I Took Willa to My New Happy Place

I am extremely happy to report that it is still My New Happy Place Thrilled, actually!  And since that day I went with Willa, I have been back twice more.  I am so in love with this trail.


Last month, while Willa was visiting, we found the perfect afternoon to explore My New Happy Place (which will get a new name, as soon as I think of one.......).  It was just Willa and I and her two youngest......and my good camera this time.  The olders chose to stay at home.......and my Malachy was at baseball practice. 

It was SO lovely!!!

I know I posted pictures on my original blog post.....but those were with the iPhone camera......and while they may have been pretty good considering......these are better. 

Please indulge me.  With zoom and macro........these pictures are much better quality and more interesting.  Plus, the sky looked different on this day.....no rain!  It was the same time of day for both of the photo shoots, interestingly enough. Oh, wow.  I just looked at the orginal photos.  There is no comparison.  Those other photos are dull, flat.  wow.  what a difference.

I know there are a lot.....and this is only about half of what I have.  :) 

But do not miss the one at the very bottom.  My last shot is celestial. A gift from God. 

It is amazing what He can do with dirt dust and the sun.

The bridge below was recently completed.....maybe two years ago.  It took me all of that time to come over and see it. It is quite a photogenic bridge.  Every step you take provides a new angle.  I only snapped a few of them.  My niece was just visiting with her SLR camera and she kept snapping away at all of the different angles, too.  Camera nuts just cannot help themsleves.  :)

I stopped the car on the road to take the first picture.

The first view of the bridge is stunning.....

...especially with such a gorgeous landscape. 

Who says a manmade lake cannot be stunning?

Walking toward the bridge....Willa & boys

This is the only peek at Mt Shasta from this part of the trail.

Taken from the bridge.

Again, taken from the bridge. 

That white fuzz near the trees is Mt Shasta.

An adorable tiny island seen from the bridge.

The view south from the bridge.

That leads out to the largest part of the lake.

Those rocks are one of my favorite views in the area.....from wherever I am.

But I cannot for the life of me, remember their names!

They are not too far from The Crags, Castle Crags, to be specific.

(The Crags need their own post.....must go back for more pictures...

.....or find past snapshots.)

Yarrow

California Poppies

The reflections in the lake from the surronding flora & sky are stunning....

....sometimes you can see that in the pictures.

Like a perfect mirror.

Take note of that in many of the pictures that follow.

Most are views along the trail.

I only took some of the views, not all.

More yarrow.
It photographs so well, I cannot help myself.

I do not know what these are........I love the holes.
They look like they belong on a scrapbbok page. :)

Do you have these where you live?

Indian paintbrush

I do nto know what this is, the flower, but that is a bumble bee.

These Indian paintbrush are so pretty in a large group.

This photo disappointed me in the fact that I could not make the flowers stand out.

Much prettier in person.

This is my second favorite photograph of this bunch. 

My favorite is the last one taken this day on this trail.

And here again, in a portrait style....

I had to take it both ways.

I like both!

I took three different angles of this plant....

.....name escapes me at this moment.

One

Two

Three

I love to take pictures of the sun.

Pictures with the sun sometimes turn out to be my best shots.

The sun certainly adds flair!

Sweet pea.......may favorite local flower

Looking back on the trail.....

I love oak leaves.

I take pictures of them frequently.

Silly.

Bachelor's buttons
a cute flower

Sweet peas
the flowers bloom from these pods

Ladybug....yeah

Bachelor's Button

Bachelor's Buttons

Willa & the boys were ahead of me for most of the walk.....

.....because my camera kept making me stop.

Clover, sticking out of a pine.
 It looked like the pine was sporting the blooms.

The manzanita, ubiquitus to this area.

And yet another oak leaf.....

I took a whole bunch of photos of this spider web. 

Very difficult to show.

This one was the best.

Blackberry flowers

I have no idea what these leaves are....but they are so unique and pretty.

They caught my eye easily.

Wild rose.......on the blooming way out....

Almost all of this photo is reflection in the water.

The next two pictures go together.

One is of the real thing and the other is its reflection in the water.

It was fascinating.

Which is which?

I find the next picture fascinating as well.

There were these curved branches in the water.....

.......I enjoy how their reflections shows.

Like an indian design....

Ah, I could not resist the sun. Again.

Pretty little blackberry flowers

More blackberry......excellent pollination happening here.

So many opportunities to take photos of reflections in the water.

I do nto know what this flower is.....

.....but I have always enjoyed its unique display.

I believe the photo below is my third favorite shot of the day.

Why?  Because it makes me think of Monet.  :)

or, is it a cross between Monet and Van Gogh?

Here is the picture above, in context

Nine year old Paddy kept wanting to know when we would be done hiking. 

He never complained....just wanted to know. 

I think there was a book on his Kindle he had on his mind.

Lupin

Lupin

Yarrow

Lilies down by the water....

This view was taken from the bridge....at the end of our walk.

And finally:  my favorite picture of the day.

It iss what happens when the dust of dirt and the sun come together.

Seconds later, the view was gone.

Looks like God leaving a heavenly message.......

+++++++*****++++++

I know I get long-winded......both with words and photographs. Thanks for letting me string you along.  I have a few more photos from this trail, taken on another day.  I try to take different pictures whenever I go to the same place.......I am wondering what else I found.

Blessings,

                         Chari

I am just going to post this today......even if it IS my second nature walk on the same day.....but I am afraid I might lose it......I cannot get Blogger to save it.