accessible to Salt Lake City than to Phoenix.<span> </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span><br />
To photographers and tourists, the Virgin River Gorge is a challenge. The
challenge is, the gorge is so narrow the highway lacks shoulders or pull-off's.<span> </span>So, there is no stopping or even slowing down
to capture a photo in the gorge. I find the inability to photograph this
spot depressing.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span><br />
However, today I was graced with good luck.<span>
</span>I had he opportunity to view the gorge and take photos that few tourists
ever can. Personally, I did not care about the uniqueness or whether
others had been able to photograph here. I only cared about <i>me</i> being given
the opportunity to photographically capture one of the most captivating spots I
have ever passed through. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span>So,
how did this lucky opportunity arise?</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span>I
woke up about 6:30AM. I tried to take a shower in my Virgin River Hotel
and Casino room.<span> </span>I was frustrated over
the lack of hot water. You may not know this about me, but I love the hot
shower. I am one of those persons that comes out of the shower lobster red. But not this morning…I had to subject myself to the cool water of the
room’s shower and then race to get dressed.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span><br />
I topped off my gas tank and ice chest at a gas/food market
immediately next to the highway interchange. Sure I cannot <i>drive</i>
without gas, but more important is my precious life elixir Coke will not remain cold if my
cooler is not topped out. The price of ice I do not recall; the price of
gas of course keeps a spot in my mind and journal as gas prices are falling at
the moment. The gas did seem like a bargain at the $2.40 range. I
would find out in a couple of days that just a few hundred feet (in other words
not even a mile) south of the highway exit I kept using to get on and off I-15,
gasoline was about $1.97, about $0.50 gallon cheaper than across Pioneer Drive from
the Casino and right next to the highway. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span>I
left Mesquite, Nevada
around 7:15 AM for Cedar City,
Utah. I was interested in
seeing if there was<i> any</i> way to get any pictures by driving through the I-15
gorge. I took Hillside Driver east out of Mesquite.<span>
</span>Hillside generally runs parallel to I-15 for a few miles east of Mesquite. As a
historical side note, Hillside
Drive was US91, the historical route from the Utah Territory
to the Las Vegas Valley of the Nevada Territory.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span>A Hillside Drive</span><span> turnoff (Scenic Road) takes you on a five-mile
drive towards some hills and across a small slice of the Virgin
River. The narrow slice of this typically scenic river was
remarkably unscenic and therefor I did not even stop for a picture. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span></span>
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="SW0001"><span>I drove back to </span></a><span><span>Hillside</span></span><span><span> Drive and headed north/east. Hillside veers
away from I-15 for a few miles as the two roads become separated by some rocks known
as the Virgin Moutains until I-15 becomes visible again and Hillside prepares
to cross I-15 at Littlefield,
AZ, heading north into an ancient
Joshua tree forest. I got on the 15, heading north towards Salt Lake City, well
really Cedar City. I accelerated up to the 70
mph or so local speed, turned up the music and prepared to drive through the
gorge.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span>But
not this morning. It was not very long before I was slowing down to a
stand still. I was stopped behind a parked escort truck. </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span><span>I was
indifferent at the moment as to whether or how long the delay would be.
The unique opportunity this moment was posing did not immediately hit me in the
face. But then, I was like...huh? How long will I be here?
Who cares, it is picture time. I unpacked my camera and got out of the car.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Looking up the North Side Wall of the Gorge</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWGnewsUIH9fHjpmCWoge-iYmWtGuO9i_VMfXb7S7Jc9xp34KVECs8V7NaQ-I_v0XAP7q_aQVSAUw3SK1yXWHrXYtSRmv-edGnB3OiL-NK_pfixLXDfzzjOaGruublL-1c_g1im9CE7fw/s1600/2015-01-08+09.24.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWGnewsUIH9fHjpmCWoge-iYmWtGuO9i_VMfXb7S7Jc9xp34KVECs8V7NaQ-I_v0XAP7q_aQVSAUw3SK1yXWHrXYtSRmv-edGnB3OiL-NK_pfixLXDfzzjOaGruublL-1c_g1im9CE7fw/s1600/2015-01-08+09.24.43.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Llooking back towards Littlefield and looking south. You can see how the Gorge is in the shadow.</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1FtUhBC5VLaE8xlJ9rUbtXqhnelyrjYk8NMgWfeCpLybnuqirXlTtt8kSr8RSv08-fMux_DNIIVu6AvXe1506pt6nbgndwlM6EZ9smFjCkj0slSkpUnXLnR3sDY220DFr7OpQ0A6vKjc/s1600/DSC_3204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1FtUhBC5VLaE8xlJ9rUbtXqhnelyrjYk8NMgWfeCpLybnuqirXlTtt8kSr8RSv08-fMux_DNIIVu6AvXe1506pt6nbgndwlM6EZ9smFjCkj0slSkpUnXLnR3sDY220DFr7OpQ0A6vKjc/s1600/DSC_3204.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I heard some noise. Though hard to see, there is a rock slide going on.</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqb3vDx0keQ6mUA6PQ7yLWpsY5XDTdJ2YYzzr2Jpfkv6aKrT25n1qea4tyPZezKzht0eMromaZxmvwzSpAtvA-xVAhwrXRS9QwAvR2TCsL8_rnLVABfUUm05sfl8O5jeG0GDW_AO9LkYI/s1600/DSC_3203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqb3vDx0keQ6mUA6PQ7yLWpsY5XDTdJ2YYzzr2Jpfkv6aKrT25n1qea4tyPZezKzht0eMromaZxmvwzSpAtvA-xVAhwrXRS9QwAvR2TCsL8_rnLVABfUUm05sfl8O5jeG0GDW_AO9LkYI/s1600/DSC_3203.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hard to see worker up on he top of the southern wall of the Gorge.</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc137ktI23noCQWHP89aHHM1Pz4HRopib-PiUEzDcRW09uZFJizqBucmz27lC-3gtYve1aFE1c5HjCWKtAOOKFEhoTagGeEPtW2dB_CF_fKPbhS7XbQa2pHLQbADSb9YhpM3WTGfz8Up0/s1600/DSC_3206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc137ktI23noCQWHP89aHHM1Pz4HRopib-PiUEzDcRW09uZFJizqBucmz27lC-3gtYve1aFE1c5HjCWKtAOOKFEhoTagGeEPtW2dB_CF_fKPbhS7XbQa2pHLQbADSb9YhpM3WTGfz8Up0/s1600/DSC_3206.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Easier to see man hanging from the gorge</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8WsIqHJyvNp-_4Z8wiU6_8wG59tU6MJFObYCVwFZhuUBy7F-XnePYIaK1-hRnbaMT1m4tqmVIXbf2efPpCTawfZ-529oWKzvxc3u7gLxZzG9YliiySrD3NAXepsJF8Y-UFgngBaB0ZHs/s1600/DSC_3207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8WsIqHJyvNp-_4Z8wiU6_8wG59tU6MJFObYCVwFZhuUBy7F-XnePYIaK1-hRnbaMT1m4tqmVIXbf2efPpCTawfZ-529oWKzvxc3u7gLxZzG9YliiySrD3NAXepsJF8Y-UFgngBaB0ZHs/s1600/DSC_3207.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here Comes Everyone Else - Off to St. George we go!</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">***</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>Steve Reisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09523817161666083575noreply@blogger.com0Littlefield, AZ 86432, USA36.8872117 -113.9295938999999936.785589200000004 -114.09095539999998 36.9888342 -113.76823239999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171013216191459701.post-42306679657275448952015-01-14T19:32:00.002-08:002015-01-14T19:32:39.611-08:00One of These Things is Not Like the Others<i>by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad Landscape Photography - <a href="http://www.dalmdad.com/">www.dalmdad.com</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad">https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad</a>.)</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>January 10, 2015: North of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyer,_Nevada">Dyer</a>, Nevada is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish_Lake_Valley">Fish Lake Valley</a>. It is a remote place, just east of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Mountains_%28California%29">White Mountains</a>, which form the border between Nevada and California.</i><br />
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<i>It is a rugged place, and I presume filled with educated folks. However, somewhere, sometime, someone made a mistake...</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZybaV5K-F-CiWYWCVGVLetZ1kWigH9BG9OmwZyaXq3n156WJlPkjyXtkX1bClENjT5uCo9mdwDG0ZGc47TJFtRUn7Q0A3DKvBX2L7mQUmiaf_eYv9Yl40Vr7mCTXaUd7rUlqmjN7KaA8/s1600/DSC_3808.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZybaV5K-F-CiWYWCVGVLetZ1kWigH9BG9OmwZyaXq3n156WJlPkjyXtkX1bClENjT5uCo9mdwDG0ZGc47TJFtRUn7Q0A3DKvBX2L7mQUmiaf_eYv9Yl40Vr7mCTXaUd7rUlqmjN7KaA8/s1600/DSC_3808.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>***</i></div>
Steve Reisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09523817161666083575noreply@blogger.com0Dyer, NV, USA37.6673151 -118.0661433999999937.466161600000007 -118.38886689999998 37.8684686 -117.74341989999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171013216191459701.post-86228548251439911882014-11-25T20:11:00.000-08:002014-11-25T20:11:09.492-08:00Spur of the Moment Trip To Joshua Tree National Park and Bighorn Sheep<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad Landscape Photography - <a href="http://www.dalmdad.com/">www.dalmdad.com</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad">https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad</a>.)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was very spur of the moment that I decided to go an overnight trip to the desert. We had pretty much just gotten back from China. But, I got some sudden inspiration to go to Roy's to get some subject matter on the novella/short story I am writing that takes place at Roy's in Amboy. As I am so infrequently inspired, I forced myself to take advantage of the moment.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Before entering Joshua Tree NP, I decided to browse one of the few gift shops outside the park in Joshua Tree Village near the intersection of CA-62 and Park Blvd. I was looking for something screaming "bighorn" sheep. All I could find was a measly ceramic coaster for $8.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKXL-b2ctuQvPz8T2gTyNEYmmGOdkEbV0a4hm3T51V1vrX5OsO_ZDlxNeME3GJq8m5sV4VdS1Ay-zFRMF9QQSnjzM1zj21pXcwtcGvkxsnLe-E7YRT8zdlzE5sh-1h_aj4v5KKsl8oxwE/s1600/2014-11-12+12.47.28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKXL-b2ctuQvPz8T2gTyNEYmmGOdkEbV0a4hm3T51V1vrX5OsO_ZDlxNeME3GJq8m5sV4VdS1Ay-zFRMF9QQSnjzM1zj21pXcwtcGvkxsnLe-E7YRT8zdlzE5sh-1h_aj4v5KKsl8oxwE/s1600/2014-11-12+12.47.28.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This coaster, though hand made in Arizona, cost substantially less than the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10204439428359233&set=a.1094365672829.2017733.1037174861&type=1&theater">jade bighorn sheep we brought back from China</a>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I headed down Park Blvd to the Park's West Entrance. I pulled out my wallet to prepare to pay the admission fee, but the ranger told me that because it was Veteran's Day, park admission was free today.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Then, not 50 yards in the park and from the park entrance, I saw a ranger with binoculars to his eyes looking out into the field. And then, like a treat from above, in a clearing to the west, was a large herd of bighorns; our favorite animal. I think that this was the first time I ever saw any bighorns at Joshua Tree.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I counted about 25 in the herd. <a href="http://www.nps.gov/jotr/naturescience/bighorn.htm">The official Joshua Tree website says that there are only about 250 bighorn sheep in the 1200+ sq. miles that the park covers. </a> So, this herd was nearly 10 percent the entire park population seen at one time. What a great sight!.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Bighorn Herd, Seen Nov. 11, 2014</b></span></span></div>
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Steve Reisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09523817161666083575noreply@blogger.com0Joshua Tree, CA 92252, USA34.129284264961917 -116.3149166107177734.122712264961919 -116.32500161071778 34.135856264961916 -116.30483161071777tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171013216191459701.post-65588172734234083502014-11-23T19:41:00.000-08:002014-11-23T19:41:10.713-08:00The Zzyzx Phenomena<div class="tr_bq">
<b><i>by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad Landscape Photography - <a href="http://www.dalmdad.com/">www.dalmdad.com</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad">https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad</a>.)</i></b></div>
<br />
(Note: See our new <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/dalmdad/sets/72157647047748193">Desert Studies Center/Zzyzx image album at Flickr.</a>) <br />
<br />
Anyone who has looked out their car window while driving in the dull desert between Barstow and Baker on the I-15 have probably noticed the sign for Exit 239 - Zzyzx Road. The name is so darned mysterious and intriguing that the short road has become a strong magnet to back road and desert explorers. <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/zzyzx-road-zzyzx">Zzyzx Road's popularity has led it to even have its own Yelp entry</a>.<br />
<br />
The mystery and intrigue may stem from (or have led to) any or all of the following:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>The name Zzyzx and the history of the exit area;</li>
<li>The origin of the name Zzyzx; </li>
<li>Two similarly named films produced in the area at around the same time;</li>
<li>The series of songs and albums that have some form of Zzyzx in their title; </li>
<li>Captain Zyzzx (book);</li>
<li>The Narrows (book);</li>
<li>Bighorn Sheep Spotting </li>
</ol>
<b>1. The Name Zzyzx and the history of the area (</b>from wiki-footnotes removed).<br />
<blockquote>
Zzyzx, California <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English">/</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key">ˈ</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key">z</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key">aɪ</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key">z</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key">ɨ</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key">k</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key">s</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English">/</a>, formerly Camp Soda and Soda Springs, is a settlement in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Bernardino_County,_California">San Bernardino County</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California">California</a>. It is the former site of the Zzyzx Mineral Springs and Health Spa and now the site of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_Studies_Center">Desert Studies Center</a>. The site is also the location of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Tuendae">Lake Tuendae</a>, originally part of the spa, and now a refuge habitat of the endangered <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohave_tui_chub">Mohave tui chub</a>.<br />
<br />
Zzyzx Road is a 4.5-mile (7.2 km) long, part paved and part dirt, rural <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collector_road">collector road</a> in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mojave_Desert">Mojave Desert</a>. It runs from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_15_in_California">Interstate 15</a> generally south to the Zzyzx settlement. The nearest town is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baker,_California">Baker, California</a>, 7 miles (11 km) north on I-15. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas,_Nevada">Las Vegas, Nevada</a> is the nearest major city, about 100 miles (160 km) northeast.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Soda Springs, a natural <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_%28hydrosphere%29" title="Spring (hydrosphere)">spring</a>, has long seen human activity. The area was a <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prehistoric" title="Prehistoric">prehistoric</a> quarry site, and projectile points and rock art can be found in the area. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mojave_Road" title="Mojave Road">Mojave Road</a> ran past the spring, as did the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonopah_and_Tidewater_Railroad" title="Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad">Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad</a>.
