The last leaves of fall have almost dropped from the trees. We were up in the California Foothills last week and it was warm and 70 degrees, but very dry. I took a picture of a little stream with the oak trees in the background to show that even here in California we get fall color!
Below the stream photo, I focused on the pond itself to show some fish and a goose enjoying the last of the fall season.
The other day we were driving through the Gold Country here in California and what a glorious day! It was 70 degrees, clear as a bell, but oh so dry. The lack of rain has caused the oak trees to stay in their fall color a lot longer; so even though it looks beautiful across the rolling hills, we really need rain.
Much of California gets its water from the Sierras when the snow melts. The water goes into a series of dams that are at different elevations and is distributed from there. One lake (or dam) that we went over is called New Melones Lake. There are many such dams in California and most of them are used for recreation as well as water distribution. We noticed that the water was very low. In fact, someone there was saying he’d been coming to the lake for 25 years and had never seen it that low.
Here you can see I went under the bridge to take a picture not only to show the waterline which you can see right above the red clay but just because I thought it was a cool shot. 😛
Anyone who’s been following my blog knows I concentrate on landscapes most likely because I live in such a beautiful area. It’s hard not to be attracted to what the SF Bay Area and beyond has to offer, and I’m always eager to get out and see the beauty of nature since I didn’t really do much of that when I was a child. But during this outing to Columbia, California, I decided to take my first portrait photo. Shocking, eh? 😉
Columbia, California, is located in the heart of the California Mother Lode. It includes almost 30 buildings built during the California Gold Rush most of which remain today. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1961. It’s a really cool town and you feel like you’ve been transported back into time. Life must’ve been hard back then without Starbucks and WordPress! Here’s a link so you can check it out if you so desire.
http://www.visitcolumbiacalifornia.com/
While we were walking down the street, I took a few pics, and these two were my favorites. The first is of a street musician and the second of a house in town. It was a beautiful fall day too!
Laura Macky Photography 