Pictures from Castle Lake

A friend and I went walking around Castle Lake yesterday..... weather was high perfection and so there were lots of people there (well, by my standards, but not crowded by any means) which meant some pictures I wanted I could not get framed without stray humans in there. ;-)

This with the hand blessing the water I liked, though.

Another "portal" through trees...

The people in the little boat are a family with two little kids, whom we watched inflating their boat on the way past the first time, and when we returned heading back, there they were, a-way out there!

I saw some flowers I have never seen before, like this one:

Same one growing in a different place:

A close up of that flower:

Another one that caught my eye by the trail:

The rocks there are very beautiful, multicolored and with lots of volcanic sculpting. Most of my photos trying to capture that aspect did not please me. This at least shows the water. The detail of the rocks across and up the slope is stunning but I was not able to capture that.

But, here is a sunbow.

And, on the way back there were some excellent Shasta photo ops.

First though, here is Black Butte. To the left again is a failed capture. The colors and shading on the distant peaks..... well, this only gives a hint.

Here is Black Butte, Shastina and Shasta, with the town of Mt Shasta City below (little white specks.)

Shastina and Shasta:

I think this is my favorite, though.

Nice pictures. Looks to be an excellent way to spend a day.

Very pretty. I think my favorite picture is the portal through the trees to the lake. The unknown pink flower strikes me as some sort of bee balm but I could be way off. A very pleasant day, it looks like.

Thanks. It was a lovely day. I also am fond of that portal picture, Roybird.

You have a good sense of how to "frame" a scene.

Love the pics, good job!

Did anyone else see the "eye" in this picture?

A hawk is watching...

Look in the middle of the pic; in the mountain; in the rocks. Cool.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=7029137

No, I didn't. I went back and looked at the picture again and saw nothing. No wonder I never see the hawks in my neighborhood -- assuming there are any. Where is it Aunt_A?

Beautiful scenery Kyla. You make me want to head into the hills again. I think I see the eye... It isn't a real hawk, more like the head of one portrayed in the mountainside.

Hard to tell in the picture, but I think its sitting in the tree. About half-way up, left side of the trunk on the tree just left of center.

Well, here is one with a big bird circling, but this one I believe is a turkey buzzard.

Aunt A thanks for pointing out the eye, I had not seen it either. I was dazzled, truly, with all there was to see.

Here's another unknown flower. Or at least, unknown to me.

Oh pretty flowers, were those also wild ones?

Yes. One day I'll see about identifying the three flowers I saw for the first time there....... that last photo was the third kind.

Then you have named it "third kind" - at least until you find out what it has been named previously.

LOL! Right you are.

pajaritomt and dparsons01,

Yes...like plutodrive said...

There is a circle in the mountainside, about the middle of the pic...it looks like an eye, but not a human eye...just the circle. (Almost like a mini crop circle inside a crop circle). After you see the eye, other parts of the mountain kinda look like a hawk's head.

The hawk is just in the imagination...but once you "see" the eye, you can't not see it.

Once again, beautiful pics, Kylaluaz. Thanks for sharing them with all of us.

Maybe you could sell that picture; it's pretty cool.

Thanks for cluing me in. I was looking for an actual bird -- not that I am literal minded or anything! Now I see it clearly. It is a wonderful picture -- even for people who don't see the bird's eye!

How lusciously luvly Kyla. I need to get my nose out of the dirt and take more walkabouts.

Flower #2 looks like Indian Paintbrush.
Flower #3 looks like some sort of buckwheat.
Nice hike; it makes me want to get up to the high country. But we're expecting snow today or tonight!

Thanks for the id suggestions, Picante -- I was so overtaken by events lately I never pursued identifying any of that, but it will be a fun thing to do when I get to it.

One of the places I am looking to move to is a lot closer to Castle Lake, which fact I noted in my inner pros and cons list ( as a definite plus positive!)

But will you still have a view of Mt. Shasta? I seem to be getting involved in this decision.

Might be like asking if you have a view of Sandia in Albuquerque. You can see it fom most places.

Yes, that may be the case. We have to wait to hear from Kyla again. Maybe by then the decision will already be made. Anyhow, I shouldn't be meddling in her decision making process, I realize.

Oh meddle all you like! It feels good, like having someone care does. ;-)

The place I think we are going to get actually has trees in the way of the mountain, but it is so very RIGHT THERE one only has to walk a few feet out from behind this tree or that one, and see it. Plus it is a different and better view once one sights it, closer even.

The other place admittedly has the more unobstructed viewpath, but it has drawbacks. Oh they both do, just it seems the Universe is tending toward this one, with the trees. I have missed trees. Shade is so very nice.

But, this is the place farther from Castle Lake. Oh well.

Trees are good and the view is still there, though one must dodge a tree to see it. It always really makes me mad that I can't have it all. I haven't really gotten over that, but the universe just doesn't seem to want to cooperate the " I want it all" of my life's wishes. Actually, I totally get that I can't have it all, after a brief temper tantrum. Oh phooey! I want it all, but I get that it isn't likely to happen to happen. Sigh!

Me too!

I think what I have is pretty good. Focusing on the good I do have and and being grateful for it helps me to relax and let go of the things that seem almost. I'm reminded of a bit from a movie:

Beautiful, and my sentiments exactly. What movie?