Remnants of a wagon road stop and railroad artifacts are readily seen.
Evaporative salt mining and mill sites can be found here as well.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtis_Howe_Springer" title="Curtis Howe Springer">Curtis Howe Springer</a> established
the Zzyzx Mineral Springs and Health Spa in 1944 at the spot, which was
federal land, after filing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Mining_Act_of_1872" title="General Mining Act of 1872">mining claims</a> for 12,000 acres
surrounding the springs. He used the springs to bottle his water and
provide drinks for travelers through the hot desert. Springer also
imported animals from around the country to attract more families to
visit his ranch. He used Zzyzx until 1974, when he was arrested by the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Marshals" title="United States Marshals">United States Marshals</a> for misuse of the land as well as alleged violations of food and drug laws, and the land was reclaimed by the government. Since 1976, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bureau_of_Land_Management" title="Bureau of Land Management">Bureau of Land Management</a> has allowed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_State_University" title="California State University">California State University</a> to manage the land in and around Zzyzx. A consortium of CSU campuses use it as their <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_Studies_Center" title="Desert Studies Center">Desert Studies Center</a>.</blockquote>
<b> 2, Origin of the word</b> <b>Zzyzx </b>(from wiki-footnotes removed)<b>:</b><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The made-up name Zzyzx was given to the area in 1944 by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtis_Howe_Springer" title="Curtis Howe Springer">Springer</a>,
claiming it to be the last word in the English language.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Word_Ways" title="Word Ways">Word Ways</a></i> magazine verified the source of the lexicography as an undated San Bernardino County map published by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile_Club_of_Southern_California" title="Automobile Club of Southern California">Automobile Club of Southern California</a>.
The magazine characterized Zzyzx Springs as "a hydrologic feature and a
privately owned spa catering to the senior citizen, about 8.5 mi
(13.7 km) south of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baker,_California" title="Baker, California">Baker</a> on the western edge of Soda Dry Lake, off the abandoned right-of-way of the old <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonopah_and_Tidewater_Railroad" title="Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad">Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad</a>."<br />
<br />
Zzyzx was approved as a place name by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Board_on_Geographic_Names" title="United States Board on Geographic Names">United States Board on Geographic Names</a> on June 14, 1984. As is the case with the road, Zzyzx, California, is the USBGN's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alphabetical_order#Alphabetical_order" title="Alphabetical order">lexicographically greatest</a> (alphabetically last, at least in English alphabetical order) place name.</blockquote>
<br />
In this sense, Zzyzx is very similar to that other phrase popular in the desert, in Road-Runner/Coyote cartoons, "Acme", which was intended to be first in any directory:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The name Acme became popular for businesses by the 1920s, when <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alphabetized" title="Alphabetized">alphabetized</a> business telephone directories such as the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_Pages" title="Yellow Pages">Yellow Pages</a> began to be widespread. There were a flood of businesses named Acme (some of these still survive). For example, early <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sears" title="Sears">Sears</a> catalogs contained a number of products with the "Acme" trademark, including <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anvil" title="Anvil">anvils</a>, which are frequently used in Warner Bros. cartoons</blockquote>
<blockquote class="templatequote">
<div class="templatequotecite">
<sup>....</sup>Whenever we played a game where we had a grocery store or
something we called it the ACME corporation. Why? Because in the yellow
pages if you looked, say, under drugstores, you'd find the first one
would be Acme Drugs. Why? Because "AC" was about as high as you could
go; it means the best; the superlative.— <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Jones" title="Chuck Jones">Chuck Jones</a><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-2"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acme_Corporation#cite_note-2"></a></sup> </div>
</blockquote>
<b>3. The Battle of the Zzyzx Films.</b><br />
<br />
There are two films with names similar to the area. They are <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0420346/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Zyzzx</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0429277/?ref_=fn_al_tt_3">Zyzzyx Road</a>. Note that Zyzzyx Road purposely misspell's Zzyzx.<br />
<br />
The producers of these two movies got into a comments battle on the IMDB boards. I hope to summarize the battle at a later time. However, the crux of the battle was over who's movie was better or worse.<br />
<br />
<br />
Zzyzx (renamed Burned for some reason) and Zzyzx Road (ZR) are very different movies (summaries from IMDB).<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Zzyzx is Zzyzx, the road, may lead to nowhere, but three people find themselves
baking in a desert of murder, mystery, manipulation and greed when the
legendary road becomes the place where their destinies collide.
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
IN ZR, :The family man accountant Grant travels to Los Angeles and meets the
lascivious "Lolita" Marissa in a casino. While in the motel with
Marissa, her violent ex-boyfriend Joey surprises them on the bed, hits
Grant on the head, but he kills Joey. Grant brings Joey's body to bury
in the desert Zyzzyx Road, but after digging a grave, he finds that the
body is missing in the trunk of his car. Grant chases Joey with a shovel
in the desert, and when he finds the man hidden in a abandoned mine,
Joey discloses a secret about Marissa. </blockquote>
More recently, a movie called <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1124048/?ref_=nv_sr_2">The Last Resort</a> (2009) was filmed on-site at the <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/dalmdad/sets/72157647047748193">Desert Studies Center (see pictures)</a>. <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/dalmdad/15828029981/">The swings</a>, <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/dalmdad/15645070040/">the Castle</a>, and the <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/dalmdad/15806268876/in/set-72157647047748193/">Pool Enclosure Wall</a>, at the DSC are predominantly shown in te movie. However, the movie is supposed to take place in Mexico and there is no reference to Zzyzx.<br />
<br />
On a stranger tone, a B-movie style internet series <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1u87ZyS97UI&list=UUW1bIr9cwAlYCotWFwxJiKQ">FemVamp filmed an episode at the exit</a>.<br /><br />
***<br />
<b>4, The Zzyzx Songs...</b><br />
<br />
On <a href="http://www.spotify.com/">Spotify.com</a>, I came across a number of songs with Zzyzx in their title, none of which seem to have anything to do with the road.<br />
<br />
The list includes:<br />
<br />
* the song Zzyzx Rd, by Stone Sour.<br />
* Zzyzx Scarecrow", is a song by the band Stavesacre<i> </i><br />
<i>* Zzyzx</i> (album), an album by Zeromancer<br />
* Zzyzx - a song and album by Alphadiabetic - this song is an instrumental.<br />
* ZZYZX - a song by In Desolation, off the album Off with their heads.<br />
* Zzyzx Road, a song by Ivan Ives<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
***<br />
<b>5. Captain Zyzzx (book);</b><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Captain-Zzyzx-Michael-Petracca/dp/0809540959">Captain Zzyzx</a> is a book by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Petracca">Michael </a><span class="author notFaded" data-width=""><span class="a-declarative" data-a-popover="{"position":"triggerBottom","name":"contributor-info-B00J1HU9O0","allowLinkDefault":"true"}" data-action="a-popover"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Petracca">Petracca</a>.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="author notFaded" data-width=""><span class="a-declarative" data-a-popover="{"position":"triggerBottom","name":"contributor-info-B00J1HU9O0","allowLinkDefault":"true"}" data-action="a-popover">Despite the prominence of Zzyzx in the book's title, Zzyzx only plays a minor role in the story line. However, the book does refer to the compelling feeling passers-by have to stop and explore Zzyzx Road on their way to or from Vegas.</span></span><br />
<span class="author notFaded" data-width=""><span class="a-declarative" data-a-popover="{"position":"triggerBottom","name":"contributor-info-B00J1HU9O0","allowLinkDefault":"true"}" data-action="a-popover"><br /></span></span>
<b>6. The Narrows (book)</b><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Narrows_%28Connelly_novel%29">The Narrows</a> is a crime novel written by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Connelly">Michael Connelly</a>.<br />
<br />
A significant scene in the book takes place at Zzyzx Road. While I don't want to give spoilers, it is my opinion that it is unlikely what is said to have happened at Zzyzx Road in the scene could.<br />
<br />
<b>7. Bighorn Sheep</b><br />
<br />
Zzyzx Road in the area before the Desert Studies Center is a prime location for <a href="http://dalmdad.blogspot.com/2013/11/for-love-of-bighorn-sheep-and-zzyzx.html">spotting bighorn sheep</a> when they water up and mate in April. I have been there many times to see the bighorns.<b> </b><br />
<br />
***<br />
If you have a Zzyzx story, let us know! Steve Reisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09523817161666083575noreply@blogger.com0Zzyzx, CA, USA35.14278 -116.1038935.1297955 -116.12406 35.155764500000004 -116.08372000000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171013216191459701.post-14902443117214700842014-11-17T12:52:00.000-08:002014-11-17T12:52:20.878-08:00Imperial Guardian Lions Guarding What and With Which Paw?<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad Landscape Photography - <a href="http://www.dalmdad.com/">www.dalmdad.com</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad">https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad</a>.)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Amboy, CA</b> - Having traveled throughout China and Taiwan, I have learned about Chinese architecture. One of my favorite aspects of Chinese architecture are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_guardian_lions">imperial guardian lions</a> (Mandarin: shi).</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I was surprised to see two guardian lions guarding much not of anything out in the desert just outside "downtown" Amboy on the south side of US66. This is the male, the female is to the left of the male outside the frame, as she should be.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZOi6BJE7cXxx25OiSAiMc089oFDok3JB1qYhjUyRHIVJD_R5ITemLkJmR5oVlgshobpiZeS5wyZGskHfQ_wJOzdf6ZULrHOF9oNEi6DkRQlLWV745lCKInJznagvspsO1uFVs_Ctuis/s1600/DSC_2890.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZOi6BJE7cXxx25OiSAiMc089oFDok3JB1qYhjUyRHIVJD_R5ITemLkJmR5oVlgshobpiZeS5wyZGskHfQ_wJOzdf6ZULrHOF9oNEi6DkRQlLWV745lCKInJznagvspsO1uFVs_Ctuis/s320/DSC_2890.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Imperial Guardian Lion with Amboy Crater in Background</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you did not know much about imperial guardian lions, you would not have noticed the apparent mistake in this statue. You need to look close.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlbN0KiiHlQjN7w6rPG7OMRROkOBWJZv6Mwnp2j4afqSf7unJ7iWRz8kMwubKCOJP_TiM8arGFMBKn_DsuNP5aFD4zOt2Je0QV8vLdpDwpei4A7EacG-ZYOqqpYXygpLcHph-qSKh9ZJE/s1600/DSC_2887.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlbN0KiiHlQjN7w6rPG7OMRROkOBWJZv6Mwnp2j4afqSf7unJ7iWRz8kMwubKCOJP_TiM8arGFMBKn_DsuNP5aFD4zOt2Je0QV8vLdpDwpei4A7EacG-ZYOqqpYXygpLcHph-qSKh9ZJE/s1600/DSC_2887.jpg" height="310" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As can be seen here, the male lion has its left paw resting on the ball. This is incorrect. As said at Wikipedia:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The male lion has its right front paw on a type of cloth ball simply called an "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temari_%28toy%29" title="Temari (toy)">embroidered ball</a>" (xiù qiú, 绣球), which is sometimes carved with a geometric pattern (coincidentally, resembling the figure called "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flower_of_Life" title="Flower of Life">Flower of Life</a>" in the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Age_movement" title="New Age movement">New Age movement</a>). </span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here is a photo of a male imperial guardian lion statue photo taken in Wuhan, China.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpkjs6vrTGBbn39CuQ28gjo7bVObY3nQ86kY7cWHtnzOox0tFs9HEuF0sILcdcWeX0w7h4H514xVMiU8H9BuUtHMkp2qjMe5ztkE3JMEunOHhCoRdM2N9zJO3dm1lliK_JtosKmPs8Y-Q/s1600/DSC_0125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpkjs6vrTGBbn39CuQ28gjo7bVObY3nQ86kY7cWHtnzOox0tFs9HEuF0sILcdcWeX0w7h4H514xVMiU8H9BuUtHMkp2qjMe5ztkE3JMEunOHhCoRdM2N9zJO3dm1lliK_JtosKmPs8Y-Q/s1600/DSC_0125.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ball is under right paw, closest to door (Wuhan, China).</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, whoever went to the trouble of putting those guardian lions out in the Amboy desert, they just quite missed getting it correct. Oh...as mentioned above, there was a female guardian lion to the left of the male lion, as these lions always come in pairs. However, I did not notice whether the sculptor had the young lion under the wrong paw of the female. As can be seen in this photo from the Forbidden City in Beijing, </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">the female lions has a cub under the closer (left) paw to the male.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgix4VPmZGtQVkS9nkLo1oisLXQdJaD0hWZgJw9t3X1TJmjDdherVYVXhmwnJ-otqNbb7iMlU6oy6oHp1Ykt-zvKmHHExBpFDfF7B9HW_ntQctHzJjCF3URdVMLUUdGbn_PnbpE9KATdXM/s1600/DSC_1947.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgix4VPmZGtQVkS9nkLo1oisLXQdJaD0hWZgJw9t3X1TJmjDdherVYVXhmwnJ-otqNbb7iMlU6oy6oHp1Ykt-zvKmHHExBpFDfF7B9HW_ntQctHzJjCF3URdVMLUUdGbn_PnbpE9KATdXM/s1600/DSC_1947.