Weekend walk report: Balance the thoughts that release within you

 Balance something anyway... balance my head.

Yesterday's and today's walks were pretty much the same, both in the territory I covered and the intentions I had. Physically, my intentions were to test the vertigo situation my right inner ear has been tripping on about since a week ago Thursday. The only other walk this week was last Thursday, 5/21. I went 1.64 miles and I did okay, moving about cautiously. I think more than any actual BPPV action, there was the anticipation of such. However, up until today, Sunday, May 24th, I've been navigating with a mildly altered gravitational pull. Today was a breakthrough. Despite having experience with this malady, on rare occasions since a severe event in 2008, I had no idea it could last this long. Anyway, much better today. Yesterday was another story.

 Saturday, May 23rd. 

My photographic intentions were to look for hummingbirds or birds in general, but I specifically felt like getting some hummingbird shots. I saw a total of three hummingbirds, and none of them were cooperating. Switching gears and taking pictures with a 70-300mm lens and a close-up lens on top had my balance operating a bit off-kilter. Here are some pictures taken yesterday.

Female house finch on a leaky Rain Bird. There were two, another was on that lower pipe. I was too slow. 

 There will be several images of stuff I've presented before. Every picture has it's own uniqueness. In the end, photographing the familiar is not about repetition, it's an intimate meditation on time. Besides, I was just trying to stand up straight.

 Iris germanica 'Immortality'. There are a lot more of these plants than there were last year. 

 Once I saw the common name for this flower I will never unsee it. Bat-faced cuphea (Cuphea-llavea).

 Indian blanket.

 Echinacea purpurea, commonly known as the Purple Coneflower.

 A newly renovated ground squirrel lair. Please don't ever come to my house, okay?

 Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstroemia) and palms. Certain palm trees, particularly the Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta), have escaped urban landscapes and are classified as invasive in Southern California. Growing up I never saw palms sprouting up like grass. This is climate change.

 Canna lilies.
 

Sunday, May 24th (today).

Getting up this morning and the mad dance for coffee, morning meds and to deal with kitties, there was not a hint of my semicircular canals trying to recalibrate my internal gyroscope. 

Here are some pictures taken today. I intentionally went to some of the same spots where my balance was at issue yesterday.

This was a two image focus stack. That was part of my self-imposed challenge, multiple focus areas on the same subject. Bat-faced cuphea.  

 Verbena bonariensis. A little too much chromatic aberration and I think that might be partly due to the recent cheesy $9 UV filter but I've used cheesy $9 (or less) filters for decades. Nevertheless, I need to check that out in the backyard some time soon. I'm reluctant to remove the filter for reasons shown here. Chromatic aberration is also inherent to using the zoom lens with a close-up lens. Especially this close.

 Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus, AKA, Lemon day lilies. 

 Coreopsis, Double Sun.

 Salvia microphylla, Hot Lips.

Scabiosa columbaria, Pincushion Flower.

 Lavender Trumpet Vine (Clytostoma-callistegioides). I wasn't especially enamored with this photo until I saw the tiny spider. Hint: First click the image to make it larger and then look at the bottom edge of the lowest petal.

 Stokesia laevis. 

 Hydrangea.

 From this point I walked over to the campus botanical garden, once again in search of hummingbirds. One issue this morning was the weather. When I left the house it was lightly sprinkling. It was also only 57º to 59º F for the duration of my walk. A little cold for hummingbird action. I found that a bit nippy myself, dressed in a t-shirt. I saw one male Calypte anna and he went off chasing after a sparrow or a house finch.

The flowering on the Chaste Tree (botanically known as Vitex agnus-castus) has intensified. The plant got its unique moniker from the ancient belief that its berries and leaves suppressed sexual desire. Athenian women supposedly placed the leaves under their beds to help them remain pure during religious festivals, and medieval monks historically chewed them (hence the nickname "Monk's Pepper") to help maintain their vows of celibacy. People believe all sorts of nonsense, even to this day. It's absolutely amazing.

 As I was walking to the garden I witnessed a common raven and a red-tailed hawk going at it. Actually, as always, the raven was the territorial aggressor. I took photos but with the May gray and due to the distance away, they weren't worth including here. As I was heading back to my car I ran into this fellow and I do believe it was the raven in question. We chatted a bit and then I was on my way.

Do not suffer through the game of chance that plays
Always doors to lock away your dreams
Think it over, time will heal your fear, think it over
Balance the thoughts that release within you...

 

Today's butterflies, going around in circles

In lieu of a walk report, I've been planning to pull up a chair in my backyard, sit with my camera, music on my head, and wait for butterflies. I did walk on Saturday, and it was brief, 2km (that's 1.24 miles). Basically, I planned on making the effort to do at least a mile but to keep myself in check and not push things. It was therapy, both physically and mentally. 

