I'm told it's still wintry elsewhere in this country, but being a born and raised California girl, I'm pretty oblivious to this concept. Also being from California and having access to a multitude of fruits and vegetables for most of the year, the term "in season" didn't really make sense to me until I went to college and met non-CA people who didn't have easy and inexpensive access to avocados, citrus, and berries (sheltered & spoiled childhood, I know).
Anyhow, similarly, I wasn't really aware of the concept of a fleeting wildflower bloom until the boyfriend suggested that we go exploring since the recent rain coupled with the high temperatures were causing the wildflowers to pop out of the ground until it becomes too hot and dry to sustain the bloom. It sounded promising for a photo adventure - school and work both ramped up simultaneously over the past two months and I have been itching for a creative opportunity.
Since it was due to be hot, we got up at 5am and drove out to the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve, aiming to get there around sunrise. We got there so early, it was still cool out and the flowers were still curled up. We got there before the crowds and got substantially better pictures in the early morning light. I was definitely thinking it would be a Sound of Music-esque frolic about the flowers, but these fields were decidedly pricklier. Not to mention, it is a state wildflower reserve and the ample rattlesnake warning signs were more than enough to keep me on the trails. Still, looking at the hills with patches of yellow and gold against the backdrop of mountains definitely explains how artists get inspiration for picturesque landscapes. I focused my photo attempts at macro flower images and landscapes. The wide angle got some use as did the 50-200mm lens. I really focused on shooting with small apertures on the landscapes and brought my travel tripod along to be able to shoot the perfect early morning light at slower shutter speeds. I definitely love the results and can tell I'm making progress as the edits I made in post were more about creative license rather than fixing exposure.
The other part of our adventure was definitely impromptu and spontaneous - we saw a sign for an ostrich farm. A quick google search later and we were on our way to Tehachapi for lunch and a trek to the Indian Point Ostrich Ranch. This turned out to be one of the greatest spontaneous moments I've ever had, adding yet another animal to the list of wildlife I've pet and fed (penguins, giraffe, rhino... ostrich!). The tour was really informative and interesting - I did not know that ostriches have a strategic fat reserve stored in a hump, like camels. They're bred for their lean, red, meat and their leather. Having sampled ostrich meat once, it is really tasty. According to the guide, ostriches have tiny brains and don't remember much after 5-7 seconds, leading to really silly behaviors like repeatedly pecking at a fence. Despite the small brain through, sticking their heads in the ground is definitely not something ostriches do and is entirely a myth. The best part was getting to feed the ostriches($5 for 3 bowls of food and totally worth it) - they're not delicate eaters and basically fling their heads at the bowl, sending food flying. I was brave enough to feed them out of my hand, which the tour guide just said to make sure to feed with a flat palm, like you would with a horse. I will say that unlike a horse, ostriches don't have lips to help them and thus, tend to miss and bite the hand along with the food - it didn't really hurt, but there was an impact and it was pretty startling. Still, totally worth the experience!
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