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lion Cub Under the Left Paw of Female Guardian Lion</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Guess I will have to go back to Amboy some time to see if they got this correct.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>Steve Reisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09523817161666083575noreply@blogger.com0Amboy, CA 92304, USA34.5577721 -115.744441100000029.0357376000000009 -157.05303510000002 60.0798066 -74.435847100000018tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171013216191459701.post-36883568635912070762014-11-15T20:58:00.001-08:002014-11-15T21:01:31.089-08:00What Does Cal Trans Know, Anyway?<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad Landscape Photography - <a href="http://www.dalmdad.com/">www.dalmdad.com</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad">https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad</a>.)</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><b> Along US66, Mojave Desert, CA</b> - A few weeks ago we actually had some rain. I thought I heard or read somewhere that portions of US66 around Amboy were washed away and would not be repaired for a while.</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>I wanted to go to Roy's Cafe for a photo shoot, so I checked the Cal Trans website and was informed that US66 was open.</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i> </i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZi0LHPyvZBMCTIZFchjR7-OcK5d2jO-YH0x7QBz8EVg8P0z7FTkTqGtjnUQjwEF257jiKgtGAKIl2vghr_aKJaxOUfdzu_PK27Mp9OuzxPRcVzAI_dc04JPiH125j-QB7zhjrtlFyohw/s1600/2014-11-10+18.27.19.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZi0LHPyvZBMCTIZFchjR7-OcK5d2jO-YH0x7QBz8EVg8P0z7FTkTqGtjnUQjwEF257jiKgtGAKIl2vghr_aKJaxOUfdzu_PK27Mp9OuzxPRcVzAI_dc04JPiH125j-QB7zhjrtlFyohw/s1600/2014-11-10+18.27.19.png" height="640" width="360" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Unfortunately, Cal Trans has no clue about its own highways and their status.</i></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia5H0ZPD4ncFx0wfPn6fKNaprA_QwSFEYraQxyqUoPFn9l0P9tQMIfvygR2fLLGVyFFqgoPIkI3yhj0AUYe0VQqaauPAZKhWO-_mJFNj0YKFrsvWue2b53nJGC7-JL8oA5cKuTwgxLCYs/s1600/DSC_2860.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia5H0ZPD4ncFx0wfPn6fKNaprA_QwSFEYraQxyqUoPFn9l0P9tQMIfvygR2fLLGVyFFqgoPIkI3yhj0AUYe0VQqaauPAZKhWO-_mJFNj0YKFrsvWue2b53nJGC7-JL8oA5cKuTwgxLCYs/s1600/DSC_2860.jpg" height="222" width="320" /></a></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">US66 East at Ludlow, CA</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiNZzf-MqZnWMCcpccZzcrDqppNjh79KEIuOymgZz9FwFvf4Orw1j6XS-_iKZoTaPi6VapqmwmWsYLYMohRQxSm_VKTfp1m3bR4nvM0hdQD7T2RsWsCJaiAjHH14zJWYOwAgVhEoswc9s/s1600/2014-11-10+11.29.16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiNZzf-MqZnWMCcpccZzcrDqppNjh79KEIuOymgZz9FwFvf4Orw1j6XS-_iKZoTaPi6VapqmwmWsYLYMohRQxSm_VKTfp1m3bR4nvM0hdQD7T2RsWsCJaiAjHH14zJWYOwAgVhEoswc9s/s1600/2014-11-10+11.29.16.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">US66 East at Kelbaker Road</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1JEheeTvkaWtAe6FBbrLp5F82AOtfut4kFgzZA3cRCcKCNIxx5DvRE2v6Zs1i7qH2hQfDeg_eYXaR_Xb2UlTvVAew3HAqpYXxl_lwQiMhQHIdBPepXEmUKiHec1YJaV7TL_oO94juUk/s1600/DSC_2936.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1JEheeTvkaWtAe6FBbrLp5F82AOtfut4kFgzZA3cRCcKCNIxx5DvRE2v6Zs1i7qH2hQfDeg_eYXaR_Xb2UlTvVAew3HAqpYXxl_lwQiMhQHIdBPepXEmUKiHec1YJaV7TL_oO94juUk/s1600/DSC_2936.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">US66 West - Immediately west of entrance to Amboy Crater</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>So, basically, Amboy could only be accessed via Kelbaker Road from I-40 or Amboy Road via 29 Palms. </i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Anyway, at least Amboy was accessible and I managed to get some nice, original prints (coming soon).</i></span></span>Steve Reisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09523817161666083575noreply@blogger.com2Amboy, CA 92304, USA34.5577721 -115.7444411000000234.5577721 -115.74444110000002 34.5577721 -115.74444110000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171013216191459701.post-67347117393969132312014-09-06T19:12:00.000-07:002014-09-06T19:12:22.203-07:00The Yorba Cemetery - Yorba Linda, California<i>by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad Landscape Photography - <a href="http://www.dalmdad.com/">www.dalmdad.com</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad">https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad</a>.)</i><br />
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<i> </i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Visiting the Yorba Cemetery is difficult since it is only open 2 hours a month. The Cemetery is is the second oldest cemetery in Orange County, only pre-dated by the mission cemetery at San Juan Capistrano.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The tour is worth your time, especially if you are interested in the history of Orange County. The tour leader was a descendent of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernardo_Yorba">Bernardo Yorba</a>, one of the most famous of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Californio">Californios</a>, and the namesake of the cemetery, all the "Yorba" street names and Yorba Linda, itself. We were also lucky enough to have some other descendants of the Yorba family on the tour. The tour gives you a great understanding of what early California life was like.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Information on visiting the cemetery can be found at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernardo_Yorba">OC Parks Page</a>. If you go, wear a hat, it gets mighty hot out there.</span></span><i><br /></i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHvbhe542PnJ1eAc7uLh_lWfHRL2vMseAW9bQ_XcaPNdzU05b0QWL8sqL78flhS_Kg8WM8NbInl5txriL5W6kwC8hBJ_ztbnVhbzjk2b0W66s9GuKeKbW1eoiGRf1ACZNfztMDvHoeEZ4/s1600/DSC_0991.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHvbhe542PnJ1eAc7uLh_lWfHRL2vMseAW9bQ_XcaPNdzU05b0QWL8sqL78flhS_Kg8WM8NbInl5txriL5W6kwC8hBJ_ztbnVhbzjk2b0W66s9GuKeKbW1eoiGRf1ACZNfztMDvHoeEZ4/s1600/DSC_0991.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Don Bernardo Yorba - One of the Fathers of Orange County, circa 1800's</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe4jhW3AgM0S6KNMGcDwOOHMB2MKVHwcOedciWWEj5QOkdjhHVUDmoAnt5DDIfv6ZA7DNvhYys7feDDpJWc0Dy3zonD57aV1H7zRfRZQBkT_rn0FUfVEKWO16KF8ofiunlfaHnqDzC5kw/s1600/DSC_0983.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe4jhW3AgM0S6KNMGcDwOOHMB2MKVHwcOedciWWEj5QOkdjhHVUDmoAnt5DDIfv6ZA7DNvhYys7feDDpJWc0Dy3zonD57aV1H7zRfRZQBkT_rn0FUfVEKWO16KF8ofiunlfaHnqDzC5kw/s1600/DSC_0983.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Florisa Dominguez, died 1894, age 32</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipKkb-1CPFh84HBFkrGsHXyZrSeRyom3rJwj5wGRopg9RzIVfZpAPfOhywnHobzuyJRH4qsP5aAD7f5R0_e2eklZjViKNoIFoVGEBO6NkHNEFAoc_ts67U-pzXjjzXTnDftJS7GFjbET4/s1600/DSC_0989.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipKkb-1CPFh84HBFkrGsHXyZrSeRyom3rJwj5wGRopg9RzIVfZpAPfOhywnHobzuyJRH4qsP5aAD7f5R0_e2eklZjViKNoIFoVGEBO6NkHNEFAoc_ts67U-pzXjjzXTnDftJS7GFjbET4/s1600/DSC_0989.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Benigna Peralta (1851-1931)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Jose Negrete (1876-1929) - Local Laborer That Wanted <br />to Be Buried Overlooking the Train Tracks</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9wm48nk54vzwe_zN4UD74_yiYw4YgpzH5WDaL97vimnKAszkrqUUMZG6yMXBM8jWh39BI5IT_s631L_ud7q9IY_IIpDSU8z6S87qkGcEPq0UtihrZAftca73pvftyqhMKRHV5d6pB3FU/s1600/DSC_1010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9wm48nk54vzwe_zN4UD74_yiYw4YgpzH5WDaL97vimnKAszkrqUUMZG6yMXBM8jWh39BI5IT_s631L_ud7q9IY_IIpDSU8z6S87qkGcEPq0UtihrZAftca73pvftyqhMKRHV5d6pB3FU/s1600/DSC_1010.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">A great grandson (still very old) of Sr. Andres de los Reyes Was On the Tour With Us</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Frank Apalategui</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The Giant Cross that Used to Project Upward<br />From Ambrosia's Stone is Long Gone</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The Children's Corner</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Dennis lived less than 6 months</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnLffd6-Ht4EobQwPinQEK3rguSj6L84zDMK34f9tb20DHf7TstHVRVwUnPWKeiF7ceFCY7TP51r7ZzlpZuD6a7R0CYtgWucefFwZ9dt0PI2d0WloWFs-yDbKQMiQDmw8VC_7XoZl1OhI/s1600/DSC_1028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnLffd6-Ht4EobQwPinQEK3rguSj6L84zDMK34f9tb20DHf7TstHVRVwUnPWKeiF7ceFCY7TP51r7ZzlpZuD6a7R0CYtgWucefFwZ9dt0PI2d0WloWFs-yDbKQMiQDmw8VC_7XoZl1OhI/s1600/DSC_1028.jpg" height="227" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Hanging Holly?</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">***</span></span></div>
Steve Reisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09523817161666083575noreply@blogger.com0Yorba Cemetery, California 92886, USA33.864731 -117.783696433.863907 -117.7849569 33.865555 -117.7824359tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171013216191459701.post-34641569138431078932014-09-04T14:06:00.004-07:002014-09-04T14:06:59.267-07:00Driving the June Lake Loop (CA158)<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><b>by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad Landscape Photography - <a href="http://www.dalmdad.com/" style="text-decoration: none;">www.dalmdad.com</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad">https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad</a>.)</b></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: small; line-height: 18px;"><b>June Lake, California </b>- I can't believe its almost been a year since I took a long "solo" non-holiday weekend to <a href="http://dalmdad.blogspot.com/2013/11/differences-between-leeward-and.html">drive across the Sonora Pass</a>. Ever since moving to California, I wanted to take the drive across the pass, but it is kind of out of the way and closed due to snow for several months a year. So, it took me 9 years to finally do the drive. Yet, despite achieving this personal goal, I wrote so little about the trip; though we have offered a large number of photos taken during that trip for sale on our website, especially of the <a href="http://www.dalmdad.com/stri.html">Stanislaus River rapids</a> and<a href="http://www.dalmdad.com/sioffa20.html"> dramatic fall leaves at Lake Sabrina</a>. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Leaves Turning at Lake Sabrina</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: small; line-height: 18px;">After crossing the pass, there is only one way home; driving down the US395 along the eastern slope of the Sierras. Having done that drive before, from <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/dalmdad/236525223/in/photolist-mUfH6-mUfTt-mPo7Y">Reno, NV</a>, to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridgeport,_California">Bridgeport, CA</a>, to <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/dalmdad/239054503/in/photolist-n8dzn-n8dEL">Mono Lake</a>, to <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/dalmdad/sets/72057594118108708">Bodie Ghost Town</a>, to Bishop, and then down the <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/dalmdad/15138247681/">Owens Valley</a>, I did not expect to find any new gems that I had never seen before. However, I did. One was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Sabrina">Lake Sabrina</a>, in the mountains to the west of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bishop,_California">Bishop, CA</a> and the other was June Lake Loop.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: small; line-height: 18px;">June Lake Loop is CA-158 in Mono County. The north and south ends of the 16 mile loop road junction with US395 between <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Vining,_California">Lee Vining</a> and to the north and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammoth_Lakes,_California">Mammoth Lakes</a> to the south.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXpWy2seyNIuuUlimQ74AVQ3AOXh3anJjtDyXx90OC_7ecTgKGwKUr5s-jn0_nZyYAyDqe-hKnU5W9xjyZtifQYq6rVUswT-H26UgFmKK2iqNLDAXGEcWGKZEPH6qvE3RwKYqXBC3kcDI/s1600/junelakeloop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXpWy2seyNIuuUlimQ74AVQ3AOXh3anJjtDyXx90OC_7ecTgKGwKUr5s-jn0_nZyYAyDqe-hKnU5W9xjyZtifQYq6rVUswT-H26UgFmKK2iqNLDAXGEcWGKZEPH6qvE3RwKYqXBC3kcDI/s1600/junelakeloop.jpg" height="236" width="400" /></a></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">June Lake Loop From the Sky</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: small; line-height: 18px;">The loop is at an elevation of around 7621 ft, about 1300 ft above the eastern Sierra valley floor, near Mono Lake. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">While the June Lake Loop encircles several lakes, the most scenic are Grant Lake and June Lake. Grant Lake is the first lake you come upon when heading south. Grant lake certainly has that alpine, above the tree line feel about it.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Grant Lake</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Grant Lake</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Grant Lake</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD98oSrtnrTXV0NxGmD0IAv4o2XZnPC55TzISQfbcWBg0n8SFAG0esSX6jRqGCEQSirQHXYM83-1UtCSqOjtcZGz-rIgS4fVhPr9w-h0VjdQvj9k__FuZsnXGodUlHAcbR1KWX7ea_iGw/s1600/DSC_8786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD98oSrtnrTXV0NxGmD0IAv4o2XZnPC55TzISQfbcWBg0n8SFAG0esSX6jRqGCEQSirQHXYM83-1UtCSqOjtcZGz-rIgS4fVhPr9w-h0VjdQvj9k__FuZsnXGodUlHAcbR1KWX7ea_iGw/s1600/DSC_8786.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Grant Lake</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: small; line-height: 18px;">The temperature drop from the valley floor to lake level is quite noticeable and even more-so when in the shade of the mountains surrounding the lakes. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In the shade on June Lake Loop</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In the Shade of June Lake Loop</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: small; line-height: 18px;">The temperature in the area never exceeds 72F.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: small; line-height: 18px;">There is a town of June Lake that acts as the tourist base for the lake. The town of June Lake's population jumps from 629 to over 3100 during the summer. </span><span style="font-size: small;">SR 158 from 3.5 miles north of June Lake to the northern junction with <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Highway_395" title="U.S. Highway 395">U.S. Highway 395</a> is closed during winters, typically from mid-December through mid-April.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the town of June Lake through the Trees</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: small; line-height: 18px;">A lucky meet-up for me happened on this drive around the loop. The government shutdown of 2013 was in progress and this resulted in most National Park and National Forest locations' restrooms being locked up. Well, when you have to go, you have to go. You find a place to pull over, run into the bushes and do your thing. As I turned off the main road, I almost hit this deer that was crossing the side road. She was a fine specimen and allowed me to follow her for a short while until her and her doe ran off into the woods.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fawn and Doe</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Doe</span></span></td></tr>
