In photojournalistic style I have uploaded (15) new images in a series taken on the way into the Sequoia National Park. We stayed in nearby town Visalia and then ventured the hour into the park… the first day we only got 6 miles into the park because we stopped so much along the way to take in the scenic road up there. I could sit and take in this view for days! There is another little town to stay in called Exeter (Best Western is a good choice)… right now in March the Orange Blossoms are blooming and the scent is heavenly!! They even have an Orange Blossom festival…these photos were taken at the end of Fall in November last year when we decided to make a quick getaway to the snow at the giant Sequoia’s to make a more dramatic Christmas card this past year! 😉
So I always have to tell the story of an Adventure right??! 😉 Well, I was happily shooting pictures down those cobbled stairs into the boulders and fall colors when my husband shows back up and yells at me “Come now and don’t ask any questions!!! Run!!”…. I run up to the road across from a picnic area where our car was parked. I see 2 big brown bears 20 yards infront of me as I jump in the car….heart racing! My husband had come face to face with them walking Rockitt our pup in the picnic area… they were searching for food…. he ran for the car and moved it closer to where I was shooting the other side and then came running to “save me” 😉 Sitting in the car, I was racing to switch to my zoom lens and get my tripod up….. Door ajar, one foot out of the car, I just got the tripod and camera out and trying to get my manual settings right… about to capture the “photo of a lifetime”!!!!!! ;-)… I just got the setting right and then……………… a loud clapping and shouting comes from the rear…. the bears scatter and run off up into the hills ….. argghhhhh! Missed it!!!!
…sigh! lol!! The Ranger had showed up and scared them to get them out of the Picnic area….the thing that impressed me the most and still made my day was a couple minutes later when the Ranger came over to me to apologize for ruining my opportunity at a photo of a lifetime…. it was very nice of him to notice and recognize that but even more impressive that he made the effort to come and say something to me!!! 😉 Thank you Mr California Ranger dude!!
Have a great weekend and week everyone!! Enjoy your Spring Break R & R…. I hope you’re not a busy at work as I am right now…..I will try to catch up with your streams again soon! http://flic.kr/p/buE5wd
Sig Nordal 