More Dreams

Fri. 11.09.18 – Last night I had more bizarre dreams that bordered on nightmarish. It was truly cold here in Mammoth, with the low of 12F / -11C, and El Coache’s heater worked overtime to keep the internal temps around 54F / 12C. As a result, every time the heater cycled back on – loudly – I vaguely woke up. When one is roused from sleep on a regular basis, one tends to remember most of the dreams from the REM sleep one does get.

In last night’s case, it was dreams of other people hitting my rental car and me being stranded with a rental car employee yelling at me about my insurance. Somehow, in each dream, Family Hernandez (Alex, Paige, the boys, and Penny Laine) showed up to drive me home and rescue me from bad rental car employees.

My brain on anti-histamines and being woken up by an RV heater is a rather frightening place. And yes, with all of my serious allergy problems of recent years, I am a daily or twice daily anti-histamine taker – I like living.

I am renting a car next Wednesday and plan to pull two sets of rental car insurance, just in case – as Alex and Paige may not be available to pick me up.

Furthermore, I am wearing ear plugs tonight.

Just Before Dawn on All Saints Day, or Getting Up Too Early to Photograph the Sunrise at Mackerel Cove

Sparky sitting nicely, waiting for a treat Sunrise at Mackerel Cove beach

Thurs. 11.01.18 – To a person who is not yet on East Coast Daylight time, but instead still three hours behind in Pacific Daylight time, waking up at 6:40am in Rhode Island to be out at Mackerel Cove beach to photograph the sunrise and dogs running free at low tide was a bit of a difficult thing to do – though it was well worth it.

The air was cold, 30-something degrees fahrenheit – hat, gloves, and a jacket were needed. The sun rose slowly, with the first pink light reflections on the wet low tide line at 6:50am. For the next twenty or so minutes, Sparky the black lab ran happily after her ball while Kenji the island dog poked along the high tide kelp piles for edibles, as the clouds lying low in packed cotton ball formation in the eastern sky turned from gray to pink to neon pink-orange-yellow to the sun rising over the trees and houses on the east side of the cove. From 6:50am to 7:18am, it was magical.

Photos taken by Ms. Jen with her Nikon D850 and a 50mm lens.

Pygmy Nuthatches at the Dripping Faucet

Pygmy Nuthatches at the Dripping Faucet

Sat. 10.20.18 – Once again the pygmy nuthatches returned to the water faucet today and I was prepared with my Nikon D850 and a 300mm f/4 lens. I was further prepared by optimizing the fn button on the front of the D850 to switch image size between FX and DX crop so that I would get more reach to take a nice photo(s) of any birds at the water faucet.

This photo makes me happy.

Fisherman’s Cabin in the Aspens

Fri. 10.19.18 – After exploring a few days ago the old Sherwin Creek Road – part cracked pavement and mostly dirt – between Mammoth Creek park and where Laurel Creek meets Hwy. 395, and returning this morning when the light was just right my Mom and I discovered a gate where in one could park next to, hop over and then walk up an old lane along Laurel Creek’s beautiful aspen trees. Less than a quarter mile up this dirt road ended and there was a gate to the right next to the creek with a large sign that said “No Trespassing”.

This was the delight(s) waiting for the trespasser on the other side of the gate and the creek. Photo taken by Ms. Jen between with gate slats.

Two Sides to Every Chipmunk…

Sunbathing Chipmunk, front Sunbathing Chipmunk, back

Thurs. 10.18.18 – I have fallen in love with my Nikon 300mm f/4 prime lens that I recently obtained, it truly is a delight of a long reach lens. The photos it takes are clear, the lens is light and easy to hand hold on my Nikon D850 camera.

I was twenty plus feet away from this Yellow-pine Chipmunk and I still got a good set of photos, albeit a bit de-saturated, with this lens through a heavily tinted dusty window.

Double click on the photos to see them in a gallery, and then click on the icon in the top right to see them at full resolution.

Enjoy.

Convict Creek Aspens

Wed. 10.17.18 – The beautiful golden leaved aspens at the delta where the Convict Creek meets Convict Lake. The light through the autumnal leaves was amazing in this space.

Photo by Ms. Jen with her Nikon D850 with a 50mm lens.

Strange Dreams

Sun. 10.14.18 – This morning I woke up every hour after three in the morning with strange dreams that involved my favorite bath towels disappearing as I folded them while doing laundry.

I have four red bath towels and wash clothes. I fold the wash clothes into the towel fold, so they do not get lost when I store them in the cupboard.

I am not afraid of nightmares or disturbing dreams, but the dream of my towels disappearing as I folded them kept coming back every time I fell back to sleep.

Odd but true.

Silver Lake in its Autumnal Glory

Silver Lake in its Autumnal Glory

Sat. 10.13.18 – This afternoon, my Mom and I decided to take a drive around the June Lakes Loop to see the aspen trees in their autumn glory of golden tones. While the trees are a bit far on the opposite bank of Silver Lake, the over all view is most glorious from the boat ramp area of the lake.

Photo taken by Ms. Jen with her camera phone.