Travel theme: Sky

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Today I’m participating in Where’s My Backpack’s Travel Theme photo challenge. This week’s theme is “sky”. Remember you can click on each photo for a larger view.

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We’ve got plenty of sky in San Diego and on a good day, it looks as blue as this.

Travel theme: Blue sky in San Diego and rising moon
Travel theme: Blue sky in San Diego and rising moon

OK, let me clarify my previous statement. The sky tends to be this blue inland, while the sky by the coast is often covered by some haze, the marine layer or some thick clouds. That’s why Denver in Colorado technically gets a lot more sunny days than the city of San Diego. But you just have to drive 10 or 15 miles inland, and the weather is beautiful most of the year.

The sky is even bluer in the mountains of Southern California, where the air is cleaner.

Travel theme: Blue sky in Southern California
Travel theme: Blue sky in Southern California

Of course, we do get some clouds once in a while. I often call them “a waste of clouds” because they don’t bring any rain and just cover the sky with gray layers. Big white puffy clouds like these are rare to spot in the sky and these are my favorite days.

Travel theme: sky with puffy clouds
Travel theme: sky with puffy clouds

Our summer sunrises and sunsets are quite boring, when the sky goes through a few colors with no wow moment. Winter is a different story, as the sun rays hit the sky and the clouds that are sometimes there at a different angle.

Travel theme: sky at sunrise in San Diego
Travel theme: sky at sunrise in San Diego

I haven’t had the chance to capture a sunset this past week, but many of them have looked like this one.

Travel theme: sky at sunset in San Diego
Travel theme: sky at sunset in San Diego

What color is the sky where you are?

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WordPress weekly photo challenge: Horizon

Zazzle online shop If you enjoy my photos and would like to purchase some, I want to thank you! Simply visit my Zazzle online shop and browse the product offerings. If there’s a photo you would like to purchase but don’t see it in my shop, please contact me by using the Contact form at the bottom of my home page and let me know which photos you are interested in purchasing, and in what format / medium.

Today I’m participating in the WordPress weekly photo challenge and this week’s theme is “horizon”. You can click on the photos below for a larger view.

If you like what you see, feel free to subscribe and receive nature photography updates a few times a week.

Here’s the horizon at Coronado Beach, hidden between the dune grasses.

Wordpress weekly photo challenge: horizon at Coronado Beach
WordPress weekly photo challenge: horizon at Coronado Beach

I enjoyed taking this photo of pink grasses as they shoot across the horizon in the foreground.

Wordpress weekly photo challenge: horizon with pink grasses in the foreground
WordPress weekly photo challenge: horizon with pink grasses in the foreground

Here’s the horizon on top of the mountains in Idyllwild, California. On that clear day, you could see up to 100 miles away.

Wordpress weekly photo challenge: horizon at Idyllwild Park, California
WordPress weekly photo challenge: horizon at Idyllwild Park, California

How about this moon going up the horizon in the daylight?

Wordpress weekly photo challenge: moon at the horizon
WordPress weekly photo challenge: moon at the horizon

I love the beauty of the horizon at sunrise.

Wordpress weekly photo challenge: horizon at sunrise
WordPress weekly photo challenge: horizon at sunrise

And at sunset.

Wordpress weekly photo challenge: horizon at sunset
WordPress weekly photo challenge: horizon at sunset

A Word A Week Challenge – Dawn

Zazzle online shop If you enjoy my photos and would like to purchase some, I want to thank you! Simply visit my Zazzle online shop and browse the product offerings. If there’s a photo you would like to purchase but don’t see it in my shop, please contact me by using the Contact form at the bottom of my home page and let me know which photos you are interested in purchasing, and in what format / medium.

Today I’m participating in the A Word A Week Challenge. This week’s theme is “dawn”. With young kids, I never get to sleep in, so I often have an opportunity to see the dawn, especially in the winter months. I love listening to the sounds of nature at dawn, where the animals start waking up and the birds start chirping.

Here are a few of my favorite photos of dawn. Remember you can click on each photo for a larger view.

A Word A Week Challenge – Dawn in the winter
A Word A Week Challenge – Dawn in the winter

I’m lucky to see the sun rise behind trees and hills every morning. I love the soft glow of this winter sunrise. Such lovely dawn!

A Word A Week Challenge – Dawn in the winter
A Word A Week Challenge – Dawn in the winter

Of course, sometimes dawn wants to show up in all bright colors. What a cheerful entrance!

A Word A Week Challenge – Dawn in San Diego
A Word A Week Challenge – Dawn in San Diego

Let’s Be Wild Weekly Photo Challenge – Sunrise

Zazzle online shop If you enjoy my photos and would like to purchase some, I want to thank you! Simply visit my Zazzle online shop and browse the product offerings. If there’s a photo you would like to purchase but don’t see it in my shop, please contact me by using the Contact form at the bottom of my home page and let me know which photos you are interested in purchasing, and in what format / medium.

I’m participating in the online adventure travel and photography magazine LetsBeWild.com’s Wild Weekly Photo Challenge for bloggers. This week’s challenge is Sunrise.

I LOVE sunrises. Don’t get me wrong, I love sunsets too, as they can bring a beautiful ending to a beautiful day. But there’s something really special about sunrises. No matter what happened the day before – good or bad – a sunrise says you have the opportunity to start fresh every single day. Pretty sunrises and sunsets are a challenge in San Diego, because they look a lot better with some clouds in the sky to help reflect the light. And San Diego doesn’t have that many clouds overall.

Here are some of my favorite sunrises I’ve been able to capture in the past year or so. You’ll notice the range of colors is quite broad, so you never know what the next sunrise will look like. Remember you can click on each image to see the photo in a larger format.

This photo below represents what a typical winter sunrise looks like in San Diego. Not too many clouds, and a mostly orange sky. I like it a lot.

Let's Be Wild Photo Challenge - Sunrise in the winter in San Diego
Let’s Be Wild Photo Challenge – Sunrise in the winter in San Diego

I love this sunrise for a simple reason: its delicate colors. It doesn’t scream good morning, but rather whispers, hello, sunshine!

Let’s Be Wild Weekly Photo Challenge – Sunrise in San Diego
Let’s Be Wild Weekly Photo Challenge – Sunrise in San Diego

Not all sunrises are pink, orange or red. Some of them are mostly yellow and gray, like the one below. The sun tried very hard piercing through the clouds that day (and it worked).

Let’s Be Wild Weekly Photo Challenge – Yellow sunrise with clouds
Let’s Be Wild Weekly Photo Challenge – Yellow sunrise with clouds

In this next picture, the clouds looked like they were on fire that morning.

Let’s Be Wild Weekly Photo Challenge – Sunrise with clouds on fire
Let’s Be Wild Weekly Photo Challenge – Sunrise with clouds on fire

Some winter sunrises in San Diego can be very colorful, and very inspiring. You know your day is starting well if you can spot one of these.

Let’s Be Wild Weekly Photo Challenge – Winter sunrise in San Diego
Let’s Be Wild Weekly Photo Challenge – Winter sunrise in San Diego

Do you spend time enjoying the sunrises where you live?