Category: Mineral King

A New Art-making Experience in Mineral King

I have a very dear friend who is in college. She is a “Resident Assistant” this year, which is sort of like a camp counselor for a dorm full of freshmen girls. “Freshgirls”? “Freshwomen”? Hmmm. . .

One of her duties is to make some sort of name plates for each dorm room door. When the girls arrive, they will know immediately which room is theirs and feel welcomed when they see their names.

My friend isn’t too inclined toward artistic activities. She told me of her assignment, and I was immediately excited to be able to help her.

We found some scraps of watercolor paper and she bought some watercolor paints. We discussed ideas, I showed her a bit about how watercolor (mis)behaves, and she went to work.

It was so much fun to think about color combinations and make suggestions, then just sit back and see her go to town. (That’s a euphemism for “commence work” – you can see we were nowhere near a town.) We looked for inspiration all over Mineral King.

I think she liked it too. She discovered the splatter technique and really got serious!

Abstract art doesn’t do much for me, but color is so much fun! Here are a few of the 30 or so that she created.

Can you think of a better combination than a dear friend, color and Mineral King? (Okay, throw in a little dark chocolate and maybe some yarn. . . )

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Mineral King Photos As An Escape

I hit a bit of a bump in the road with the book The Cabins of Wilsonia and I don’t want to talk about it. So let’s put our hands over our ears, shout LALALALA in a loud monotone and run away to Mineral King. These are not in any particular order – I’m just speed slamming Mineral King photos, sort of like I do M&Ms or chocolate chips in times of desperation.

Hey! I painted that! ~~Back in the olden days when I had time to paint because I didn’t have a book at a printer with a bump in the road~~ LALALALALALALA!

Maybe tomorrow I will be able to talk about it. If so, it will be on my other blog, www.thecabinsofwilsonia.com Meanwhile, LALALALALALA.

Hiking In Mineral King (Trail Guy, Not the California Artist)

Trail Guy, AKA The Retiree, does a tremendous amount of hiking in Mineral King while I’m in Three Rivers trapped on the phone with AT&T because my email doesn’t work. But I’m not bitter. I enjoy his photos, and then you get to enjoy them. These will mostly be without comments. All you need to know is that they were all taken along Mineral King trails (and in between, because Trail Guy don’t need no stinkin’ trails!)

This is our dear friend Steven who walks 12 miles a day and gets paid for it. These trails were no problem for this guy!

This is a Pika, pronounced “PEE-ka”.

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Friends in Mineral King

There is something very unique and special about cabin communities. The friendships go on for life and through generations. Instead of yammering on and on, have a look at a very special Mineral King friendship.

I’m not close friends with these guys, but they might be close friends with one another. At least they aren’t eating my geraniums in Three Rivers.

I knit, my friend helps me weave in the ends, and she models for me: a perfect blend of skill between Mineral King friends.

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Babies in Mineral King

What, me work? Nah. The Retiree is in Mineral King, my book The Cabins of Wilsonia is at the printer, drawing lessons are suspended for July and August, and it is too stinking hot to be down the hill.

So, let’s look at some photos.

July is the month of babies and little critters in Mineral King.

Every year without fail, there are marmots born underneath our cabin. This is a little bit yucky, but I don’t know what to do about it. So, we just take photos. This year is a little different. There is a blind marmot, whom I have named RayCharles. You can tell it is him (her?) by the nose in the air.

Mountain Quail are not the state bird, which is California Quail. These Mountain Quail are usually very very shy. It is tricky, but if you look closely at this photo, you may be able to spot a baby.

Spotted fawns abound. Abounce, too. Bambis, Bambis, everywhere. Hey little guy, watch out for bears!

Austin isn’t really a baby at age 3, but he looks like one to me.

Braden isn’t really a baby either, but he and Austin are the youngest generation of cabin folks in Mineral King.

Hey RayCharles – watch out for bears!

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Mineral King Again

Hey, California Artist, don’t you work?

Beats me. It seems as if I spend all my time working on the computer, writing 2 blogs, answering email, redesigning murals, designing book covers, designing pre-order postcards. Oh yes, and I spend way too much time on the phone with AT&T, Paypal, and Apple. You really would rather not hear about that.

You are right, California Artist. Why don’t you tell us something interesting?

