First Really Rainy Day This Year

The Weatherman Was Right and it Did Rain Today

It looks as though the roof repairs held, and the garage remains dry. The flowerbeds are wet, as they need to be. And the oak tree across the street is reflected on the sidewalk that leads to my front porch.

Oak Tree Reflection in my Sidewalk on This First Rainy Day This Year

This was no fine mist that barely left a trace. This was a real rain. Listen for yourself.



I like the sound of that, don't you?

The Promise of Rain Was in the Sky Last Night

I took this in the late afternoon.

I took this next one as sundown got closer.

Finally the sun went down, illuminating the clouds that promised rain to come.

Did you enjoy rain today?

See my take on The Blessings of Rain in music. 

See more of my sky photos at ClickASnap. Here's a sample from that album. 

The Weatherman Predicts Rain and So Does this Sky

Rain Tonight?

As I saw the sky getting grayer and darker out the front window in the late afternoon, I thought it looked like rain was coming. As I cleaned up after dinner, I saw the view to the east still had some blue. But even this sky still appeared to predict rain.

Sky Predicts Rain, © B. Radisavljevic

So I checked Yahoo's Weather Page. I discovered I was right. Even Yahoo thinks it will be raining from about seven until nine in the evening. I will know about an hour after I post this if the prediction will hold. Meanwhile, better finish raking any leaves left in your yard, since it will be harder after the rain. Sycamore Leaves and Other Leaves Are Everywhere. 

Man Raking Leaves into Pile, © B. Radisavljevic

Looking Forward to Rain

The Salinas River wants to look like this again. The grass is tired of being brown. The trees are thirsty. And I want a good excuse to curl up with a good book and drink cocoa and eat popcorn.



Funny Prescription Hot Chocolate Mug


Get yourself a special hot chocolate mug for those bad weather days. Here are some of my favorites. And don't forget the popcorn. I prefer non-GMO popcorn. 

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Hot Chocolate Is Like A Hug From Inside Coffee MugHot Chocolate MugChocolate Understands! Great mug for warm moments

And if you need a good book, head on over to my book review site, Bookworm Buffet, for some suggestions.

Whatever you do, stay warm and content inside when the weather is cold and wet outside.

What do you like to do on rainy days?

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A November Sunset at Doce Robles Vineyard.

Doce Robles Has a Great View of the Sunset

There is a clear view of the sky all the way around with no trees or buildings close enough to block the sight of the setting sun. I don't mind getting a silhouette of a tree in my pictures, though I wish the bottom of this oak hadn't been blocked by a shadow. It is just one oak but you can't see the trunk.

When I arrived and got out of my car, the security officer greeted me with loud barking but then calmed down when her owner told her to.

Guess she decided I wasn't a security risk since she immediately got to more important business than me. Did you notice the lawn is lined with oak leaves.

Back to the Vineyards and the Oak

At sunset, it's like there is more than one sky. One part is close to the sunset and contains the actual position of sundown. That's what we saw in the introductory photo. If we look away from the sun to shoot the sky we see the sunset reflected on the surrounding clouds. We also don't have the shadow hiding the vineyards and lower parts of the trees. This next shot looks away from the sun. I confess to adding a bit more light in processing than there really was because I wanted you to see the vines wearing their autumn colors.

The introductory shot faced west into the sun. This shot faced north. It was taken behind the tasting room.

Now that some time passed, the sun is no longer bright. Let's take another shot of the oak tree. This shot faces south, and no shadow hides part of the oak. Instead we have the silhouette with the hills and golden glow in the background. I believe the gray strip coming from the right towards the oak is Highway 46 West. If you look carefully you can see a car on it.

Calling it a Day

As the sun was almost gone, I walked back to the parking lot by the tasting room. It seemed to glow from within. Did you notice that unique weathervane on top?

As I write tonight,  I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving Day tomorrow. I'm very thankful for the free sunsets I get to see each day and the winery owners that let me access their vineyards to take pictures.

I hope you all have a safe and joyful celebration of Thanksgiving, even if it isn't a holiday where you are. It's always time to be thankful.

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This last photo was taken facing south. If you want to share it, it's the perfect size to pin.

The Heavens Declare the Glory of God!

I Marvel at the Variations of a Single Sunset

Last evening I was chasing sunsets, as you know from yesterday's post. I got distracted when I saw an unexpected balancing act and wrote about that instead, only sharing a couple of the sunset photos. Sunsets change when you look in a different direction and as minutes pass. By the time I finished last night's photo shoot, I had 210 photos of just the sunset. It's really hard to pick only a few to show you. Here's one taken early in my walk. All photos were taken from Larry Moore Park or the Charolais Corridor Trail in Paso Robles.

I don't have a telescope or understand how every cloud is formed and what it means, but I cannot look up at a sunset without being in awe of my creator.

Pictures Cannot Do the Sky Justice

I can only share a bit of the glory of God here. 

Seeing a series of photos is like seeing pictures of food without being able to smell or taste it. To fully appreciate the splendor of the setting sun you need to be outside looking up in all directions. You need to keep looking until the sun is down. But all I can offer is the pictures, not the sky. So here are more photos. While you look at them, listen to the choir sing "The Heavens are Telling the Glory of God" by Joseph Haydn. The video is illustrated with photos by photographer Robert Stephens.





If you enjoy that music, you can download an even better version of it on MP3 or get the whole album, which is full of some of the greatest hymns of the Christian church.

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is thy name in all the earth! Psalm 8:1

When I look at thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast established; what is man that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that thou dost care for him? Psalm 8: 3-4

Here's another song that comes to mind as I look at these photos and whenever I see a sunset. It was inspired by Psalm 19.



Several versions of this song can be found on MP3 for download at Amazon. I like the Azusa Pacific Version best because I like choral music.