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<br />Steve Reisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09523817161666083575noreply@blogger.com0June Lake, CA, USA37.7797825 -119.0754231999999937.6793665 -119.23678469999999 37.880198500000006 -118.91406169999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171013216191459701.post-14739652707173742872014-08-26T17:34:00.000-07:002014-08-26T17:34:52.712-07:00Pavin' the Way - To the Sky Deck at the West Rim - Grand Canyon!<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad Landscape Photography - <a href="http://www.dalmdad.com/">www.dalmdad.com</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad">https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad</a>.)</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I recently read somewhere that the final portion of Diamond Bar Road between Dolan Springs and the West Rim of the Grand Canyon has finally been paved. I don't remember where I read it, but <a href="http://www.latimes.com/travel/lasvegas/la-trb-arizona-road-paved-west-grand-canyon-rim-20140811-story.html">an article was published on line by the LA Times</a> and may have been picked up by the <i>OC Register</i> Sunday travel pages (Sunday is my only newspaper day).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We once tried to go to the Skywalk, but never actually made it there. The unpaved Diamond Bar Road was just too rough to drive.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Views from Diamond Bar Road</span></b><br />
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<b style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Views of Dolan Springs</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxM1uNGeEimXtuk7ScdS1tN-QFj1p3fetDCMKWe5Pt35QF2aWVF_P86OZk0dAPGjSjqvnx4JZOIJok9n4BddBLOu72mycjTpzCV1Cllw9RdaJVrhf932mwxrW4ziJHuIn1WXa7LEL-Sc8/s1600/DSC_4184.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxM1uNGeEimXtuk7ScdS1tN-QFj1p3fetDCMKWe5Pt35QF2aWVF_P86OZk0dAPGjSjqvnx4JZOIJok9n4BddBLOu72mycjTpzCV1Cllw9RdaJVrhf932mwxrW4ziJHuIn1WXa7LEL-Sc8/s1600/DSC_4184.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Though the drive is probably much more reasonable due to the new paving, it is unlikely we would ever try going back. <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/grand-canyon-skywalk-grand-canyon-west">The reasons being that the West Rim and the Skydeck have bad reputation</a>s. The facts that:</span></div>
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<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.hualapaitourism.com/tickets-info/at-grand-canyon-west/view-or-purchase-packages/">it is quite expensive to actually go out on the Skywalk</a>; AND</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.hualapaitourism.com/the-grand-canyon-skywalk/">you cannot take your own camera or camera phone onto the Skywalk</a>; AND</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.hualapaitourism.com/the-grand-canyon-skywalk/">therefore requiring you to buy expensive photo packages if you want a remembrance</a> is just too much for many people to swallow. </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, the tribe needs the money. Yes, other native American sites charge fees. <a href="http://navajonationparks.org/index.htm">Monument Valley, UT</a> charge <a href="http://navajonationparks.org/htm/monumentvalleyhours.htm">admission fees</a> ($20/vehicle of 4) and <a href="http://navajonationparks.org/htm/monumentvalleypermits.htm#photography">commercial photography fees</a> ($50). <a href="http://www.acomaskycity.org/home.html?pgid=1">Sky City/Acoma Pueblo, NM</a>, charge for <a href="http://www.acomaskycity.org/main.html?pgid=29">camera permits </a>($13) whether personal or commercial. Skywalk prices far exceed these other native American sites.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">***</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, if you are in the area, I suggest you taking the Willow Beach cutoff, just south of Hoover Dam on US93. Just before the road breaks to the right and the parking lots and boat launches, a non-descript turn-off to the left is visible. Take that turn, fight the rough road, and drive slowly along the wash. If you are lucky you will get to see <a href="http://dalmdad.blogspot.com/2012/12/bighorns-of-colorado-river-wilderness.html">bighorn sheep herds roaming around</a> or a <a href="http://www.desertusa.com/dusablog/burros-tale.html">lonely burro hiding from the sun.</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Good luck!</span><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span> </i>Steve Reisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09523817161666083575noreply@blogger.com0Dolan Springs, AZ 86441, USA35.5919357 -114.2732932000000135.3853557 -114.5960167 35.7985157 -113.95056970000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171013216191459701.post-36777470816918020752014-05-05T20:13:00.000-07:002014-05-05T20:13:07.215-07:00One Ewe...One?<i>by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad Landscape Photography - <a href="http://www.dalmdad.com/">www.dalmdad.com</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad">https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad</a>.)</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">May 2, 2014: So, I drove about 560 miles last weekend, including three separate trips down Zzyzx Road towards the Desert Studies Center, where allegedly a large herd of bighorn were hanging out. Last year around this time I saw a large herd and got three blogposts worth of photos, including of a <a href="http://dalmdad.blogspot.com/2013/08/bighorn-sheep-herd-at-zzyzx-part-i-lamb.html">lamb</a>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I saw one ewe and I was darn lucky just to see her.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As this ewe was dropping her load, she reminded me of this lamb from last year. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">May 2013</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> ***</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Think they are the same gal?</span></span><i><br /></i>Steve Reisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09523817161666083575noreply@blogger.com0Zzyzx, CA, USA35.1430556 -116.104166700000019.6210210999999966 -157.4127607 60.6650901 -74.795572700000008tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171013216191459701.post-3140350438221158042014-04-30T20:28:00.000-07:002014-05-01T01:07:36.578-07:00Identify The Animal Pellets?<i style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><b>by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad Landscape Photography - <a href="http://www.dalmdad.com/" style="text-decoration: none;">www.dalmdad.com</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad">https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad</a>.)</b></i><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><b>Pellets from????</b></i><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Bobcat?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Domesticated Goat?</b></span></div>
Steve Reisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09523817161666083575noreply@blogger.com0Yosemite National Park, Yosemite Village, CA 95389, USA37.670781847134485 -119.7978814019531337.570289347134484 -119.95924290195313 37.771274347134487 -119.63651990195314tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171013216191459701.post-17251107073029526432014-04-06T16:30:00.000-07:002014-04-06T16:30:52.386-07:00Desert Center: What Happened Here? (Part 2 of 3)<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad Landscape Photography - <a href="http://www.dalmdad.com/">www.dalmdad.com</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad">https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad</a>.)</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Desert Center, California: February, 15, 2014:</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>I walked up to the closed Desert Center Cafe, in ghostly Desert Center, expecting to see cobwebs, a few pieces of paper on the floor, and broken up furniture; signs of a long-closed business. </i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTx2x7EpsOpTQF2LjiOe-8JF4cnJ20NtFvDy5mhzsXUKEQZf0OCxyDejsTTkVixQsa8ng609tEYQuV14SVhJSGNXwptzynKfc36QxYxn2skHblpg2SqWQXgjmBqtmsaRx6SoPcPVgNYnU/s1600/DSC_5408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTx2x7EpsOpTQF2LjiOe-8JF4cnJ20NtFvDy5mhzsXUKEQZf0OCxyDejsTTkVixQsa8ng609tEYQuV14SVhJSGNXwptzynKfc36QxYxn2skHblpg2SqWQXgjmBqtmsaRx6SoPcPVgNYnU/s1600/DSC_5408.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I looked in the window and was shocked and surprised.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The cafe looks like it was temporarily closed while the owner ran out to run an errand; maybe to the closed post office across the street.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The tables were spotless. Sugar, salt, and pepper holders remained on the tables as if there was no time to attract bugs or rats. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHTU1fKDeQn6VsRzYZHOHElDBepD2Ih-Cuql4Hkc0K8ptsOCG5EAJE-QMXTbe7ny0XJi6VvIJ7vqtl8eUIIETUzrn2iUXQYwxRLjmJiVekVFWo2w8uuEINE2x7VTJcxjiQxadgeDrngg/s1600/DSC_9618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHTU1fKDeQn6VsRzYZHOHElDBepD2Ih-Cuql4Hkc0K8ptsOCG5EAJE-QMXTbe7ny0XJi6VvIJ7vqtl8eUIIETUzrn2iUXQYwxRLjmJiVekVFWo2w8uuEINE2x7VTJcxjiQxadgeDrngg/s1600/DSC_9618.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha2LeC4R9_wy3NkOHWISL0qt0-bGJ1WQL6jfZAwsAuSR8rMjnnOFUOLoXpT-LO9ZQE_LiDkho-zWOCCeqHvx17uhZQ-RWKkEaiIa3_sI626S5Z0Zu9cOTjd8Snhyd1Fe-b9d7wlqkVBmU/s1600/DSC_9691.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha2LeC4R9_wy3NkOHWISL0qt0-bGJ1WQL6jfZAwsAuSR8rMjnnOFUOLoXpT-LO9ZQE_LiDkho-zWOCCeqHvx17uhZQ-RWKkEaiIa3_sI626S5Z0Zu9cOTjd8Snhyd1Fe-b9d7wlqkVBmU/s1600/DSC_9691.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2d_wX_TweG3Z8eHuT-2GEvtNU8heVITDnJYIjNbkRlOvJjWiFjnUMF7qzXv_HhokzI7ud0RjIsTb41k0QuioL9Vm_wzOPlxY88UoRHNtif4Qp7cXdI-GPxBfE6eB8bNnygHx5o9B1tZA/s1600/DSC_9680.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2d_wX_TweG3Z8eHuT-2GEvtNU8heVITDnJYIjNbkRlOvJjWiFjnUMF7qzXv_HhokzI7ud0RjIsTb41k0QuioL9Vm_wzOPlxY88UoRHNtif4Qp7cXdI-GPxBfE6eB8bNnygHx5o9B1tZA/s1600/DSC_9680.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmCj6rCI_nmbz9a8oaxYsJvh3jfRglEoJ1TLK_SM3meJ2tlEp5atIjF5x6OvoDon37J16DhxxvWEiCuMK_TTwnUPYqAIY5_E78lQMw5htaT9ceIOko71SCrDnfMQxTg4qoDv_ZTZnXuSI/s1600/DSC_9689.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Rooster Pepper Sauce looking a little old.</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihiz0uq44_zXUMarDu1YV5sn73c8AR2acr72Z2xowSOzpFtl5riKSVqErIDLsYKrfZgA4mNde8UogCMQkRz-tkJn8n1x42UziiwhOAA4eLrM9cQQ8yaLvk35w73eM_92X2EX2hzSRwfiY/s1600/DSC_9619.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihiz0uq44_zXUMarDu1YV5sn73c8AR2acr72Z2xowSOzpFtl5riKSVqErIDLsYKrfZgA4mNde8UogCMQkRz-tkJn8n1x42UziiwhOAA4eLrM9cQQ8yaLvk35w73eM_92X2EX2hzSRwfiY/s1600/DSC_9619.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Closed Temporarily"</span></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeO-UC49NGuAJRekcjj0zXyBMhGn85Au19LcdhzPCieiC9O8RE0HQpuIcJbHzTve6iWqJKcbLIUDIYJ5oLGUe4o6ZdRjs7ETNaE79rZKh_hsNEd5vy4ThbM7fJZlGDBVdEtUOqFNZ_Kac/s1600/DSC_9620.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeO-UC49NGuAJRekcjj0zXyBMhGn85Au19LcdhzPCieiC9O8RE0HQpuIcJbHzTve6iWqJKcbLIUDIYJ5oLGUe4o6ZdRjs7ETNaE79rZKh_hsNEd5vy4ThbM7fJZlGDBVdEtUOqFNZ_Kac/s1600/DSC_9620.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">OK: There is food to the east and west...Menu looked Good!</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXLKqwaQ7Cz51BuWBSXw-i2hN-WRrPcFNzlQ3kU-YgpwLBz0eDvtMYVECKOSCwXCBqU2HK5v8pa2-pDBUp-raPZhiQ0s0I7apKtMstJA1bIAIzvFVkS_qpSJTFZa-9GEKCnI6gZYZ4uDQ/s1600/DSC_9684.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXLKqwaQ7Cz51BuWBSXw-i2hN-WRrPcFNzlQ3kU-YgpwLBz0eDvtMYVECKOSCwXCBqU2HK5v8pa2-pDBUp-raPZhiQ0s0I7apKtMstJA1bIAIzvFVkS_qpSJTFZa-9GEKCnI6gZYZ4uDQ/s1600/DSC_9684.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sign looks not that old...</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And when was the last time you saw a phone booth, no less a row of three of them?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0r1mAOHRdjHLXwYVTEZ0Jl5y-fEudSXKAokVqO_bP6CDaP2J0QLAwo0-s6XlHavq3ik9bjBB_JjsGXgqYlXcyHHaMW-5gSI_IcNb6gWAXVVthGqa7-55x7GaKN6bhe_HgxALI8QNamw/s1600/DSC_9693.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0r1mAOHRdjHLXwYVTEZ0Jl5y-fEudSXKAokVqO_bP6CDaP2J0QLAwo0-s6XlHavq3ik9bjBB_JjsGXgqYlXcyHHaMW-5gSI_IcNb6gWAXVVthGqa7-55x7GaKN6bhe_HgxALI8QNamw/s1600/DSC_9693.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The ATM machine was the only thing seemingly packed up for the closure.. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">***</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A nice man that I met in front of the closed post office told me the cafe had closed "last year."</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">According to the <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/desert-center-cafe-desert-center?sort_by=date_desc">Cafe's Yelp Site</a>, the Cafe was at least open on April 13, 2013, when the visitor had the "Best Ortega burger ever!" and gave the place 5 stars. In January, 2013, Kathy from France visited and said it was like a time warp (though she does not actually mention whether it was open). A <a href="https://foursquare.com/v/desert-center-cafe/4d2214855acaa35d315ed535?#tipsSort=recent">Four-Square reporter said that on March 29, 2013</a> that the place was closed.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A far less favorable review, was from a April 2012 visitor:</span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">On a road trip a couple of years ago, I stopped here to eat. It's the
only structure in this "town" that shows any hint of life. I tried the
patty melt. It was very greasy, which is not unforgivable for a patty
melt. The real problem with it was that the meat tasted old...and also a
bit like freezer burn. On a more recent trip I stopped again, this time
due to kids who were crying out in desperation for a bathroom break.
