Old Veteran Cypress – Point Lobos

Marty CohenHDR, Point Lobos, Trees9 Comments

Point Lobos Tree on the Hillside

Old Veteran Tree on the Hillside

(To see the most detail in this image, click on it to enlarge it!)

This is the Old Veteran Cypress tree on the North Shore Trail of the Point Lobos State Natural Reserve. It has been carbon dated to approximately one thousand years old. The hillside has eroded beneath it exposing its root structure (click on the image to see it better). But it still sits there magnificently. The more I look at this image, the more I expect to see a gnome peeking out from around the trunk of the tree.

Well Worn

Marty CohenB+W, Cars and Trucks4 Comments

Well Worn Old Tire

This old tire was on a vintage truck at the Gold King Mine and Ghost town in Jerome, AZ

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Have you ever wondered what an over-used, over-aged, worn out tire might look like? Click on this image to enlarge it and take a good look at the details. Man, that thing is shredded big-time!!

Getting Ready For Fall

Marty CohenCarmel Valley, Carmel Valley Ranch, Landscape5 Comments

Autumn Leaves 1

This Japanese Maple tree glows, illuminated from above by a bright sky.

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I woke up this morning and the furnace had come on and it was pretty chilly outside. The winds have been picking up lately and they’ve had that extra chill in them that signals Fall may be coming soon. We really haven’t had our Indian summer here yet, so it seems the weather is kind of confused. But since the Japanese Maple tree in front of our home has just begun to change colors, I thought I’d post one additional view of the tree I took last year.

The photo was taken with a Canon EOS 40D, EF17-40mm f/4L lens, 1/60 sec at f/8, ISO 100 on SanDisk Extreme IV Digital Film.

The Red Poppy at the Earthbound Farm’s Farm Stand

Marty CohenCarmel Valley, Flowers6 Comments

The Red Poppy

This is a red poppy flower in the wildflower garden in front of Earthbound Farm’s Farm Stand in Carmel Valley.

(To see the most detail in this image, be sure to click on it to enlarge it!)

This beautiful Red Poppy was outside the Earthbound Farm’s Farm Stand in Carmel Valley. It was located next to the old tractor, (photo posted earlier this week). This is a very popular and widespread wildflower. It’s is a wildflower gardener’s favorite since it grows so easily and successfully in meadows. The Farm Stand frequently has wildflowers growing in their fields and gardens and they sell them.

“It’s also wonderful to know that this treasured wildflower is so easy to grow. Almost any sunny spot is fine, and though it prefers neutral to alkaline soils, it it is quite adaptable. The only condition it won’t tolerate is very heavy clay. Like all poppies, this one develops a tap root, and if the soil is very heavy, it is almost impossible for it to drive down its tap root in time for good bloom. So plant your Red Poppies in loose soil, and enjoy them as people do worldwide.” Source: americanmeadows.com

The photo was taken with a Canon EOS 40D, EF17-40mm f/4L lens, 1/1000 sec at f/5.6, ISO 200 on SanDisk Extreme IV Digital Film.

The Old Tractor

Marty CohenAgriculture, B+W, Carmel Valley6 Comments

The Old Tractor at Earthbound Farm's Farm Stand

The Old Tractor at Earthbound Farm’s Farm Stand in Carmel Valley

(To see the most detail in this image, click on it to enlarge it!)

This old tractor sits on small hill as a landmark for Earthbound Farm’s Farm Stand in Carmel Valley, California. It’s usually surrounded by wildflowers in bloom and you see it from the road as you approach the turn off from Carmel Valley Road into the parking lot of the Farm Stand.

It is one of the most wonderful places to shop for food. We are so lucky to live 5 minutes away from it and to be able to shop there frequently. All the food they grow and sell is organic. The Farm Stand not only offers organic vegetables, but many other categories of organic foods. In addition, they have a great cafe where special sandwiches are made, homemade soups are cooked and you can create your own salads, all to eat there or take home. But the BEST part about shopping there is the staff. They are the nicest people you’ll ever want to meet and they really care about their customers.

They also offer special cooking demonstrations, garden and flower walks, bug walks for kids, a corn labyrinth in the fall, many varieties of pumpkins around Halloween and Thanksgiving and much more. It’s a really magical place and when you visit the Monterey Bay area, you really should head out there for the experience and the food.  It’s also a terrific place for photographers to have fun shooting pictures. Here’s a link to their website.