Turkey Vulture

In California, if it looks like a hawk with no head it is probably a turkey vulture.  Unlike it's cousin the California condor, it is not endangered and does not have a 10 ft wingspan.  This one is probably a mere 5 ft tip to tip.

Here I Come!!!

Charge!!!

Young master Wallihan, like many boys his age, has an uncanny sense of balance.  It can be seen here as he ascends the loose dirt on this slope.  Roboticists, with modern computers and software, only dream of this kind of control.  We humans may struggle to do simple math at times but our CPUs are marvels at other tasks.

Backbay Grassland

Before the sun sets it casts a golden light on everything.  Atmospheric diffusion and long shadows cut the harsh shadows you see at mid-day.  Landscape photographers refer to this as the golden hour for obvious reasons.

Mount Baldy

Usually all you see looking this direction is a thick haze (not necessarily smog as many people think).  On this day the Santa Ana winds were blowing so I knew I had a chance at clear mountains.  I drove for a while before I found a spot with a view that didn't have a mansion on it.  If you are looking for Mount Baldy on a map you should try Mount San Antonio.  Baldy is just a nickname.