Upon pulling up in front, I noticed a sign in the window that said
something about not having a trash can available for you to use, ending
with "take your trash with you!" I've never been a fan of businesses
that choose to assail their potential customers with signs admonishing
them of all of the things they will NOT be allowed to do while
patronizing the place, but nature was evidently calling. As we
approached the door, I saw another sign. "Restroom Use $1.00 Service Fee
For Non Customers!"</span></span></div>
</blockquote>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sigh...that was enough for me. It's only 19 miles to Chiriaco Summit...skip this place.</span></span></blockquote>
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***</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">According to Yelp, the Cafe was closed for some time between July and October 2012. Furthermore, when fellow explorer and former New Yorker, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/avoidingregret">Sandi Hemmerlein</a> of the <a href="http://www.avoidingregret.com/">Avoiding Regret</a> blog <a href="http://www.avoidingregret.com/2012/07/photo-essay-desert-center-ghost-town.html">was there in 2012</a>, it looks like the cafe was closed. </span></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">While there are many reports about older visits to the cafe, there is little on the web, including the cafe's <a href="http://desertcenterchamberofcommerce.com/services_2.html">semi official/unofficial site</a> as to when the staff will step back in and start the grill and friers again...</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">However, I did receive an email on April 4, 2014, from "Suzanne", saying the Cafe can open "at any time now". </span></span></div>
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***</div>
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Steve Reisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09523817161666083575noreply@blogger.com0Desert Center, CA, USA33.7133313 -115.4004287000000233.6076978 -115.56179020000002 33.8189648 -115.23906720000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171013216191459701.post-78716910373639180012014-04-04T07:44:00.000-07:002014-04-04T07:44:00.406-07:00Comes With Personal Observatory?<i>by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad Landscape Photography - <a href="http://www.dalmdad.com/">www.dalmdad.com</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad">https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad</a>.)</i><br />
<br />
<i>I heard about having your own telescope, even elaborate scopes with motors that follow the sky. </i><br />
<br />
<i>However, I have never heard about "personal observatories". I guess building them is common enough that someone felt it important to point out what <a href="http://www.skyandtelescope.com/howto/diy/3305721.html">mistakes to avoid</a> during <a href="http://www.brayebrookobservatory.org/BrayObsWebSite/HOMEPAGE/PageMill_Resources/PUBLICATIONS/Designing%20%26%20Bldg.%20Domed%20Obs.pdf">construction of your own domed home observatory</a>. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I found this observatory while cruising north on CA-49 from Mari</i><i>p</i><i>osa to Sonora. This property was very close to where I saw the <a href="http://dalmdad.blogspot.com/2014/03/a-cockroach-imitating-horse.html">cock-roach posing horse</a>.</i><br />
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJj6-da6QBN8wtd577dOZUrNxP5yIu9ATNvZecnxUVy17fpd_4Yu9S36gQu7wWC7IzGbVuTz6Qm2e6H8ECeUMqtaGZatsbOTOJwqJrn4XQ5UXonNyHCbdMyJrAc77DNKtF5TcUNVtKsII/s1600/DSC_8219-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJj6-da6QBN8wtd577dOZUrNxP5yIu9ATNvZecnxUVy17fpd_4Yu9S36gQu7wWC7IzGbVuTz6Qm2e6H8ECeUMqtaGZatsbOTOJwqJrn4XQ5UXonNyHCbdMyJrAc77DNKtF5TcUNVtKsII/s1600/DSC_8219-2.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></i></div>
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1mpaoUbGG-dUMxuDokUM__othk3MOo7D2_9MUcn-2GRyuM5dYyDplRGmD0w5U53AI_zd6c305qI-5f6cTW4UPb065zy5z_sQ_lOu20upWnzKCU_IgJn3ZBRbnhESvkR5na0qIBGv3Zf8/s1600/DSC_8225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1mpaoUbGG-dUMxuDokUM__othk3MOo7D2_9MUcn-2GRyuM5dYyDplRGmD0w5U53AI_zd6c305qI-5f6cTW4UPb065zy5z_sQ_lOu20upWnzKCU_IgJn3ZBRbnhESvkR5na0qIBGv3Zf8/s1600/DSC_8225.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></i></div>
Steve Reisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09523817161666083575noreply@blogger.com0Mariposa County, CA, USA37.522559071749825 -120.0605704439453237.321360571749828 -120.38329394394532 37.723757571749822 -119.73784694394533tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171013216191459701.post-63217316636947568212014-04-03T19:24:00.002-07:002014-04-03T19:24:34.472-07:00Want Chips With that Dip?<i>by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad Landscape Photography - <a href="http://www.dalmdad.com/">www.dalmdad.com</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad">https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad</a>.)</i><br />
<br />
<i>Highway dips are usually worth a stop and look. </i><br />
<br />
<i><i>This big one, known as "The Texas Dip" , is located outside Borrego Springs near the CA-78/Borrego Springs Road junction.. The San Felipe Wash "flows" through here.</i></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZhawOBlmhnYFOSHPDedPDcKXqQnAXRprQXwMMMLDGiLiPWli6yUIki2qr-zG6yxdqQgx4zw92hBAnFTRkPbMFzGsJ_2FT-fz5yYMS2HSp0EG1WS2t8f3Fs4mVoZ1iCSdnQo31mIevVPg/s1600/20090321-DSC_0108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZhawOBlmhnYFOSHPDedPDcKXqQnAXRprQXwMMMLDGiLiPWli6yUIki2qr-zG6yxdqQgx4zw92hBAnFTRkPbMFzGsJ_2FT-fz5yYMS2HSp0EG1WS2t8f3Fs4mVoZ1iCSdnQo31mIevVPg/s1600/20090321-DSC_0108.jpg" height="456" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i></i>
<i>This dip is located in the Sierras, just west of Coulterville on CA-132.</i><br />
<i> </i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvaK78CZZgsKd8wm2Oone6erHtlKFwczF2B5sjRr5s7K_ccyTpq1uIqAs4t2JBoQL8A7DVMfxd-V0_rFCC5ACTs0WdxrqfpJEvq3PTv6eoBs_UvmWCZQGE4e4aBtYnBT1x5YKQOR2FqrE/s1600/DSC_8288.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvaK78CZZgsKd8wm2Oone6erHtlKFwczF2B5sjRr5s7K_ccyTpq1uIqAs4t2JBoQL8A7DVMfxd-V0_rFCC5ACTs0WdxrqfpJEvq3PTv6eoBs_UvmWCZQGE4e4aBtYnBT1x5YKQOR2FqrE/s1600/DSC_8288.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFkHwieQk3O3tYebQFxUQlop6KKF4CKGWJFto9mFuUJFM6wWQ2S26yQhaDmhMZaqNh4mjQTriGlYB8MyOGAvz8cUIvR29vQw9Q4w3zFDDOl21PeWVcWM16p_oar7ZaElM0VXovtS3HoHw/s1600/DSC_8300-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFkHwieQk3O3tYebQFxUQlop6KKF4CKGWJFto9mFuUJFM6wWQ2S26yQhaDmhMZaqNh4mjQTriGlYB8MyOGAvz8cUIvR29vQw9Q4w3zFDDOl21PeWVcWM16p_oar7ZaElM0VXovtS3HoHw/s1600/DSC_8300-2.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i><br /></i>
<i>***</i><br />
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<i>Know of any good dips?</i><br />
Steve Reisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09523817161666083575noreply@blogger.com0Borrego Springs, CA, USA33.254723305359015 -116.3681455449218433.201603305359015 -116.44882654492184 33.307843305359015 -116.28746454492185tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171013216191459701.post-63658640577441059632014-04-03T15:22:00.000-07:002014-04-03T15:22:04.866-07:00Opium Bar in Tiny Coulterville, CA<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad Landscape Photography - <a href="http://www.dalmdad.com/">www.dalmdad.com</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad">https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad</a>.)</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.yosemitegold.com/coulterville/index.html">Coulterville, CA</a> is a small town in the western Sierra Mountains, between <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariposa,_California">Mariposa</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonora,_California">Sonora</a>.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Coulterville <i>was </i>known for its very large "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinatown">Chinatown</a>" on the outskirts of the town. That Chinatown is thought to have included its very own opium bar.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.malakoff.com/goldcountry/mccvssws.htm">On the Sun Sun Wo Store</a>:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
The Sun Sun Wo Store is the lone remnant of one of
the Mother Lode’s largest Chinatowns.
Built in 1851, the store’s adobe walls were formed
of soil which came from its basement
excavation. Several inches of dirt were placed
over the beamed ceiling which helped insulate
those inside from winter cold and summer heat. It
also made the ceiling fire resistant which
accounts for the structure being one of the few
buildings in Coulterville to survive the 1899
fire intact. The store is named after its original
owners, Mow Da Sun and his son Sun Kow. It was
the largest store in Coulterville under Chinese
ownership, filling extensive orders from the
surrounding mines and ranches, not just the local
Chinatown. The store remained in continuous
operation from 1851 to 1926 and the original
shelves and counters are still inside. At the rear
of the building are storerooms, a blacksmith shop
and the store’s office. Strong evidence points
to part of the office being used as an opium den.
