Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Day 36

(Taken Tue, July 24, 12)

Rise and Shine!! I woke up early today to capture my first sunrise shot. The fog completely covered the mountain from a distance, so I drove in to Clayton to get closer, and this is what I got:




Day 35

(Taken Mon, July 23, 12)


Day 34

(Taken Sun. July 22, 2012; 8:30 pm)

I took this picture while on a break at work. The shot was taken off of Military in Benicia, CA.


Saturday, July 21, 2012

Day 33

(Taken Saturday, July 21. 2012; 11:00 am)

This picture was taken off of Mitchell Canyon Rd. in Clayton.

 Quails crossing the road!


Day 32

(Taken Friday, July 20, 2012; 8:30 pm)

Took a little walk with my sister and my dog in Lime Ridge to capture this shot:


Day 31

(Taken Thur. July 19, 2012, 8:35 pm)




Thursday, July 19, 2012

Day 30!!

(Taken Wed. 7-18-12; 6:30 PM)

I am soo excited at the news of the passing of the Mt. Diablo Beacon Restoration Bill. I think it's great that anyone can help contribute to the restoration of our area's highest monument. Click here to learn more about the Bill.


Day 29

(Taken Tue. 7-17-12; 11:00 AM)

Hello again clouds!


Day 28

(Taken Mon. 7-16-12; 7:45 pm)

Okay, so if you're really paying attention, you'll notice there's no picture for the 15th. (Or if you're not paying attention then I just gave myself away) Unfortunately, no picture was taken last Sunday, but I am not letting it get me down or bring this project to a halt. Here's how it went down....I woke up late Sunday morning, and decided to drive up to Lake Berryessa where my husband and his family were. I was so excited to have a fun day on the water that I hit the road without taking a picture. As soon as I got on the Benicia Bridge I realized I needed to call someone to take the picture for me in case I didn't make it home before sunset...so I called a relative (on a safe hands-free mobile device lol),. I won't name any names here, but this person said, "oh yeah no problem i'll take a picture of the mountain for you today." Then I didn't call or text them until Monday. It's pretty funny because Sunday night I had a dream (nightmare is probably a better word here) that I missed a day of taking a picture of the mountain...Unfortunately the dream was true, but all that means is that the project is extended one day :-)

PS:: so glad I didn't just throw in the towel, because here's what I captured on Monday



Day 27

(Taken 7-14-12)


Friday, July 13, 2012

Day 26

(Taken 7/13)

Sorry if anyone has been checking the blog only to find old posts!! I am still alive and snapping shots! Haven't missed a day yet ;) Today's picture isn't the greatest, but I think it's a good reflection on how we often see the mountain in the heat of the summer: covered by foggy/smoggy haze. The more I progress with this project, the more it angers me when I see filth in the air. It really makes me understand just how big of an impact we (humans) have on this Earth. We can choose to live in ignorance, and not have any concern for our natural resources. OR, we can choose to pay attention to what's going on in the environment around us, and do our part to conserve. Taking these pictures (and other life experiences) has motivated me to have a smaller carbon foot print....where do you stand?



On a lighter note, I found this little guy in my backyard and couldn't resist sharing!!

Day 25

(Taken 7/12)

I took a little stroll on the Canal Trail around sunset, because I knew this picture was waiting for me:



Day 24

(Taken 7/11)

Another hot/hazy kind of day in the East Bay!! This was another awesome sunset though!



Day 23

(Taken 7/10)

It was hot and hazy with smog in the East Bay. Although it's unfortunate we have to deal with smog, it does make for some interesting sunset colors in the sky


Day 22

(Taken 7/9)

I drove into Clayton for this picture:

Day 21

(Taken 7/8)

This picture was taken off of Bailey Road, about 15 minutes before sunset:


Sunday, July 8, 2012

Day 20- How Diablo got her name

(Taken 7/7)

After visiting the library, I found these two gems: The Mount Diablo Guide & Mt. Diablo Wildflowers written by the Mount Diablo Interpretive Association. I just ordered them online and can't wait to get them in the mail.


Here's the story of how the Mountain got it's name, from pg. 20 of "The Mount Diablo Guide"

"The first reference to 'diablo' or 'devil' in connection with the mountain derives from an incident sometime between 1803 and 1806 (accounts of the year differ). A small Spanish force came to the area in search of runaway mission Indians. The troops got as far as a settlement of the Chupcan people in a willow thicket near present day Buchanan Field in Concord. They surrounded them, but the Chupcans slipped away during the night and crossed the Carquinez Straits to safety. The Spanish found it convenient to blame the devil for their embarrassment and called the place 'Monte del Diablo' or 'Thicket of the Devil'...Anglo settlers mistook the word 'monte' for 'montana', and fastened the name on the most obvious local landmark."



Day 19

(Taken 7/6)

I drove to Imhoff Dr. again for this picture. As I was snapping a few shots, a man on a bicycle rode by. He had a little dog sitting in a basket on his bike, and was most likely homeless. As he rode by he said, "there's a much better picture 150 feet up the road." I smiled and said, "thanks." I decided to go 150 feet up the road and this is what I got:


Day 18

(Taken 7/5)

I've lived in Concord most of my life, but I've never been inside the military condo complex near willow pass park. When I realized they had a good view of the mountain, I thought i'd drive through to see if there was a good spot to park and take a shot. As I pulled in, I noticed how vacant the neighborhood looked- it almost had an eerie, abandoned ghost-town feel to it. When I lived in the midwest, I covered a story in the town of Picher, Oklahoma. The town was asked to evacuate by the government due to the high levels of lead in the area. The residents proudly refused to leave their hometown...until one day, the weather took control. A tornado came and wiped out the majority of the town. Unfortunately, Picher, Oklahoma was never the same. I got the same feeling driving through this empty military housing complex as I did when I drove through Picher, Oklahoma. If the Concord units really do sit empty most of the year, I think the government should open them up to civilians/residents in need of affordable housing. I mean, how could you not take advantage of this killer view!!


It's truly amazing what you stumble on when you set out to take a picture of the same thing everyday. The whole journey has been anything but mundane.

Day 17

(Taken July 4th)

Hope everyone had a good 4th of July. I spent the day with family and watched fireworks in Concord. This picture was taken at 8 pm on Panoramic Drive in Concord.


Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Day 16

(Taken 7/3)

Went on an awesome hike today!!! This picture was taken at around 2:30, after my little sisters and I finished hiking the Mitchell Canyon side of the mountain. I forgot how dry the trails can be this time of year, and everyone on the hike was slipping and sliding on the way down. Still had fun hiking, but it's a great reminder that you don't always have to take the steepest trail down.

Hiking Crew :-)
 Ten minutes into our hike, a herd of turkeys crossed the trail. There was probably 15-20 of them!!!


Then we saw deer:
 Oregon Sunshine aka woolly sunflower
 Poison Hemlock:

Monday, July 2, 2012

Day 15

(Taken 7/2)

This shot was taken off of Morgan Territory in Clayton around 4:00 pm.


Day 14

(Taken 7/1)

Hello moon!


Day 13

(Taken 6/30)


Day 12

(taken 6/29)

Went on another hike at the Black Diamond Mine Regional Preserve. Took a different trail than last time and still wound up with an awesome view of the mountain:

Here's my hiking crew: