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Aug 1, 2012
4,601
5,157
You’re basing your perception of reality as universal. Just because I didn’t find Niagara Falls to be fascinating doesn’t mean I might not like another waterfall, and I certainly wouldn’t compare a waterfall or a building to how I might perceive the Grand Canyon. It’s nonsensical. We’ll continue to agree to disagree. More relevant would be what have you seen that was amazing?
Ah logical derivation is nonsensical. Enjoy.
 

Servant King

Lifer
Nov 27, 2020
4,174
22,779
38
Frazier Park, CA
www.thechembow.com
This year, it was too dry, not enough rainfall. Last year was great. Plenty of rainfall, and hectares of poppies. This is my granddaughter, DIL and son, last year.


Then there are these, only a small sampling.

Something soothing...

Poppies.......poppies, poppies

View attachment 85820View attachment 85821View attachment 85822View attachment 85823View attachment 85824View attachment 85825
Yep, the past few winters were above normal, so this last one, being right at normal, would seem below normal by comparison. Poppies do need an above average winter to bloom (up here, anyway). And they need warmth, too...the hills here where I-5 goes through Gorman were way too cold to produce blooms...got frosts up through the end of May. Killed my tomato plants, in fact. :cry: Going to wait 'til June to plant next time!

Beautiful photos, and nice video too! Well done. The up-close shots are especially tasteful.
 
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goldenmole

Can't Leave
Aug 4, 2019
344
3,381
Copenhagen DK
I have been around a bit, but have to say that Grand Canyon blew me away, and it was even somewhat unexpected. What you don't realize when looking at photographs only is the mind-blowing scale of that landscape! Photos taken in 2019 during a hasty and unplanned hike down South Kaibab Trail to well beyond Skeleton Point. The kids and wife had unexpectedly retreated to the hotel room, so I had some hours of freedom :).. Only downside: I packed and unpacked my camera and binoculars so often that I forgot the expensive Steiner on the trail somewhere...
cg2.jpgGC.jpggc3.jpg
 

scloyd

Lifer
May 23, 2018
5,948
12,064
I have been around a bit, but have to say that Grand Canyon blew me away, and it was even somewhat unexpected. What you don't realize when looking at photographs only is the mind-blowing scale of that landscape! Photos taken in 2019 during a hasty and unplanned hike down South Kaibab Trail to well beyond Skeleton Point. The kids and wife had unexpectedly retreated to the hotel room, so I had some hours of freedom :).. Only downside: I packed and unpacked my camera and binoculars so often that I forgot the expensive Steiner on the trail somewhere...
View attachment 85882View attachment 85883View attachment 85884
I was blown away by the Grand Canyon too. We stayed a couple of nights in the lodge. The whole experience was amazing.

Devils Tower in Wyoming also blew me away. I've seen it in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and in books/magazines. Much larger than I expected. Same with Mount Rushmore, much larger than expected.

The Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota...not so a-maize-ing. rotf
 

instymp

Lifer
Jul 30, 2012
2,420
1,029
There’s a recent thread about the St. Louis Arch, which I thought was OK. The Empire State Building was better. Niagara Falls, even better… particularly on the Canadian side. I’ve visited White Sands, Alcatraz, Cape Canaveral (space shuttle launch), Graceland, Chichen Itza, plus many, many other sights, but I’ve never been blown away. Some say that the Grand Canyon might do the trick, or maybe the Giant Sequoias… perhaps The Pyramids of Giza, The Great Wall of China, or The Roman Colosseum. Anybody like to share any sightseeing experiences that were amazing?
The Grand Canyon was a "Holy F&%$#" moment for us.
Bad Lands also very cool. The buffalo stampede at Custers Park, SD.
 

STP

Lifer
Sep 8, 2020
4,115
9,574
Northeast USA
Ah logical derivation is nonsensical. Enjoy.
No, illogical gibberish is nonsensical
:cheers:
 
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ksman75

Starting to Get Obsessed
Aug 23, 2016
168
447
67
Lancaster, California
Yep, the past few winters were above normal, so this last one, being right at normal, would seem below normal by comparison. Poppies do need an above average winter to bloom (up here, anyway). And they need warmth, too...the hills here where I-5 goes through Gorman were way too cold to produce blooms...got frosts up through the end of May. Killed my tomato plants, in fact. :cry: Going to wait 'til June to plant next time!

Beautiful photos, and nice video too! Well done. The up-close shots are especially tasteful.
Thanks! One of my favorites was that one blue flower, I think it is a lupine, but what do I know about flowers.

Last season, July 2019-June 2020, we had 10.7 inches. We even had a decent snow, for Lancaster on Thanksgiving day, 2019. About 6 inches. For us, that's a big snow, lol! My 18 month old granddaughter got to build her first snow man though! It was fun watching her reactions to the cold and wet white stuff!

This season, we've had 1.32 inches. I didn't even bother going out to have a look. It would have been a nice drive, but a waste of gas, if all I wanted to do was see the poppies. They're really dependent on that rainfall.

Bummer about your 'maters. I don't know what your growing season is there, but it may not be too late to plant a new crop. My dad lives in Garden Grove, and for the last several years, most of his have come up fine, but the tomatoes are mostly deformed. They eat good, but look like something out of a horror movie.
 

DAR

Can't Leave
Aug 2, 2020
355
1,114
Tiburon, California
I know I've posted this before, but...

View attachment 85810
Antelope Valley Poppy Preserve, Lancaster, CA, April 2019. @ksman75 add this to your to do list come next April!
I stumbled on it the first time I went from Lancaster to Bakersfield while on a job and was blown away. It's been a while since I've been back to the Poppy Preserve but as I recall, It's in the middle of nowhere and there is absolutely nothing else to do out there except enjoy the view. I loved that about the place. No hotels, restaurants, no bs. Just poppies.
 
Jun 18, 2020
3,844
13,653
Wilmington, NC
The thing about the Grand Canyon, is well it's huge. You don't really get an appreciation for that easily as most things in geology are scale independent (looks the same at 1 cm vs 10 meters). I knew the canyon was big, but when we hiked down for 20 minutes, then it hit us how big it really is.

A long way down still, and a long way back up. Helps bring the scale of the canyon into focus.
 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,454
The capacity for awe is in each individual, not in any particular sites that are destine to evoke awe. One can also see the ordinary in the spectacular as well. The night sky without light pollution can do it for me. The high seas mid-Pacific is more than your awe detector can handle so might leave you blasé. Then there's the universe in a grain of sand, as some poet said.
 

Aomalley27

Part of the Furniture Now
Mar 8, 2021
763
1,699
Chicagoland area
I live 10 minutes from IRM. It's a fun day with the grandsons when the trains are running.
Like I said; you have to check their schedule to see what’s running.
The train days in August are usually the biggest.
My favorite is the UP locomotive that was used in Silver Streak.
 
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