It is located on the corner of Kow and Main,
across from the goats.</span></span></h4>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The above is mostly drawn from the historical marker nearby. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.noehill.com/mariposa/poi_sun_sun_wo_company.asp">There are some older pictures of the place here.</a></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">These are my pictures of the Sun Sun Wo.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvVv_9m7d_gKVNecJ73-EDX2SH9wA6JqAwvZsqJDsCE1lh4Alj32h3iPARuY9XkuM12eqbMF2CXT5o42seTrhSLmF9aFxTKSxtbwrou2UYFqSCjeFZy76arrTXmx4bUVHXWhZRAPADnKM/s1600/DSC_8260.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvVv_9m7d_gKVNecJ73-EDX2SH9wA6JqAwvZsqJDsCE1lh4Alj32h3iPARuY9XkuM12eqbMF2CXT5o42seTrhSLmF9aFxTKSxtbwrou2UYFqSCjeFZy76arrTXmx4bUVHXWhZRAPADnKM/s1600/DSC_8260.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">October 2013</span></span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">November 2007</span></span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx8Q1iJhFSx6bgGrBo3nUFZ4wn_rnNZCx6wmznw-zCX_JfHafTI4siB6EDL3wmq_rLtPiqgdhjESzzHtBdQOXEPD4J89KMoSFE3QcewwIPTu8ZS_dTFLiVXye0fYpQ9bJBu1MjZ-uRty0/s1600/DSC_3824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx8Q1iJhFSx6bgGrBo3nUFZ4wn_rnNZCx6wmznw-zCX_JfHafTI4siB6EDL3wmq_rLtPiqgdhjESzzHtBdQOXEPD4J89KMoSFE3QcewwIPTu8ZS_dTFLiVXye0fYpQ9bJBu1MjZ-uRty0/s1600/DSC_3824.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">November 2007</span></span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Now, did you see that little comment about the Sun Sun Wo store being across from the goats? That is a timeless reference.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here is one of the goats back in 2007:</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9RgM_21NkIoTHFEQOUgn3zMDQuZ3yixLC2VdBfGJvQYhfs0CuqyhVLbowLgaoRmbOpQHj-gWrvW9cp9ejFvE4cf34dj3RljDQBinmtbI0L76_CJtqdsow-ainlrwfqPXf3hHl6Di0z-8/s1600/DSC_3819.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9RgM_21NkIoTHFEQOUgn3zMDQuZ3yixLC2VdBfGJvQYhfs0CuqyhVLbowLgaoRmbOpQHj-gWrvW9cp9ejFvE4cf34dj3RljDQBinmtbI0L76_CJtqdsow-ainlrwfqPXf3hHl6Di0z-8/s1600/DSC_3819.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDC6pey2y4g2RBtYj3YqFm1aP4GZsgRi-qeDtbvDYU5CF0YRPXLx2HKGvdYEsfrE-UtweHPOU7N5uq1b4cO_REZDf712zjmHnPiXo3sBzXyvIeijHXxDsg7Xj_Z0UQOm0JIEe1LW0-TlM/s1600/DSC_3820+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDC6pey2y4g2RBtYj3YqFm1aP4GZsgRi-qeDtbvDYU5CF0YRPXLx2HKGvdYEsfrE-UtweHPOU7N5uq1b4cO_REZDf712zjmHnPiXo3sBzXyvIeijHXxDsg7Xj_Z0UQOm0JIEe1LW0-TlM/s1600/DSC_3820+copy.jpg" height="258" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIgqFAHDpWtQQBIG_fYEgX61z-kfYZ8E5Z5g3aiSbC-AGm3HPU8-SrpA3UqOHS2llUIYbRjPaXxWZvSOgl21wxHG8SbK5yodx27GxxdZmZOsszIBmDewSMSvTsNXC1JO73qGVQl-qtfCg/s1600/DSC_3826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIgqFAHDpWtQQBIG_fYEgX61z-kfYZ8E5Z5g3aiSbC-AGm3HPU8-SrpA3UqOHS2llUIYbRjPaXxWZvSOgl21wxHG8SbK5yodx27GxxdZmZOsszIBmDewSMSvTsNXC1JO73qGVQl-qtfCg/s1600/DSC_3826.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And, here is one of the goats in 2013 along with its noisy cheerleaders. </span></b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMJ9vVIAsL_r4qjGTRP-C2mVOsh-fGoJNO78LHevCkyFuDp_VAymtjLZlV4euZ4KlbZAziFP8vvD7KEflJyrCDwc-nh_w1kdWYFqWeug2SgyJMv7Hk3QlodCRuJ4MK3O-KYITqKUrBS_U/s1600/DSC_8271-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMJ9vVIAsL_r4qjGTRP-C2mVOsh-fGoJNO78LHevCkyFuDp_VAymtjLZlV4euZ4KlbZAziFP8vvD7KEflJyrCDwc-nh_w1kdWYFqWeug2SgyJMv7Hk3QlodCRuJ4MK3O-KYITqKUrBS_U/s1600/DSC_8271-2.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIpIFRGj9EVfnZy8l0usYZaDNGM7H9IV0soyIHYdYd6eIGP236K_S1Iq8n6TU6PSX3mi3tdXOJ149ObbMQlZ9oNWgCQKwTxIyBnjcEC0HuwnZSMfED8tJjI03xsaegtKDsHDjUqIpEiq8/s1600/DSC_8268.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIpIFRGj9EVfnZy8l0usYZaDNGM7H9IV0soyIHYdYd6eIGP236K_S1Iq8n6TU6PSX3mi3tdXOJ149ObbMQlZ9oNWgCQKwTxIyBnjcEC0HuwnZSMfED8tJjI03xsaegtKDsHDjUqIpEiq8/s1600/DSC_8268.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0qspBznduyGiH8CRaojIcXJGGG6mYRlz058waMCqoTxhIGePUM0qF0rYTmqLJqyfn95IhsRIZo3X3667p6I2zXgdVUK1zWo0i7BE-kolROslDSkR1HPqgAWmbP0eyRDlxSk4rPjI0qr8/s1600/DSC_8272.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0qspBznduyGiH8CRaojIcXJGGG6mYRlz058waMCqoTxhIGePUM0qF0rYTmqLJqyfn95IhsRIZo3X3667p6I2zXgdVUK1zWo0i7BE-kolROslDSkR1HPqgAWmbP0eyRDlxSk4rPjI0qr8/s1600/DSC_8272.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8qmyNLh9hfcmHu_x2J0a2qPB8dHA6gXwzDEqxdcP8ypF3M7_kf3ZBHIFAdomQtDHVCocdGQP2xDeJ9t0wIEvBs12n_3XGNRGNfVCRho9myz124x7LVaUtnujyk7DXliy7SIanhCgoqeU/s1600/DSC_8277.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> ***</span></span></div>
Steve Reisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09523817161666083575noreply@blogger.com0Coulterville, CA, USA37.7107484 -120.1972129000000137.6605019 -120.27789390000001 37.7609949 -120.11653190000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171013216191459701.post-70249344925604908192014-03-31T19:25:00.000-07:002014-03-31T19:25:15.358-07:00A Cockroach Imitating Horse<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: black;">by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad
Landscape Photography - <a href="http://www.dalmdad.com/"><span style="color: black;">www.dalmdad.com</span></a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad"><span style="color: black;">https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad</span></a>.)</span></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><b>October 13, 2013: </b> I was driving north out of Mariposa, CA on CA-49; a drive I have done a couple of times. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">As I was zooming north, listening to <i>Masters of Reality</i> by Black Sabbath, I saw a couple of things I had never seen before. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">First, there was a beautiful white horse laying down in a field. Have to admit as a city-slicker, I don't think I ever saw a horse laying down. It actually worried me; was the horse sick or dead?</span></span></span><br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3p-NLSZ1y5bAdqvdhlE8FCujp58nMDXGF_6JPUOiJ5trpp_RSbnulpESjt8vKE1R7vI-rUwO_IGv6n3p0f6vDEtkSnM2Ypdarb6sIVWoUA5BtES3xWFp1fpboHllvh8p-nS96fdXwo4/s1600/DSC_8193.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi2MrXpa4GQpK2k4J-vXoDMgfMO9mvzG8RMplL4hhSpsL5IgNlGJl31N3Ky0o9J3d4PrAKFHDpB85enBAHuWYSZGrPE4Y3LKOKwafLWylcQsgRUEJEQf6iLCZiXa7kSeihGokbhdPKRr8/s1600/DSC_8210.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">So, I got out and watched the horse lay there in the field. I made some noises to try and get its attention so it would move and prove to me that it was not dead.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I caught its attention...</span></span><br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGYFDOJ3pP_RfjbAPhqWdTbAEYjkGvEWcXyXZAvjRRdjhgE67tA3Ltt7FHZ2aURjuM6IxXMu9j9YncnOf5oISkMeCPNox-nM8GxJNjCn-YfhcapSBboF-D07nFGzJXHmBNroIXL9_9ZPY/s1600/DSC_8199.jpg" height="434" width="640" /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">When the horse got up, it started rolling on its back in what, at least for dogs, we call the cockroach position. That I certainly never saw before.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd77LqQYfW1BRO7B6qHWtS2PBCoZJfpuJmDKhBBmGF9uYBKtV8btE8gHvf5UeJiUcihKKs82tcSu3kq1cW3BSTPdTPMdNeG-5pxAEhHb9H7tz0yCsZl1Q_TcriX2jFcmQHJeNk8GwDrdk/s1600/DSC_8211-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd77LqQYfW1BRO7B6qHWtS2PBCoZJfpuJmDKhBBmGF9uYBKtV8btE8gHvf5UeJiUcihKKs82tcSu3kq1cW3BSTPdTPMdNeG-5pxAEhHb9H7tz0yCsZl1Q_TcriX2jFcmQHJeNk8GwDrdk/s1600/DSC_8211-2.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Content with the vibrant health of this horse, I got back into the car and continued north...What did I see next? (coming soon).</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></span></span>Steve Reisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09523817161666083575noreply@blogger.com0Mariposa County, CA, USA37.5280047518368 -120.081169809179737.4776537518368 -120.1618508091797 37.578355751836796 -120.0004888091797tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171013216191459701.post-1694055716038111642014-03-29T15:57:00.000-07:002014-03-29T15:57:26.970-07:00Wildflowers 2014<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad Landscape Photography - <a href="http://www.dalmdad.com/">www.dalmdad.com</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad">https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad</a>.)</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We backroad explorers typically look forward to wildflower season (aka "spring"). When we had a wet winter and a continuing wet spring, our back roads (as well as main roads) become lined with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_G._Biv">ROY G BIV</a>s of the floral world.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In 2009, during our early years in southern California, there was an explosion of purple <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verbena">verbenas</a> of various types along Henderson Canyon Road near Peg Leg Road, outside <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borrego_Springs">Borrego Springs</a>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2009 full ocotillo blooming. Here, not only are the flowers blooming, but green is lining the branches.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Come 2014, wildflowers are not too widespread. I was lucky enough to happen to see some <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocotillo">ocotillos</a> blooming on the S-2, between Ocotillo and Scissors Crossing. However, all we get to see are the fierce thorns and the red flowers. </span></span><br />
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Steve Reisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09523817161666083575noreply@blogger.com0Ocotillo, CA 92259, USA32.7386713 -115.9941800000000332.6852478 -116.07486100000003 32.7920948 -115.91349900000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171013216191459701.post-51929221649932577932014-03-28T14:14:00.001-07:002014-03-28T14:14:28.769-07:00Nows and Thens in the Bighorn Sheep World<i>by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad Landscape Photography - <a href="http://www.dalmdad.com/">www.dalmdad.com</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad">https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad</a>.)</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The instinct of the members of the bighorn sheep herd is pretty consistent. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Whether the herd is crossing the road in 1956:</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFp8qLKf6c6y6m7oNFId06N9fnAl8FqZ7Ens3YCyFrEOij25TpDBLHkW1UsjGvcjHljGMkAZTVSljS6Ejnm4QfQJPkt3nOWLkM7K66XVMVh0ZkbbEvF0U1X6O4aiVJ3BDBo1Yam7_ABnk/s1600/Crossing007-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFp8qLKf6c6y6m7oNFId06N9fnAl8FqZ7Ens3YCyFrEOij25TpDBLHkW1UsjGvcjHljGMkAZTVSljS6Ejnm4QfQJPkt3nOWLkM7K66XVMVh0ZkbbEvF0U1X6O4aiVJ3BDBo1Yam7_ABnk/s1600/Crossing007-3.jpg" height="232" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZAsv49-_WSPdUurZP7pAWxZ7xXQ9_QcIPlQcpjtwwZfDJq2NOYcUfcXmXtO-F20T231ho1pR8OvDOWvAnn6dybhnUTd1czezOkwCLyAqPC75QHNyKxiJC3jFGNZeithmvSrYBzVWe_VI/s1600/Crossing007-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Or the herd is crossing the road in 2014:</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioxUdgNXnogUj2y8pfE1JOcYhu9JNIp4I0vz0upMXcCefA3d0C73wZ126UfgDOWzkvMiFmNagXD08ntNJEqlJg94lWkXJTvGP0IGhmH0AcmzaRefpCVBdT2bkbXVnCcK4zld-r56Qd6Uc/s1600/DSC_4666.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioxUdgNXnogUj2y8pfE1JOcYhu9JNIp4I0vz0upMXcCefA3d0C73wZ126UfgDOWzkvMiFmNagXD08ntNJEqlJg94lWkXJTvGP0IGhmH0AcmzaRefpCVBdT2bkbXVnCcK4zld-r56Qd6Uc/s1600/DSC_4666.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Or "Old Eighty" is looking down from her perch in 1956 (note broken horn):</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Vo8vRTr5Qi2Ft0EGSga0_p31x7M9qJFl88RHfZds_TKz_-lRfXasWd7qBHeFTnCf2JLFFwofu_Y7BzusMZCjsVnEEbzsI2VhZye5L_3BBpHtvKu2Un_fmzSxhK4oWjXv7DAruXVaf3Q/s1600/Staring008-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Vo8vRTr5Qi2Ft0EGSga0_p31x7M9qJFl88RHfZds_TKz_-lRfXasWd7qBHeFTnCf2JLFFwofu_Y7BzusMZCjsVnEEbzsI2VhZye5L_3BBpHtvKu2Un_fmzSxhK4oWjXv7DAruXVaf3Q/s1600/Staring008-3.jpg" height="320" width="249" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPUyNzfK7dFcaQgjWBBCpfAlN9YTlMZ_B6OvOdXRExtOXySceC0l8EHSWpBXdrUPdJsZ1AKvmiciNC0lVbpsnb2mBlo7Zpg_UfweYcaev_mc8JNcMrzGkTSGJl3rRMBiMF8xcFEPHZPy8/s1600/Staring008-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Or, an anonymous queen of the desert looking for her king to <a href="http://dalmdad.blogspot.com/2014/02/more-on-promiscuity-among-bighorn-sheep.html">mess around with</a>: </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHLsk9WcD5kwc1LkD7sthZeWjdySi45Q_dGdwtV9dRdSf30b4qcRgNx6VVkuFmUa6U5OExPVdp1KSl3TUi3OuWoImUxQV-FlYJuAU4afY_h3ilReuoWY4NfTYxBIYkEfObh2JZBrpgzQI/s1600/DSC_4594-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHLsk9WcD5kwc1LkD7sthZeWjdySi45Q_dGdwtV9dRdSf30b4qcRgNx6VVkuFmUa6U5OExPVdp1KSl3TUi3OuWoImUxQV-FlYJuAU4afY_h3ilReuoWY4NfTYxBIYkEfObh2JZBrpgzQI/s1600/DSC_4594-2.jpg" height="640" width="472" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Vintage photos from </i><i>Mountain Sheep: A Study in Behavior and Evolution (V. Geist 1971).