Crystal Cave in Sequoia National Park
Crystal Cave is a marble karst cave within Sequoia National Park, in the western Sierra Nevada of California. It is one of at least 240 known caves in Sequoia National Park. Crystal Cave is in the Giant Forest area, between the Ash Mountain entrance of the park and the Giant Forest museum. The cave is […]
Wildflowers in Sequoia National Park
Even though it is summer for most of the nation, high in the Sierra Nevada mountains it is still cool and for all intents and purposes late spring, with temperatures in the 70s. Wildflowers are abundant and small streams and waterfalls are everywhere as runoff from the snowpack continues. Depending on the elevation, spring in […]
Focus Stacking on the Lumix GX8
Since photography is a large part of this website I thought I would write some posts on the equipment and techniques I use to create these photos. Getting photos in sharp focus is one of the most important aspects of photography. Unfortunately, the laws of physics do not always allow all parts of the image […]
Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve California
Since this was a wet spring in California, we decided to visit the poppy reserve in Antelope Valley. The Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve is a state-protected reserve of California, USA, harboring the most consistent blooms of California poppies, the state flower. The reserve is located in the rural westside of Antelope Valley in northern […]
Wildflowers in Angeles National Forest
Since we were in Santa Clarita for the past two weeks, caring for our grandson, we decided to visit the Angeles National Forest to see the wildflowers. The Angeles National Forest (ANF) of the U.S. Forest Service is located in the San Gabriel Mountains and Sierra Pelona Mountains, primarily within Los Angeles County in southern […]
Portugal
Portugal is a small, sun-drenched country with a big footprint on world history. It preceded Spain by almost 250 years in expelling the Moors from it’s territory. Portugal emerged as a country in 1143, after a 15 year rebellion by Afonso I. Under Prince Henry the Navigator, Portuguese ships sailed out along the coast of Africa. The Madeira Islands and the Azores were colonized. Under John II (1481–95) voyages of exploration were resumed. Bartholomew Diaz rounded (1488) the Cape of Good Hope. By the Treaty of Tordesillas (1494), Spain and Portugal divided the non-Christian world between them. During the glittering reign of Manuel I (1495–1521) the Portuguese Empire extended across the world, to Asia, Africa, and America.
