“for whatever we lose (like a you or a me), it’s always our self we find in the sea.”
~e.e. cummings
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I’ll be off next week, but back on April 2nd. Great weekend, everyone!
{carole}
Beach Walk
Leo Carillo Ranch, Part II
So, back at the ranch. . . .
The Flying LC brand can be seen throughout the property.
Part of the hacienda. The landscaping is really well done. . . .
I believe these flowers are alstroemeria, but I’ve never seen them growing outdoors, or with variegated foliage.
Orange trees thrive near the hacienda
and in the open
What we weren’t expecting to see:
A white peacock, my first.
A few seconds later, he was on the roof:
Traditional peacocks are all over the grounds. I’d never been around birds that tame and hadn’t seen them up close. One of them was showing off in a big way. . . .
He kept turning as I was shooting,
all the while making a buzzing sound with his feathers.
Finally, I saw what he looked like in the back. These feathers were moving the whole time too:
Usually peacocks are skittish and run as soon as you get close. This bird didn’t mind the camera one bit.
According to Wikipedia, The Cisco Kid was the first television program to be filmed in color. By 1955, it was the most popular TV show for kids in the U.S. The series also had the first Hispanic actors; Desi Arnaz would come along a year later.
Hope your week’s going well so far. . . .
{carole}
Posted in photography
Tagged blue French doors, California, Leo Carillo Ranch, orange trees, white peacock
13 Comments
Leo Carillo Ranch, Part I
Ever heard of a film called The Gay Desperado?
Didn’t think so. How about a fifties television show, The Cisco Kid?
Someone by the name of Leo Carillo starred in both, and his ranch is about 25 miles north of San Diego. I was really surprised to learn that Carillo was in his 70s when he did the TV show, because he rides a fast horse in the episodes and looks much younger. You can watch a film about him in the old barn that’s now a visitor center.
Carillo took an existing 1880s ranch and renovated the buildings and landscaping from 1937-1940. He wanted a retreat from the hubbub of Hollywood. The ranch is open to the public–free admission–and it’s kind of like going back in time.
Carriage House, Tack Shed and Cantina. I took the photo of the cowboy hat from the last post here.
A close-up of the cantina window.
I love this kind of cactus.
The house or hacienda is pretty modest by today’s standards.
The pool cabana and pump house, which looks like a garden shed up close:
Clark Gable and Carole Lombard were guests of Carillo’s.
A detail on one of the courtyard walls of the hacienda.
I am unable to pass a bougainvillea without photographing it. Especially when it’s in late afternoon sun.
More on Tuesday. . . .have a great weekend, everyone!
{carole}
Posted in photography
Tagged 1930s ranch, bougainvillea, cabana, cactus, cantina, Leo Carillo Ranch, swimming pool
14 Comments
Experimenting with Diptic
I’ve had the Diptic app on my iPhone for a while now, but never used it. IPhone photos are so small, I didn’t see the benefit, especially for posting on Instagram. Then I realized I could use it to display instagrams on the blog. . . .
The first and last photos were taken at an old ranch; the second at the beach, and the third in our backyard. We have a beautiful giant bird of paradise that’s doing really well. It hasn’t flowered yet, but hopefully this year.
The Diptic app is very easy to use. You just select a layout, then the photos you want and Diptich does all the rest. There are may layouts to choose from, but I think I’ll stick to the standard two- or four-photo ones.
Hope your week’s going well so far. . . .
{carole}
Posted in photography
Tagged beach, blue door, California, cowboy hat, Diptic app, Giant bird of paradise, Instagram, padlock
12 Comments
Jade
Until I moved to California, I thought jade plants (Crassula ovata) were nice little houseplants that just looked green and waxy. I was so surprised to see them flowering, and growing outdoors, and as big as shrubs. I took these on a beautiful day last week when the light was turning golden.
Great weekend, everyone!
