Taft Gardens | Ojai, CA

This is my happy place.  I want to be a gardener here, if I knew how to do such things. Or maybe the night watchman.  It's so quiet accept for the bird tweets, bee hums and the lap of a lazy stream. I'm frustrated each time I visit not by the 'where the wild thing are' scenery but by my inability to really capture it.  Maybe that's just as it should be. Thanks to my mom for always being a willing wanderer and for sharing her love of succulents and desert places. Love you mom.

Here's my Spring 2014 attempt:

Reifel Bird Sanctuary | photography

  One of the best places around,  Reifel Bird Sanctuary on Westham Island is a piece of paradise.  We arrived around 3pm on a cloudy October day hoping to see the snow geese.  We heard them but could quite get close enough to see them up close.  We didn't have long to be disappointed, as around the bend we came across 26 Sandhill cranes,  I swear I felt like I was on safari.  I've never seen so many in one place.  I wish I had a gazillion mm lens to capture them.  It was so beautiful, peaceful and romantic as the sun set.  I kept thinking I needed a red flowing cloak that would billow in the evening breeze as I put my slender fingers to my brow to pull my dark curls from my eyes whilst I searched the horizon for the great blue heron, or lost ships, or something....  I can't wait to go back. My kids even love it there which is huge bonus.  We brought plenty of bird food and they took lots of pictures just like their mom.  Hope you enjoy the photos.