</i></span></span>Steve Reisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09523817161666083575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171013216191459701.post-91147099714186553342014-03-23T15:52:00.001-07:002014-03-23T15:52:24.907-07:00Desert Center: Not Much the Center of Anywhere (Part 1 of 3)<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad Landscape Photography - <a href="http://www.dalmdad.com/">www.dalmdad.com</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad">https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad</a>.)</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Despite its name, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_Center,_California">Desert Center</a>, California, is not much the center of anything. Well, maybe it is the middle of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_Desert">Colorado Desert</a>, between <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indio,_California">Indio</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blythe,_California">Bylthe, CA</a>; but that is about it.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Desert Center's 'downtown' area, located just off the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I-10_%28CA%29">I-10</a> at CA-177 (Exit 192), is almost completely deserted except for the post office, which as can be seen here, has limited hours. There is also a quiet Caltrans maintenance station, not worthy of photography, a few steps away.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgALNaMIQiA-I7FtqvDHP572hpaGyaJOWT_Ebb-28uRSSMq5Agn0URYKfeKcHkqEhKC4hmb3zi-KkhPFJ5bjkDff5k1OmJFyddpp1kqD7OcayygRFqtP4NYXfjC_XuitL6LE5SP7iCIy3s/s1600/DSC_9658.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgALNaMIQiA-I7FtqvDHP572hpaGyaJOWT_Ebb-28uRSSMq5Agn0URYKfeKcHkqEhKC4hmb3zi-KkhPFJ5bjkDff5k1OmJFyddpp1kqD7OcayygRFqtP4NYXfjC_XuitL6LE5SP7iCIy3s/s1600/DSC_9658.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Besides the Caltrans station, there are basically three buildings remaining in the downtown area. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">First, there is the Desert Center Market, which despite the relatively fresh looking paint, is deserted and empty.</span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN0TS2gw5ubzk-o5mQXCvXRW_StpP7Ho9GKY2nKvKDloOy-ihE0g5tw_z1vbjV3RTOo0252zsg10xdrg8UjXCo_jiN8ym2Wmy46Pn9184oquSnmUggC1_OK6qjL-P0vVRR3ex0fG3lHX0/s1600/DSC_9653.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN0TS2gw5ubzk-o5mQXCvXRW_StpP7Ho9GKY2nKvKDloOy-ihE0g5tw_z1vbjV3RTOo0252zsg10xdrg8UjXCo_jiN8ym2Wmy46Pn9184oquSnmUggC1_OK6qjL-P0vVRR3ex0fG3lHX0/s1600/DSC_9653.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Next, there is the gas station at the intersection of CA-177 and Ragsdale Road, the main street through 'downtown'. Truckers use this empty gas station and the huge empty lot across the street to take a break and maybe catch a nap.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRto5VIWBlFIZRKwsN0hBB5yX8sqatfZf4x5qKxxoIH_VYRY-Tup_4PgiBqVhZKqxDRq-lvLNBGs3sCUFHJMxv0D7Qqd2U-OIQVYm0w9PXwIvJPeTN3n6twWQAUQd3MBN5Zc_dFx7npic/s1600/DSC_9664.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRto5VIWBlFIZRKwsN0hBB5yX8sqatfZf4x5qKxxoIH_VYRY-Tup_4PgiBqVhZKqxDRq-lvLNBGs3sCUFHJMxv0D7Qqd2U-OIQVYm0w9PXwIvJPeTN3n6twWQAUQd3MBN5Zc_dFx7npic/s1600/DSC_9664.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Across the road from the deserted market, is the recently (2012 or so; more to come) closed Desert Center Cafe and an attached gas station that appears to be deserted far longer. These adobe-style, poured concrete, buildings date back to 1921-27 (depending where you read; compare <a href="http://desertcenterchamberofcommerce.com/services_2.html">here</a> (1921) with <a href="http://desertcenterchamberofcommerce.com/history_4.html">here</a> (1927). In any event, these buildings date back to the original founding of Desert Center by the Ragsdale family. </span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdycnkrYbMDT0kjEm4ASOM-5ShFGJkqTpR5VPy69TFfHNDL0ZC3IDN4tBqOfxEIftTPRLbumlUJJgdBWSu3KyGwucxlD2dGEgjfhYYyFI8EUo2akFRSk7SOjfymHqnGEJ6TPctlCj5e30/s1600/DSC_9545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdycnkrYbMDT0kjEm4ASOM-5ShFGJkqTpR5VPy69TFfHNDL0ZC3IDN4tBqOfxEIftTPRLbumlUJJgdBWSu3KyGwucxlD2dGEgjfhYYyFI8EUo2akFRSk7SOjfymHqnGEJ6TPctlCj5e30/s1600/DSC_9545.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Looking across the road from the area of the post office</span></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1yBhCk34-cgPQDALSGyqWggxPkpKJrCO2Ul3kzaMO95aVKeT2zfIQBjzidEywlFb1tExRYxoU8O8w91uqDiNOlLgX-G5Yk1oUgWBMGkgKUinOBbTFIMqVg3gRYzWES9Ao827FM7Vt51Y/s1600/DSC_9603.jpg" height="424" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Closer view</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/desert-center-cafe-desert-center?filter_by_userid=True&select=Xwj_nZEfEOGoLitrw7psjw&userid=OGYUFOf-ZrRKHmTnWIberw#Xwj_nZEfEOGoLitrw7psjw">See here for an awesome view of this complex from 1953.</a></span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgub9BJciLn880QU7UmjslJV_sLQ0Le0ZOVPilUGXjgiMv763734DnW6Das2qOEHtB8Ug0OBfKDo5YMAGZWbVyFNIlQl7l7mdiKW1PgLJlvcK4PJL-MsHNapPj5vEF8AtN-mQIjduUXahI/s1600/DSC_9621.jpg" height="424" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Looking east, the cafe sign is well weathered...</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9_oyDnTNX01w91tieMArKyI4bzxc3Us6URC-LnZy79Bh3EG6V4saqPxke305sBf4EkMT3LWKdyBGflmFX5KvawUuUculba6UmjWQ4TL8dzIu0c7pyms1h1gz12rXaNaNHG01OdXFr-Do/s1600/DSC_9601.jpg" height="424" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Looking west, however, the sign looks pretty fresh...</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq8PaOTAxWdffqN4Tha-GLL9nQzYKJ-mgX3V7BitqDd8YbWnWyMvNoS7Yit-mwnh8-_CG6zZPrV7XuT1kR_U6IA05AkySLha6guatA-sSLkV7RZxyMbeI4Lml_35z7qmVd3bxRwofmxF4/s1600/DSC_9607.jpg" height="424" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">There is a totem pole next to the Cafe</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifNE9GSiWCuauqiWmia8aTaQTZHhGqFGzyepheazQXjV2ol-OzGM_CxBasVOHzyIFdxf0935k1IBLkoR5Dc7QrQFWd-LkMtsKluXtfVhPUyOhHjgwnSPhxSRrhxZysTA4YNRCWfDVIUzw/s1600/DSC_9612.jpg" height="320" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The totem pole depicts different desert animals, with the king of the desert animals, the desert bighorn ram, at its peak.</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The remains of the gas station are a mechanic's dream of sheet metal, worn paint, gears, springs, and wires...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoMtmStUeVRLny1Wqq03Y_LGmp1U6b9xRxUwYj84goakRLjaABOyP-65l5gfD9KtKnTbXY8NofzKxSduJpIB2WFTBebZ6rC6qMv-5wUjkTMx69FOF-xk0IZDYzfn-KCATcTZNNc1qYnPk/s1600/DSC_9546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoMtmStUeVRLny1Wqq03Y_LGmp1U6b9xRxUwYj84goakRLjaABOyP-65l5gfD9KtKnTbXY8NofzKxSduJpIB2WFTBebZ6rC6qMv-5wUjkTMx69FOF-xk0IZDYzfn-KCATcTZNNc1qYnPk/s1600/DSC_9546.jpg" height="248" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9_oyDnTNX01w91tieMArKyI4bzxc3Us6URC-LnZy79Bh3EG6V4saqPxke305sBf4EkMT3LWKdyBGflmFX5KvawUuUculba6UmjWQ4TL8dzIu0c7pyms1h1gz12rXaNaNHG01OdXFr-Do/s1600/DSC_9601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5opdXoibY5gaK4X9dMSJLTGKsmmHCZwVt9tgTuz98Wf-Bz93qndaD3pPthPAGvgEMlYbPJWmY66gQfeDnuirP6TV377x7rxDaaQoM2XwzQdvf4VHzJyjbJal0dqDtisrwgvkvU-f5NuM/s1600/DSC_9625.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5opdXoibY5gaK4X9dMSJLTGKsmmHCZwVt9tgTuz98Wf-Bz93qndaD3pPthPAGvgEMlYbPJWmY66gQfeDnuirP6TV377x7rxDaaQoM2XwzQdvf4VHzJyjbJal0dqDtisrwgvkvU-f5NuM/s1600/DSC_9625.jpg" height="640" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Remember the days when gas pumps did not have a dollar indicator and the pump price had to be doubled?</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN0TS2gw5ubzk-o5mQXCvXRW_StpP7Ho9GKY2nKvKDloOy-ihE0g5tw_z1vbjV3RTOo0252zsg10xdrg8UjXCo_jiN8ym2Wmy46Pn9184oquSnmUggC1_OK6qjL-P0vVRR3ex0fG3lHX0/s1600/DSC_9653.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">There is also an abandoned caboose sitting near the cafe, across the road from the post office.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Coming soon...inside the abandoned cafe?</span></span>Steve Reisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09523817161666083575noreply@blogger.com1Desert Center, CA, USA33.7133313 -115.4004287000000233.6076978 -115.56179020000002 33.8189648 -115.23906720000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171013216191459701.post-74578612925557518062014-03-01T15:12:00.000-08:002014-03-01T15:12:27.184-08:00A Cast of Bighorn Sheep Characters<i>by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad Landscape Photography - <a href="http://www.dalmdad.com/">www.dalmdad.com</a> and </i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad.">https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad.</a><i>)</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In 1961, <i>The Bighorn of Death Valley, </i>the results of a landmark study on the subject, was published by the Department of the Interior.<i> </i>The report, over 240 pages long, was the culmination of almost 1700 hours of field observation of bighorns; primarily in the Black and Funeral Mountains of Death Valley, between 1954 and 1961.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The report, while dry at times, has some fun information and pictures for those fascinated with the desert bighorn. From time to time, I intend to present tidbits from the report here on our blog.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIkav78eu9SjCGAxmkaMn0UX2sZAgPi82GXtbZ7e3eXytij2w68_3P8-GfKhUTZqJPrL3nBO26RLPTbKnqaolpXhcWYuUSQV7O4ig7aAlzEL1L49RIkqVf6HXfyan4eJUw5_WvltC1gRg/s1600/bighorn-cover001-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIkav78eu9SjCGAxmkaMn0UX2sZAgPi82GXtbZ7e3eXytij2w68_3P8-GfKhUTZqJPrL3nBO26RLPTbKnqaolpXhcWYuUSQV7O4ig7aAlzEL1L49RIkqVf6HXfyan4eJUw5_WvltC1gRg/s1600/bighorn-cover001-3.jpg" height="320" width="215" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cover of the report</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The report starts by listing the "identification names" of the 51 bighorns that were observed on a regular basis.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Some of the more amusing and creative names were:</span></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Black and Tan (ram)</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Kinky (ram; had kinks in both its horns)</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Knocker (ram)</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Rambunctious (ram; great pun)</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Stranger (ram)</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Brokeoff (ewe; one horn broken off)</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Old Mama's Lamb (lamb)</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Badboy (lamb)</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A complete list of the names of the 51 bighorns are shown below.</span><br />
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<br />Steve Reisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09523817161666083575noreply@blogger.com0Death Valley National Park, Death Valley, CA 9232836.5053891 -117.0794081999999934.8714681 -119.6611952 38.1393101 -114.49762119999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171013216191459701.post-3827832299282310202014-02-26T14:22:00.000-08:002014-02-26T14:22:21.845-08:00Pleased to be Published In a New Book About Death Valley<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><b>by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad Landscape Photography - <u><a href="http://www.dalmdad.com/" style="text-decoration: none;">www.dalmdad.com</a></u> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad">https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad</a>.)</b></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We