How about if I show you some nice Mineral King photos?

Now that’s what I’m talking about!

Whorled Penstemmon in White Chief. “Whorled”, not “whirled” or “world”. Got it? Good!

Pride of the Mountains is another version of penstemmon.

Green? Purple? Gurple!

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You are Invited To My Other Blog

Hi. Thanks for stopping by my regular blog. Today I am posting at The Cabins of Wilsonia blog.

Tomorrow and Wednesday too.

You are invited to see what is happening with the upcoming book at that site.

Thanks for stopping by – come back on Friday for Mineral King photos and a little commentary.

Is Mineral King the Most Beautiful Place in Tulare County?

Mineral King is probably the most beautiful place in Tulare County that is accessible by car. “One of the most” is probably more accurate than “the most”.

Make up your own mind. Of course, I’m only going to show you my side of the story!

Trail Guy takes this photo every summer, several times. Each time we are convinced the the rock outcropping on Empire Mt. is the best it has ever looked in the last sun of the day.

Timber Gap remains green far into the summer.

Vandever Peak, the right side of Farewell Gap, shows up in most of my Mineral King paintings.

This mule string is National Park animals getting ready to head out over Timber Gap.

Thimbleberry blooms in June and might be an edible berry in August. You’d have to ask a bear, but they don’t have calendars.

The bright flower is “Pride of the Mountains”, which is a penstemmon. Most of what I know about wildflowers comes from Stephen Stocking and Jack Rockwell’s book, Wildflowers of Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks now in its 4th edition from SNHA. I wore out my copy from 30 years ago, and Stephen brought me one in Wilsonia 2 weeks ago! What a thrill! He said there are about 10 new flowers in this version.

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A Walk in Mineral King

Last week we took a wildflower walk in Mineral King. This week we continue up the trail.

It was just a walk – no pack, no water, no food. It was hot out in the sun chasing down those wildflowers, so I was looking forward to stopping by the Ranger Station for a drink of water.

First, Trail Guy found a dead bird. Normally this would be no big deal, but this was a special bird, one that he had seen a few weeks ago. He told me about it because of the color, and he looked it up in a bird book because he has a good bird book and is curious that way. It is one of the things I really appreciate in him.

This is a dead lazuli bunting. I had never seen one or heard of it before. What a color! Sorry, Little Bunting. And Trail Guy, I’m sorry you have a boo-boo on your thumb.

HEY! Here is a live lazuli bunting! That is so fun – never seen one before, and then BOOM! A dead one and a live one all close together!

Trail Guy suggested a short cut, heading back across the stream on a log. I told him I was wanting a drink of water, and he said he thought that could be arranged.

It was a little unusual, a little over our heads, a little splashy, but Trail Guy is resourceful and knew what he knew. I said, “How many other women would put up with this?” He said, “That’s why I married you instead of those other women.” So, we got our splashy drinks and then ventured across the log.

I’m not much good at rock hopping due to a depth perception problem but I can do log crossings.

And this scene? I think it is exactly the place that I painted for my friend a few weeks ago! I actually recognized the exact aspen trees. (Hi, L!)

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A Wildflower Walk in Mineral King

Happy Independence Day Eve!

Normally I post about Mineral King on Fridays, but this week I will be silent on Friday because you will be busy and so will I. So, you get to read about Mineral King on Thursday. Hope you are feeling flexible.

Trail Guy and I took a break from our labors around the cabin (Is knitting a labor??) for a walk. No packs, no water, no snacks – just a walk. He wanted to visit his favorite flower, which has popped into bloom a little early this year since spring came early to the mountains.

This is not his favorite flower – this is Crimson Columbine.

This is not his favorite flower either. I don’t remember seeing it before. I don’t know what it is.

This is not Trail Guy’s favorite flower either. The color is washed out here, but it is Wild Blue Flax. I took this photo because this was taken in June, and normally this flower doesn’t appear until August.

This Mariposa Lily might be Trail Guy’s second favorite flower. It is one of the few white flowers that I’ve bothered to learn, because usually I think white flowers are boring.

This is one of my favorite views, but it rarely photographs well and has never looked good enough to paint.

This is an almost invisible little bitty purplish blue flower that our friend Sue got all excited about. She called it an “Alpine something-or-other”. I’ve never seen it before and don’t think Sue had either.