Award-winning nonprofit media in the public interest, serving San Diego's inland region

Award-winning nonprofit media in the public interest, serving San Diego's inland region

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: WINTER WONDERLAND

Printer-friendly version   December 31, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) — A blanket of snow envelops our local mountains and rural areas this New Year’s Eve. Melody Ponchot arose early to snap sunrise photos as the morning’s first rays illuminate snow dusting trees across her ranch in Boulevard (left, right, and below, right) Julie Salmons also sent in an image

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PHOTO OF THE WEEK: DOE, A DEER

Printer-friendly version     December 29, 2012 (Cuyamaca) — While driving through Rancho Cuyamaca State Park last week, ECM editor Miriam Raftery spotted several groups of deer grazing in the sun-dappled woods, including this doe, which paused to pose for a picture-perfect moment. The best time to see deer is in the last hour before sundown; this photo was taken

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PHOTO OF THE WEEK: MOON HALO

Printer-friendly version December 29, 2012 (Mount Helix) — “Ring around the moon, rain is coming soon,” according to an old saying. There is truth to the statement, since a halo around the moon is caused by high cirrus clouds and a reflection off millions of ice crystals high up in the atmosphere that creates this irridescent rainbow-like effect.  Moon halos

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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: WILD TURKEYS IN CUYAMACA

Printer-friendly version Decenber 26, 2012 (Cuyamaca) — Turkeys for Christmas  may conjure up images of a holiday dinner.  But photographer Tom Lemon spotted this flock on Christmas Day while driving through Rancho Cuyamaca State Park.  He suggests these turkeys should be grateful that they’re living in a protected area where hunting is not allowed–or, perhaps, hoping more folks will choose

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PHOTO OF THE WEEK: CHRISTMAS MAGIC AT COWLES ISLAND

Printer-friendly version December 25, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) — No, this isn’t a preview of what East County might look like after a few decades of rising tides and global climate change.  This image of Cowles “island” is in fact Cowles Mountain, surrounded not by water, but a sea of clouds.  Scroll down for a second image depicting the

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PHOTO OF THE WEEK: MOUNTAIN SHADOW

Printer-friendly version   By Miriam Raftery December 24, 2012 (Mount Helix) — This Christmas Eve, enjoy Tom Lemon’s gift to our readers.  I’ve seen shadows cast by clouds on the earth below, but I’d never before seen shadow on top of the clouds. Lemon snapped this unusual image from Mount Helix, looking down on pink-tinged clouds early in the morning

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PHOTO OF THE WEEK: ALL IS CALM, ALL IS BRIGHT

Printer-friendly version   December 21, 2012 (Mount Helix) — Tom Lemon snapped this serene image depicting a sea of golden-hued clouds, taken from atop Mount Helix on a foggy mid-winter morning in San Diego’s East County.   Printer-friendly version

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PHOTO OF THE WEEK: UNCLE SAM AT LAKE MURRAY

Printer-friendly versionDecember 4, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – “Uncle Sam made sure everyone knew (well – everyone at Lake Murray on my 6 mile walk) it was their civic duty to vote today,” Greg Dunne wrote in an e-mail to ECM on election day, adding that he received enthusiastic comments from walkers, dog walkers, bicyclists, joggers and others.  “Thanks

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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: SILENT BEAUTY

Printer-friendly version December 1, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – Melody Ponchot has provided us with a dazzling set of photographs that are a study in contrasts, some shot in the snow-covered rural landscape around her home in Boulevard, others taken at Valley of the Moon, a boulder-strewn terrain east of Jacumba.  In both places, there is tranquility in the

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BEST VIDEOS IN EAST COUNTY: BOBCATS IN EL MONTE VALLEY

Printer-friendly versionBy Billy Ortiz View video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0EPuSgKJOY November 20, 2012 (Lakeside) –Early in the morning on November 15 in El Monte Valley, I was driving slowly like always, hoping to see a cat. Today was my day–I spotted one close to the road, followed it up the mountain a bit and discovered that there was more than one. Much to

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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting — not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine’s local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

SNOW PLAY IN SANTA ISABEL

Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery Photos by Henri Migala and Miriam Raftery February 27, 2023 (Santa Ysabel)– The weekend storm brough snow to unusually low levels in San Diego County’s mountains. With  popular destinations such as Julian, Cuyamaca and Mount Laguna blocked except to residents and chains required in the morning, followed by traffic jams when some highways later opened,

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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: WILDFLOWERS BLOOMING IN RAMONA

Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service February 27, 2023 (Ramona) – Looking for wildflowers? You don’t have to go all the way to Anza-Borrego.  Henri Migala took these colorful photos of a hillside abloom in orange and yellow daisies along the Old Julian Highway in Ramona yesterday. If you’ve found a great place to view wildflowers locally this spring, send your

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PHOTO OF THE WEEK: CEDAR WAXWING IN EL CAJON

Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service February 23, 2023 (El Cajon) — Amber S. Dine sent in this photo of a Cedar Waxwing, taken off her balcony in El Cajon. These migratory birds typically travel in flocks, traveling in search of berries on cedars and other trees. At times they’ve been known to over-indulge, resulting in intoxication! They are distinctive due

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PROCTOR VALLEY SITE PROPOSED AS NATURE PRESERVE

Printer-friendly version   By Jacob Pamus February 22, 2023 (Proctor Valley) – There has been an ongoing legal battle between environmental groups like the Sierra Club and others, against developers who want to turn Proctor Valley, a large tract of land between Chula Vista and Jamul, into a housing development. A judge has ruled in favor of the environmental groups

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PHOTO OF THE WEEK: NESTING HUMMINGBIRD

Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service  February 13, 2023 (Lakeside) – Shiloh Ireland Photography sent in this image of a hummingbird nesting on his Lakeside property.    Hummingbirds build their tiny nests with twigs, moss and spiderwebs.  They can measure as little as an inch in diameter when built, but can stretch to accommodate growing chicks once the eggs hatch.  Because

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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: ROBINS ARRIVE IN REGION

Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery   Photos by Dawn Sebaugh   February 9, 2023 (Mt. Helix) – Harbingers of spring, American  Robins have arrived in our region.  Dawn Sebaugh, a resident of Mt. Helix, says, “Last week we had 60 to 100 robins land all over the backyard and our deck. It was like the movie The Birds.”  She sent in these

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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE

Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service Photo, left, by Alex Tardy, National Weather Service: car is swept away by floodwaters beneath overpass in Fashion Valley, where the river topped flood stage at 13 feet yesterday morning. January 17, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) – Torrential rains that doused our region caused roadway flooding and rockslides, filled reservoirs, and resulted in multiple

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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: GREAT BLUE HERON

Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service January 7, 2023 (Santee) – Scott Lagace started the New Year off right with a stroll around Santee Lakes on January 1, where he captured a Great Blue Heron in flight, shown in these beautiful images.   Printer-friendly version

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SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE WINS ANIMATION AWARD IN ROSE PARADE, WITH FLOAT CELEBRATING SAFARI PARK’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY 

Printer-friendly version  East County News Service  January 3, 2023 (Escondido)  – San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance won the coveted Animation Award in yesterday’s 134th Rose Parade presented by Honda, with a float celebrating the San Diego Zoo Safari Park’s 50th anniversary. The float’s theme, “Celebrating 50 Years of Conservation,” depicted rhinos, giraffes and the Safari Park’s iconic Wildlife Safari experience,

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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting — not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine’s local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.