Thursday evening, I was abruptly woken at 2:10 a.m. with my head in a dizzying waltz as the ceiling and walls became a kaleidoscope. At least the experience was familiar so I didn't panic. Although this has not happened, at least not to any memorable degree, for over 10 years. I was having a BPPV event. Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) is an inner ear problem that causes brief, sudden episodes of vertigo triggered by head movements. It happens when tiny calcium crystals (otoconia) break loose and float into the wrong part of the inner ear. It's much better now, but I’m still a little off and cautious. There are exercises for this. This particular event, is the longest I've ever had to deal with it. It pretty much just sucks, it's like riding a violently aggressive, non-consensual carnival ride. 

So... I sat in a chair and took pictures of two monarch butterflies today. I just saw out the window that at least one of them is still fluttering about. The only problem with the chair was having to get up from time to time. One doesn't simply get up; one focuses in front of them and thinks about getting up. The other thing was the butterflies constantly circling overhead. They spent more time doing that than they did landing on plants. For a while, I started to think they may have been mocking me.

Here are some images taken today, May 18th.

 Speaking of mocking, this mockingbird was singing constantly during my first round with the butterflies (I went out twice). I finally decided to switch the camera to video mode and record some of it. Of course he stopped just as I raised the camera. Yes. this is a male.

 Session number two...

 The mockingbird was still up by the power lines but I wasn't playing his game.

 The last two shots on bougainvillea. I named her, Lizzy.

 Dizzy Miss Lizzy

Today's walk report: Pine cone paranoia

 Today I engaged in the second photo walk since a pine cone viciously attacked my left foot in an attempt to take me out on Sunday, April 26th. The injuries have mostly healed, but the psychological torture still looms. Every step hangs in suspense, with a creeping realization that I am no longer in control of my own feet. My morning walk was restricted to well-maintained paths in the local botanical garden, and then I ventured out on sidewalks and pavement to take the "farm tour." I haven't done this for quite a while and wanted a change of pace. Besides, going that route provides a walk that covers more distance, and I felt I needed to do that. I also wanted to check out the livestock.

Here are some photos from today's walk...

Saturday, May 9th.

Somewhere in this blog I have a post providing the ID for these seed pods. Google was no help. I will probably check back later. 

 The Apache Plume (Fallugia paradoxa) is currently more plumes than white flowers.

 I believe this is a hybrid, Salvia leucophylla x clevelandii.

 The Salvia darcyi (red mountain sage) suddenly shot up. For me this means anticipating the arrival of migrating rufous hummingbirds (Selasphorus rufus).

 Behind the Salvia darcyi is Vitex agnus-castus, the chaste tree. I used to be able to get back there but wild roses have kinda taken over. I had several posts running back in 2013 about a green lynx spider and her offspring. The chaste tree was her home base. 

 Iris pseudacorus (yellow flag).

From this point, I went to look for my Selasphorus sasin friend, male Allen's hummingbird, Laukki. I hung out, called for him, but another no-show. I have seen him twice since I last posted photos (I think that was the last one), but he was busy chasing off other hummingbirds. I decided then to move on and do the farm tour.

Seed pods on an Albizia julibrissin (mimosa tree). Once upon a time, I was tempted to nab a few, but after seeing what both my sister and a few neighbors have to deal with on the reseeding front, I changed my mind.  

This is one of two domesticated donkeys (Equus asinus). I used to visit them in their pen when I first started doing the farm walk. This was way back in 2011. Donkeys typically live for 25 to 35 years on average. However, with exceptional care, their lifespan can extend significantly, often reaching 30 to 50 years. I didn't spot the other one, and you might be able to tell; this was a long shot.

 There! There they are! The woody, seed-bearing reproductive organ of a pine tree. Vicious I tell you!

 Goats, (Capra hircus). Yep, the greatest of all time. They usually get antsy when I get close and back off, but not today.

 Sheep. For the life of me, I couldn't get them to raise their heads up. People driving along behind me... Is that guy yelling "bah?"

 Needs no explanation.

 A female Haemorhous mexicanus, house finch. Fresh out of a bath.

 Horses. My understanding is all of the horses for the equestrian unit are on loan. This campus also houses horses when fires threaten surrounding canyons, etc.

 On the opposite side of the street we have cows. Apparently the cows are all owned by Bayer these days. Hmm, Bayer, I don't care to get into Bayer's dark history. There used to be a lot of cows on this campus.

 The western edge of the campus, my walk goal. Since the gate was locked I couldn't get to the river.

 

Turning around and heading back to my car. What's this?!

 It made me wonder, how do they get into the middle of the street?

 Almost back to my car and I see this. Apparently the squirrels are in on it. They take pine cones and turn them into small rolling pins. Then they drag them out onto the sidewalk.

 Despite dealing with the betrayal of coniferous objects and the psychological triggers of a fight-or-flight response, it was a pleasant walk. Total was 3.21 miles Music was outstanding. Here's the tune that took me to infinity and beyond. I remember wearing out the vinyl on this one. 1980.