California | The Showers of Blessings

Tag Archives: California

California fires

Posted on September 6, 2020 by Miriam Hurdle 59 comments

On this Labor Day, temperatures reached 121 degrees in Woodland Hills near the city of Calabasas.

A helicopter prepares to drop water at a wildfire in Yucaipa, Calif., on Saturday as three fast-spreading wildfires sent people fleeing, one of them trapping campers at a reservoir in Sierra National Forest.Ringo H.W. Chiu / AP

Sept. 6, 2020, 5:08 PM PDTBy Tim Stelloh, NBC

“The National Weather Service documented a slew of record-setting temperatures across the state Sunday. In Woodland Hills, just north of Calabasas, the mercury reached a sweltering 121 degrees. In San Jose, it was 103 just before 2 p.m., breaking a 1923 record.

“As temperatures rose, the operator of the state’s power grid warned of possible rolling blackouts for millions of customers beginning at 3 p.m. — the second time in less than a month that a heatwave has prompted the warnings.”

~~~

Here is the California Fire Map.

I could look into the sun as the smoke filtered the sun ray. I took these photo at 6:00 p.m.

Please pray for the mercy of the weather, the firefighters, all the car units, and thousands of people affected by the fires.

Photo taken from my backyard on Sept. 6, 2020 at 6:00 p.m.

California Wildfires

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #107 – Winter

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Miriam Hurdle 104 comments

This week for Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #107, Ann-Christine invited us to look at the difference in the winter when we compare the Northern Hemisphere with the Southern Hemisphere.

The first time I saw snow was my first year in Portland, Oregon. It was in November. I walked along the hallway from one classroom to the next. My eyes glanced through the floor to ceiling window. A thin layer of white stuff drifting down in the air. I stopped and observed. Each layer above seemed to get thicker and whiter. I realized what happened and called out while jumping up and down, “It’s snowing. It’s snowing!” Some male students walked by and looked at me. Probably the last time they saw and heard of it was from their little kids.

1.Seattle_0001

When I finished school in Portland, I went on to Seattle Pacific University for my second graduate study. The city welcomed me with seven inches of snow. When the snow came to a pause, I put on my knee high, custom made leather boots and my leather gloves to make the first snowman. The leather gloves got hard and stiff after they were dry. My boots were fine, probably they were made differently.

2.Portland_0002

Is winter warm or cold? I think winter is warm because it’s the time for events such as Christmas concert, Christmas light cruise, Christmas parties with family and friends, and my daughter’s birthday the day after Christmas.

One New Year, we visited my sister’s family in Vancouver B.C. We couldn’t go skiing in Whistler B.C. because the heavy fog came in. We managed going to a nearby mountain for my husband, niece, and nephew to do snowboarding.

3.P1020137

4.P1020104

Back home in southern California, our chorale started rehearsing for the Messiah concert first week of November, leading to the two performances before Christmas. This is the highlight of the year for me.

5.IMG_5776 (2)

6.IMG_5770

The adult fellowship group at church has many Christmas parties. One year we had a catering dinner at a deluxe retirement home. The chef built a gingerbread village every year. He made one gingerbread house at a time throughout the year and froze them. By early December, he assembled the village with a train track and an electrical train going around it.

7.IMG_8941

The last two years, we went on the Christmas Light Cruise and watched the Christmas Boat Parade.

7.IMG_20191220_205848

Two years ago was the first-time snow and Christmas met. My husband and I went to Portland, Oregon to spend the holiday with my daughter’s family. I saw snow before the plane landed and was so excited to have a white Christmas.

Most exciting of all during Christmas time is my daughter’s birthday on the day after Christmas. Here, Mercy opened the birthday card from her daughter Autumn.

10.IMG_4520

Is winter warm or cold in your part of the world? I would like to hear from you.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #107 – Winter

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #62: Silhouettes, the Sun and the Moon

Posted on September 8, 2019 by Miriam Hurdle 52 comments

This week for Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #62, Patti invites us to share the Silhouetted photos.

1.Alaska 2018

It was raining when we arrived Anchorage, Alaska, last year. We were apprehensive if there would be a sunny sky in Denali National Park. I was delighted the weather cleared up as the tour bus approached the Park. I took this photo of the clear sky with the bright sun behind the tree, giving me the image of a star on top of a Christmas tree.

2.Maui 2011

On this day in Maui, the clouds drifted on and off in front of the sun. I often come up with images of the shadowy clouds.

4.2017.07.07 full moon IMG_2285

I love to take photos of the full moon. On this night, I waited on the driveway of my house for the clouds to clear for the moon. I like the turnout of the jagged and blurry image of the trees. Later that night, I took many photos of the clear full moon.

5.2017 sunset in the neighbor

The heavy traffic contributes to the smog in downtown Los Angeles. The sunset could be an awing color show and the silhouette of the buildings makes a unique framing.

6.KW281.Sunset1

This is one of my favorite sunset photos taken in Key West, Florida. I was running along the waterfront, trying to get a clear view. It turned out the silhouette of the people created a different dimension to the photo.