{carole}
Posted in photography
Tagged afternoon light, bokeh, California, Crassula ovata, jade blossoms
7 Comments
Torrey Pines
One of my favorite places in San Diego County–Torrey Pines Reserve. You can walk along cliffs that overlook the ocean, and you can see for miles. The land mass on the left in the distance is Catalina Island. I took more photos, so will do a longer post in the future.
I’m away this week, so won’t be able to comment. Hope you’re all doing well!
{carole}
Old Town Temecula
A couple of weekends ago, we drove up to Temecula and wandered around the shops in Old Town. Temecula is kind of a mix of Old West and wine country. The merchandise pretty much ran the gamut. . . .
Valentine’s Day holdovers.
A funky outdoor pottery shop with fountains, birdbaths and items like this:
I have no idea what this stuff is, but I assume it has to do with horses.
A nod to the surrounding wine country. I’m not sure if it’s actual wine or colored water coming out of the bottle.
There’s a hot air balloon festival in Temecula every summer and I’m hoping to make it this year. We used to see balloons flying over our house when I lived in San Diego before and I never got tired of them. Has anyone been up in a hot air balloon? I’d love to do it sometime.
A frou-frou boutique with a romantic bedroom. . .
I’m guessing you’ve never seen a lampshade made from a crinoline?
I stopped in my tracks when I saw this gorgeous import:
It’s a Jaguar, but I don’t know the year. The vintage pickup across the street was pretty cool too.
Can we say pristine? I can’t imagine parallel parking this on a busy street.
Finally, some more flowering pear blossoms. I shot this in the shade and am liking the blue tones. . . .
Great weekend, everyone! We’re going away next week, but I’ll post a photo or two.
{carole}
Pie, Roses and a Bad Ending
Looking through photos the other night, I realized I hadn’t uploaded my shots from Valentine’s Day.
Here’s the dessert we shared:
Banana cream pie with a chocolate crust, topped with salted caramel. It was actually as good as it looks.
My husband surprised me with beautiful pastel roses:
(A Florabella action was applied to this one.)
So, any other Downton Abbey fans out there? {SPOILER ALERT! Stop reading if you’re not caught up on the series.}
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I’m so disappointed that Matthew was killed off. And so soon after Sybil died. What made it worse? The PBS pledge drive right after the finale. I’m guessing they didn’t get a lot of contributions that night. Evidently Dan Stevens couldn’t be persuaded to stay. Same with the Sybil character.
I’ve now moved on to another BBC series, Call the Midwife, which is outstanding. You can watch the first season for free here. Warning: the childbirth scenes can be pretty harrowing. Be prepared to weep too.
The characters are all beautifully cast. Remember the horrible Trunchbull from Matilda? She’s one of the nuns at the convent where the midwives live.
I have always had the greatest respect for nurses; now I have even more after watching this series.
Great weekend, everyone!
{carole}
Posted in photography
Tagged banana cream pie with salted caramel, dessert, French bistro chair, roses
18 Comments
Blossoms Found
We may not have cherry blossoms out here in California, but we do have flowering pear trees. I’m so glad I thought to photograph them before last night, because we had a pretty severe rainstorm and most of the blossoms are gone now.
Pyrus calleryana or Callery pear tree produces fruit, but it’s very small and hard and only appeals to birds.
I added a cross-processing filter to this one.
Great weekend, everyone!
{carole}
Posted in photography
Tagged Callery pear, cross processing, flowering pear trees, Pyrus calleryana, white blossoms
18 Comments
La Valencia
One of my favorite landmarks in La Jolla is La Valencia Hotel on Prospect Street. It reminds me of old hotels in movies from the forties.
The hotel opened in 1926 and is nicknamed the “Pink Lady.”
Standing in the lobby, you can see a plate glass window at the other end. It overlooks La Jolla Cove with this view:
At the front of the hotel, there’s a patio with lots of plants and tables. A great place for Sunday brunch. . . .
One of my Flickr contacts commented that her parents honeymooned at the hotel during World War II. So romantic.
{carole}
Pearls & Prose 