are pleased to belatedly announce that we were actually paid to have one of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/94952516@N00/8736267821/in/photolist-eiZE4g-6bdrVb-6bdrQJ">our desert tortoise pictures</a> to be included in <a href="http://www.rionuevo.com/book.php?book_isbn=9781933855875">Death Valley: Hottest Place on Earth, by Roger Naylor</a>. We have looked over the book and are pleased to be associated with it and endorse it to our readers and followers. The book is in large format softcover, heavy gloss paper, and full color. The images range from small pictures like ours, to full page dramatic and panoramic shots. The text subjects are interesting and well organized.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The book is available from the link above at <a href="http://www.rionuevo.com/index.php">Rio Nuevo Publishers</a> out of Tuscon, for $12.95.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAapLrBxK3ADIpurt0YTUtwXlToPYQ7NmttxHOTuM59zLwV2alqX1STOpVpwb-TByfsl3Xq3Tvk7ItS3ZR2S3_hjWsbStvyOJhCdUM2uMjGMyPKFjtYD-qKOLTV8U60pdq2JAauTuamgQ/s1600/TortCheck010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAapLrBxK3ADIpurt0YTUtwXlToPYQ7NmttxHOTuM59zLwV2alqX1STOpVpwb-TByfsl3Xq3Tvk7ItS3ZR2S3_hjWsbStvyOJhCdUM2uMjGMyPKFjtYD-qKOLTV8U60pdq2JAauTuamgQ/s400/TortCheck010.jpg" height="400" width="307" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Our photo is down in the lower left corner of p. 71.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGvcgTNJNhQoUsFjEAHMQhY6E36EunlRFSJMh1zNt-06lVFl8vskk4BH452aU19YPTIITF3ExJfhUIwNWqJMw5W3QB0Kh4JpF1yf0bcbyZcuChF8zWYlLJQOTK_baXcOEajSCvRq9AObs/s1600/TortCheck011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGvcgTNJNhQoUsFjEAHMQhY6E36EunlRFSJMh1zNt-06lVFl8vskk4BH452aU19YPTIITF3ExJfhUIwNWqJMw5W3QB0Kh4JpF1yf0bcbyZcuChF8zWYlLJQOTK_baXcOEajSCvRq9AObs/s640/TortCheck011.jpg" height="640" width="465" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And our credit....</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmy7UE8H0P2oA6b8dMw4xRGJPqPvRpP4_3naq9DDONLAAJ93_DEqv-i54JywSQ9RS5WBskxXzXk8hV_f1sVyJPQyL2tmyuWDPHPa5uvNdjnig5Kg-xDK4BJ9CpIR8EU_zUHvFL4v3rw5I/s1600/TortCheck008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgznSGAHU4CKxoFufzwcQgCkv84wa69z1guR8DgSBTTub8fqwg6hq5e8fQipkeMzTzvQPnEzMWGqupC8Wi_Fl2Ub6uMccGeYVXXDjMW6TE9OSH1GYHLIF9VSW96Hn7NJVrB70Gt_H3hciw/s1600/TortCheck009.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgznSGAHU4CKxoFufzwcQgCkv84wa69z1guR8DgSBTTub8fqwg6hq5e8fQipkeMzTzvQPnEzMWGqupC8Wi_Fl2Ub6uMccGeYVXXDjMW6TE9OSH1GYHLIF9VSW96Hn7NJVrB70Gt_H3hciw/s640/TortCheck009.jpg" height="640" width="201" /> </a></div>
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Note: Our desert tortoise picture was not taken at Death Valley. Rather, the picture was taken at the <a href="http://www.tortoise-tracks.org/wptortoisetracks/visting-the-dtrna/">Desert Tortoise Natural Area</a>, outside California City, CA, in the western Mojave Desert. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dalmdad/sets/72157641577729475/">Click here for more of our pictures from the DTNA</a>.<br />
<br />Steve Reisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09523817161666083575noreply@blogger.com0Desert Tortoise Natural Area, Cantil, CA 93519, USA35.3042427 -117.8516564000000235.2783262 -117.89199690000002 35.330159200000004 -117.81131590000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171013216191459701.post-87012709805690809392014-02-24T20:14:00.000-08:002014-02-26T13:38:59.437-08:00The Less Dramatic Colorado River Crossings<i>by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad Landscape Photography - <a href="http://www.dalmdad.com/">www.dalmdad.com</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad.">https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad.</a>)</i><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I recently wrote about <a href="http://dalmdad.blogspot.com/2014/02/geograstrotrivial-question-about-new.html">the Colorado River crossings in the Page, Arizona area of the Arizona strip</a>. Those river crossings consisted of dramatic steel arch bridges spanning hundreds of feet above the river.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the Colorado River areas south of Las Vegas (Hoover Dam); down through <a href="http://dalmdad.blogspot.com/2014/01/not-all-our-trips-are-worthy-of-envy-or.html">Laughlin, Nevada</a>; <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/94952516@N00/3669176226/in/photolist-6Aeug5">Needles, California</a>; Lake Havasu City and <a href="http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=94952516@N00&q=parker%20dam">Parker, Arizona</a>; Blythe, California, and down to Yuma, Arizona. We face a totally different environment as the river is fairly level with the terrain, but for the man-made levees used for flood control. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">These two bridges attach California with Cibola, Arizona and the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge. I will write more on the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge at another time. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgygR7x2Dqd2Wdq1SU3LGOhy6JVSxGC4awa1NLw71oLL4A68Qr2V7ZJ5h8KVjgzL7Ryjt_OjGOsm0XY-hghS02ooapH5sJedKPI0oNwxuIFGr1pCofprv156Ujl8Ik9svgZlV0-q03F9fM/s1600/DSC_9847.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgygR7x2Dqd2Wdq1SU3LGOhy6JVSxGC4awa1NLw71oLL4A68Qr2V7ZJ5h8KVjgzL7Ryjt_OjGOsm0XY-hghS02ooapH5sJedKPI0oNwxuIFGr1pCofprv156Ujl8Ik9svgZlV0-q03F9fM/s1600/DSC_9847.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Crossing the Colorado River at Cibola, AZ</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfigySH0C6xYe-bU0mBk7z9kMD7vBXZYSp9Sg4RDmbnsU_ZQ7feGV18rh31HCL4XpAH3Wn4ufV8kkhG0mpo2j78CzfKjTJUI8xrzFhwQ4bHEcsYdqRnqEGGvQvBD2qgwNt03qfFA7cyJ0/s1600/DSC_9706.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfigySH0C6xYe-bU0mBk7z9kMD7vBXZYSp9Sg4RDmbnsU_ZQ7feGV18rh31HCL4XpAH3Wn4ufV8kkhG0mpo2j78CzfKjTJUI8xrzFhwQ4bHEcsYdqRnqEGGvQvBD2qgwNt03qfFA7cyJ0/s1600/DSC_9706.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Looking North Up The Colorado River From Cibola, AZ (California on far side)</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Crossing the Colorado River at Oxbow Lake, CA</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Looking Up the Colorado River From the deck of the Oxbow Lake Bridge</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Trolling Oxbow Lake, CA</span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></td></tr>
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</i>Steve Reisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09523817161666083575noreply@blogger.com0Cibola, AZ, USA33.3164215 -114.6649570000000233.210322999999995 -114.82631850000001 33.42252 -114.50359550000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171013216191459701.post-26825765839752012732014-02-23T15:48:00.001-08:002014-02-23T15:48:37.831-08:00On Bighorn Sheep Pellets, Poop, and Scat...<i>by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad Landscape Photography - www.dalmdad.com and https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad.)</i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A Ewe Dropping Some Pellets While Running Along a Rock Outcropping</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">On Bighorn Sheep Pellets, Poop, and Scat...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bighorn pellets may be deposited singly or in clusters. They may be strung out if the animal was walking or lie in a group if the animal was standing or lying down. They vary in shape, from a tiny apple seed to the large chocolate drop with attenuated tip and an indentation on the bottom.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Exterior color may be black, brown, or sometimes green and interior color may be green or brown. Some may have a pattern of alternating dark brown and light green. Pellets are mount externally when first dropped but soon dry to a varnished finish. They are dry internally, however, even when fresh.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fred Jones says, to him, bighorn pellets are indistinguishable from those of domestic sheep and goats. He knows of no method by which bighorn and deer droppings can be consistently distinguished.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Determining the age of desert bighorn pellets is uncertain because of the variation in color, consistency, and degree of external varnish at the time of defecation and because of variation in weathering rates.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The figure of average pellets groups per acre provides a population-related index to average animal density.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The size of the pellets, generally, but not always, is related to the size of the animal. However, lambs dropping big loads and rams dropping small loads are not unknown.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">...from Fred L. Jones, "Sign Reading and Field Identification", from <u>The Desert Bighorn</u> (Edited by Monson and Sumner) (1980)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">More tidbits about pellets...</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Pellets are probably the least understood and most misleading single factor in sign reading.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> The Nelson bighorn leave remarkably few droppings behind them.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Freshness is of great importance in dropping analysis; and since there is very little moisture left in them when fresh, there is no way to tell how old they are except by seeing them drop.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> The daily incidence of defecation is assumed by some to be about the same as in deer and domestic sheep, or around 14 times daily. However, the difference in the use of food in the acquisition and conservation of water precludes the validity of this assumption.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">...from Welles, et al, <u>The Bighorn of Death Valley</u> (1961) </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL7iSBxV7bLwBDX-Na14t9MGz23dm4FAtrcu6k6lWAhoJqAP8-FZC7RAKU88KaItLgZ0wGuJA2vQ_yUfIzy2KUJPBmHPcgsHv1qQ65otz122ccYct-Py_t-E1wobnvDDikUpzxbYaAkRs/s1600/DSC_4507.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
Steve Reisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09523817161666083575noreply@blogger.com0Zzyzx, CA, USA35.1430556 -116.104166700000019.6210210999999966 -157.4127607 60.6650901 -74.795572700000008tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-171013216191459701.post-54972332414998398692014-02-20T12:26:00.003-08:002014-02-20T12:26:59.016-08:00More On The Promiscuity Among Bighorn Sheep: Or, While The Big Boys Fight it Out, I will Take My Chances!<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>by Steve Reiss (Dalmdad Landscape Photography - </i></b><a href="http://www.dalmdad.com/"><b><i>www.dalmdad.com</i></b></a><b><i> and </i></b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad"><b><i>https://www.facebook.com/Dalmdad</i></b></a><b><i>.)</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">More on the subject of <a href="http://dalmdad.blogspot.com/2014/01/promiscuity-among-big-horn-sheep.html">promiscuity among bighorn sheep</a>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">***</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bighorn sheep are promiscuous rather than polygamous, in their breeding habits, the rams being indiscriminate in their selection of a mate and the ewes accepting copulation by more than one male. According to one researcher, "Most, and perhaps all, ewes are bread many times during the receptive period, not only by different rams, but quite often several times by the same ram within a very few minutes." Acceptance in copulation of several different rams was witnessed as two different rams copulated with the same ewe within the space of seconds.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">During breeding activity there is much chasing of ewes by rams. One researcher noticed that chases starting with 1 ewe and 1 ram often ended with as many as 11 rams in pursuit.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In one herd (harem), each of two rams was observed to copulate with the same ewe in the course of 20 minutes.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In another siting, 6 mature rams attempted to breed one ewe. The ewe accepted at least three different rams in copulation several times.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">On another occasion, 3 rams attempted mating with 1 ewe. Two rams, were large, mature animals of about the same size, whereas one was much younger. While the ewe was receiving much attention from the older rams, the younger individual did not approach more than 50 feet from the group. Each of the older rams made repeated attempts to mount the ewe, only to have the other ram interfere. On two occasions, both rams attempted to mount the ewe at the same time, the last of which terminated in vigorous battles taking place over 20 minutes. Meanwhile, the fighting of the two larger rams allowed the younger ram to successfully copulate with the ewe.</span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">One ram can serve perhaps 10 to 20 ewes. </span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">From <i>The Bighorn Sheep in the United States </i>by Helmut Buechner (1960).</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Where can I find a good time around here?"</span></span></td></tr>
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Steve Reisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09523817161666083575noreply@blogger.com0Zzyzx, CA, USA35.1430556 -116.104166700000019.6210210999999966 -157.4127607 60.6650901 -74.795572700000008