i scooted out of the tangle of LA traffic on monday and made my way out of the gleaming metropolis. over hill and dale. past orange groves heavy with waxy blossoms. i drove with windows down so i could inhale that divine scent. right now hwy 126 is a living masterpiece. if you can drive on it heading towards the coast do so at your earliest convenience.
within a couple of hours i was lost in coastal trails amid thick stands of wildflowers 5 feet tall. on some bluffs south of carpinteria, i collected my specimens then sat down to paint them into my sketchbook.
how good to be here. to have the luxury of morning and evening walks by the shore or high above it among the eucalyptus groves and wildflowers of the douglas family preserve.
breathe in breathe out repeat.
This post helped me with my wanderlust…. i love seeing my home state through your eyes and your journal.
All so beautiful!
Thank you for sharing this bit of heaven with those of us who are landlocked and still awaiting spring flowers. Your posts are always a delight. Enjoy your week.
When Evboy was around 6 I took him to the beach in California north of LA. He was a desert Baptist boy and had never imagined an orange blossom much less a person in meditation. I was dicking around, poking at things with a stick and I looked up just in time to see him creep up to a man sitting in meditation on the beach. I watched in wonder as my little boy reached out and took the orange blossom out from behind this man’s ear and buried his nose in it and then put it back and skipped off like little boys do. Later I asked him, WTF Evboy? He said, “it smelled so good mama, I have never smelled anything so good.” Turns out, he grew to be a man with an excellent nose who loves cologne. My boy.
oh i do love this story susan. what a charmed life your children must’ve had with you at the helm!
What a beautiful area . . . all of those flowers . . . and I can almost smell the salt air. Enjoy your respite, Mary Ann
Amazing photos of the abundant wildflowers and the ocean. I miss the sea. Been a long while since I visited. I hope you enjoy your respite! Keep sharing!
Oh my! I want to be by the sea.
But what is that black thing next to the perfectly round pebble? Some sort of scary sea critter?
The common name is a “mermaid’s purse.” It’s the egg case for a shark.
sandra those are egg sacks or casings for rays & skates & some sharks also. the little creatures eat their way out of the “purse” As maureen wrote, they are commonly referred to as mermaid purses.
Your photos were like a breath of fresh air. Thank you!
I have followed you for a long time. Your posts transport me to wherever you travel. Thank you.
Beautiful photos–what a place!! And I love the title of the book!!
Thank you for these! One of my first travel photos was of the California poppies. I wonder if I still have it? Probably!
a beautiful series of photos to celebrate Spring and its Re-birth….enjoy your
long week away from freeways….may every day bring you a new adventure
Holly
I’m in very cold Berlin at the moment and lovely see California and have a little visit.
Spring Break! Outta here! When I see that 101 N sign to San Francisco I want to just LEAP!
Just want to say that your signals continue to reach my Denver, Colorado home and are gratefully accepted. Your adventures are uplifting, your photos inspiring. Your art journals are priceless. Thank you, it is always such a pleasure to read your posts and travel along.
oh goody! yours are reaching me as well. thanks for that 🙂