Synaptica

My husband and I took many drives along the back-roads of California looking for the first flowers of Spring 2013. This was intentional. As the grays of Winter dragged on into Spring we longed for colors and new life. We were rewarded with solitary flowers at first. As the days passed we began to find patches of wildflowers. Finally, in late April, the whole countryside was ablaze with a patchwork of flowers, fields, and birds. Welcome Spring! (And stay as long as you like!)

After a long. long, hot summer in the Central Valley of California, the subtle changes of Autumn have arrived. Two weeks ago a few trees began to take on yellows and oranges, and the temperatures finally moderated to the low 80's. Then a brief rain shower knocked most of those colored leaves down. The temps have remained cold, in the 60's and 70's even in the sunshine. Each day more golden hues appear, but the biggest change is the low angles of the sun and the long shadows of afternoon. My husband and I have been searching for the beauty of Autumn. Short drives take us from farm country to city, from valley flats to hills, and up to the S...

The Southwest landscapes and peoples have always been favorites of mine. This summer I will indulge in Southwest adventures aplenty! My husband and I traveled along a 2000 mile loop from the Central California Valley we live in, across the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the White Mountains, Lake Mead and through Las Vegas, Nevada, Grand Canyon, Lake Powell, Kodachrome Basin, Zion, and back in May. We visited familiar haunts, but also discovered two new dirt roads to explore.We are now getting ready to head out to Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah. We will be traveling with 35 Geology and Anthropology students :) We then have another...