Now back to the sky show!

We are finally beginning to see some pink now.

From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the Lord is to be praised.! The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens!   Psalm 113: 3-4                                                                                              

 `

Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make melody to our God upon the lyre! He covers the heavens with clouds, he prepares rain for the earth, he makes grass grow upon the hills. Psalm 147: 7-8

The sun has almost disappeared now.  Let's listen to "Taps" as it sets.

Lyrics to first verse of "Taps." See the rest in the video above. Photo © B. Radisavljevic

If you know someone who might enjoy this, please share it. And next time you see the sun about to set on a cloudy day, spend a few minutes watching it. A sunset nourishes the soul. 

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Salinas River Walk Photos and Sky Journal

An Unintentional River Walk

I didn't mean to go for a river walk today. It was raining when I left the house about 2:40 and I only intended to shop at Smart and Final downtown and come right home. By the time I left the rain had stopped and it was a gorgeous afternoon. As I drove up 21st Street, I saw a photo I wanted to take so I parked on Spring. That photo didn't turn out, but I kept walking to 20th. I noticed there that the sky was quite different on the east side of the street than the west side. The east side was dark and gray.

The East Side of 20th and Spring Street Is Gray

The west side was bright blue with only fluffy white clouds. Just by turning your head you'd get a different sense of what the weather was like. 

The West Side of 20th and Spring Is Bright and Blue

I took a few shots I will share in another post of a surprise I found, and then I started home on South River Road. That's when I noticed what a lovely day it was for a photo walk along the river. 

The Salinas River Between Navajo Avenue and 13th Street

I parked on Navajo right where it curves to parallel the river. Then I strolled up to the 13th Street Bridge. After taking a few photos from the bridge, my camera battery died. That meant the walk back to the car was much faster than the walk to the bridge. This photo was taken very close to where I parked. You can see the Derby Wine Estates Building across the river. 

Looking Across the River to Derby Wine Estates Building

It appears the city planted some colorful shrubs on the slope. I assume the mustard is wild. From this view, you only see one channel of the river. Vegetation and sandbars keep you from seeing the other channels from here.  

Colorful Shrubs Combine with Wild Mustard to Beautify the Slope

One thing I can't show you is the sound. The trees chirp as you pass them. The birds and bunnies scamper along the ground so fast they are almost impossible to photograph, but I heard the brush rustle. Birdsong accompanied me all along the way. This is one of the last shots I got before my battery died.

Looking North from Salinas River Trail North of Niblick Road

I finally got to the bridge after taking over a hundred photos. You can the see the whole width of the river from the bridge, but I couldn't capture all of it in the shots I took while my battery was still alive. I was facing south toward Niblick Road when I took this shot. It will give you an idea of the river's width.  

View of Salinas River Looking South from 13th Street Bridge

Sky Journal February 11, 2017

This was a day of swift weather changes. I took my first photo at 12:19 PM. Doesn't it look like a beautiful day?

It's a Beautiful Day to the East at 2:19 PM

This is the same scene at 2:30. It doesn't seem too much different except for that creeping gray cloud to the left of the oak tree. 

Gray Cloud Is Sneaking up to the Tree, 2:30 PM

When I stood facing the tree and turned left to look south, I saw a much different picture that was more accurate in predicting the weather. It was taken only seconds after the one above.

Gray Rain Clouds Approaching from the South at 2:30

 

Sure enough. Although I was hurrying to leave on my shopping errand, I couldn't beat the rain. The drops started to come just as I took this photo at 2:40 before I got into the car. 

At 2:40 the Rain Began

My entire walk took an hour and fifteen minutes. I highly recommend this walk for anyone who likes to photograph the river and the critters who live near it. 

*****

Down by the Station and Welcome Sunshine

Down by the Paso Robles Train Station

This afternoon I was just leaving an appointment around 5 PM on Seventh and Pine when I heard the Amtrak train coming into the station. I managed to get my camera out before the train was completely out of sight. 

Amtrak Train Pulling into Paso Robles Station around 5 PM

I walked as fast as I could hoping to get to the depot for some other closer shots. I was in luck. One of the boarding passengers didn't have all her luggage aboard yet. As she was rushing toward the open door, I noticed she had dropped a scarf. I ran to pick it up for her, but she was so flustered about her luggage she almost didn't notice me trying to hand it to her. I wanted to give it to her so I could finish getting my photos before the train pulled away again. 

A Peek throught the Amtrak Train's Open Door

The lady and her escort finally took the scarf and I turned north again to take this photo of the train while it was stopped. Notice the sign for the Paso Robles Depot. 

Amtrak Train Parked at Paso Robles Depot about 5 PM -- Please Pin Me

Zazzle Products Featuring the Paso Robles Train Station

Paso Robles Train Station in Autumn Playing Cards










These products all come from photos I have taken at the Paso Robles Transportation Center (Amtrak train station) in the past.

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Postcard: Paso Robles Train Station in Winter PostcardPaso Robles Train Station in Autumn Luggage TagPoster: Train Leaving Paso Robles Station in Winte Poster

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Sky Journal February 4, 2017

I welcomed the sunshine today after yesterday's rain. This is how my usual photo spot across the street looked at about 11:30 AM.

Late Morning Sky at 11:30 AM

By 2 PM the scene had changed. You can see the contrail high in the photo. 

2 PM, Fluffy Clouds with Contrail

At 4:20 when I left for my appointment,  the sky looked like this. The bright sun was behind the tree trunk of the oak. 

Sunburst behind Oak, 4:15 PM

When I came home about 5:15 PM, the sun was ready to say goodbye. 

Sun Almost  Down, 5:15 PM

Kind of a mellow sunset, don't you think?

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