East County Magazine
PHOTO OF THE WEEK: OCOTILLO SUNRISE
Printer-friendly version August 13, 2012 (Ocotillo) — ECM photographer Jim Pelley shot this beautiful sunrise this morning from the yard at his home in Ocotillo. Soon this dramatic landscape may be only a memory, vanished in the dust as towering ocotillo cacti are torn down and replaced by 112 wind turbines, each 500 feet tall. That’s the plan for Pattern
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: EAST OF EAST COUNTY
Printer-friendly versionBy Tom Lemon August 10, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) — When you’re driving east on Interstate 8 past Jacumba and the Desert View Tower there’s a sharp left turn and you begin to descend Mountain Springs Grade. You will drop about three thousand feet to the desert in ten miles, and can see the remains of Old
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: WILD RIDES AT THE BULLS ONLY RODEO
Printer-friendly version July 29, 2012 (Lakeside) — Barry Claessens (www.bcphotography.biz) snapped these action shots at the Optimist Club’s "Bull’s Only Rodeo" at the Lakeside Rodeo arena on July 21. Rodeos began to help cowboys hone their skills and, in the case of bull-riding, showcase their bravado. Isn’t this the original extreme sport? Today there are some modern-day twists. Some local bull riders
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: ON THE ROCKS
Printer-friendly version July 23, 2012 (McCain Valley) – ECM reader Tom Lemon sent in these spectacular photos of McCain Valley, site of the proposed Tule Wind facility in San Diego’s East County. "I first visited McCain Valley around 1995 after reading Jerry Shaad’s book Afoot and Afield in San Diego County. I began camping and hiking in the Valley and
PHOTO OF THE WEEK: SPACE INVADERS?
Printer-friendly version July 25, 2012 (Ocotillo) – No, this isn’t the mother ship that’s landed in Ocotillo. It’s another alien power – the first wind turbine foundation poured at Pattern Energy’s Ocotillo Express project. Photographer Jim Pelley measured a single turbine foundation hole measures 286 feet. More than 100 turbines, each 450 feet tall, are planned to invade this
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: SNOWFALL AT MCCAIN VALLEY
Printer-friendly version July 19, 2012 (McCain Valley) – Tom Klimek of Lemon Grove shared these photos that he took of McCain Valley “as few have seen it,” blanketed in snow, isolated in its pristine beauty. “On March 18, 2012 I drove to Laguna Mountain and then to McCain to enjoy the late winter storm that brought wind, rain, hail, and
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: STORM OVER OCOTILLO
Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery Photo by Jim Pelley July 15, 2012 (Ocotillo) — Photographer Jim Pelley captured this inspiring image of sunbeams illuminating the proverbial silver lining of this storm cloud over the desert in Ocotillo. There is a tragic irony to this spectacular image, however. The landscape in shadow beneath the stormcloud is being destroyed, as excavation
DOWN ON THE FARMS: A VIDEO TOUR OF LOCAL AGRICULTURAL IN LAKESIDE
Printer-friendly versionIn honor of Harold Hilliker Farm Day at Lakeside Middle School, videographer Billy Ortiz created a video documentary tour of local agricultural sites Story, photos and video by Billy Ortiz June 30, 2012 (Lakeside)– Lakeside Middle School held its first annual Harold Hilliker Farm Day on May 30. It was a day full of information on agriculture, highlighting several
PHOTO OF THE WEEK: HORNED DESERT LIZARD
Printer-friendly version June 20, 2012 (Ocotillo) — Photographer Jim Pelley snapped this image of a horned desert lizard, whose camouflaged appearance blends right in with its desert surroundings. Pelley spotted the reclusive reptile on the site of the Ocotillo Express wind energy facility, which is now under construction. Printer-friendly version
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: REFLECTIONS AT SANTEE LAKES
Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery May 30, 2012 (Santee) – ECM editor Miriam Raftery took a break from the hustle and bustle of news editing for a stroll at Santee Lakes. There, she spotted a majestic great blue heron and a colorful wood duck, both with images reflected in the water’s surface, as
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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.
PHOTO OF THE WEEK: CAN YOU NAME THIS BIRD?
Printer-friendly version April 7, 2013 (Julian) – This photo taken by Nadin Abbott in Julian stumped our staff initially when we were asked to identify the bird with dramatic black and white markings. Fortunately, our “Bird Talk” columnist Greg Dunne checked with experts and confirmed that this beautiful bird in flight is Acorn Woodpecker. “Acorn Woodpeckers are social birds,”
PHOTO OF THE WEEK: EASTER BUNNY HOPS INTO JAMUL
Printer-friendly version April 3, 2013 (Jamul) — Ariele Brooke sent in this adorable photo of her young relatives at an Easter event sponsored by Jamul Kiwanis. “They had a petting zoo with chickens, bunnies, and a goat,” Brooke reports, adding that activities also included an egg hunt, face punting and inflatable jump. “They always give away fantastic prizes (and
PHOTO OF THE WEEK: SPRING VISITOR AT LAKE JACUMBA
Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery March 24, 2013 (Jacumba Hot Springs) –I spotted this beautiful crested bird, a cedar waxwing, on a visit to Jacumba Hot Springs last week. Lake Jacumba, once virtually dry, is now refilled and is a magnet for a wide variety of bird species. Cedar waxwings are most often found in the northern United States,
PARTICIPANTS GET IN CHARACTER AT VALLECITOS DAYS: ANNUAL EVENT CONTINUES SUNDAY
Printer-friendly version By Miriam Raftery View videos: Soldier, sea captain, mountain man’s “Rendevous tale March 16, 2013 (Vallecitos) — A soldier, a sailor, and a mountain man—all bringing to life tales from the 1850 and ’60s, shared their stories at Vallecitos Days. The two-day event continues Sunday morning (ending at 2 p.m.) at the Vallecitos Stage Station in
PHOTO OF THE WEEK: FROLICKING FAWNS
Printer-friendly version March 13, 2013 (Jamul) — Debbie Ekhaml caught the action as twin fawns leaped across a meadow in an ecological preserve in Jamul. Who knew that Bambi could jump so high–nearly resembling a kangaroo at times? “I have many pictures of them with the doe, but like them jumping the best,” wrote Ekhaml, who declined to
JACUMBA HOT SPRINGS: AN OASIS FOR TOURING CYCLISTS ON THE SOUTHERN TIER
Printer-friendly version March 11, 2013 (Jacumba Hot Springs)–Pinch Flat Fortune Productions has created a delightful video that provides a cyclist’s eye view of Jacumba Hot Springs, a town built around a natural mineral spring bubbling up from the ground near a pond that’s a birdwatcher’s haven. The filmmakers call Jacumba Hot Springs “magical,” adding that in addition to free camping
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: HIKING AT MISSION TRAILS REGIONAL PARK
Printer-friendly versionBy Greg Dunne March 6, 2013 – Last week I did back to back hikes in Missions Trails Regional Park. I was treated with three Mule Deer on the trail—a great sight! I have only seen deer at Mission Trails once before and that was after the Cedar fires of 2003. It was on my way back from North
PHOTO OF THE WEEK: CORTE MADERA PEAK
Printer-friendly version March 2, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) — “A beautiful day, and a huge chunk of granite in The East County,” photographer Tom Lemon says of this image he shot of Corte Madera Peak, also known as the “Half Dome of San Diego County” rising majestically above pine trees. Printer-friendly version
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: DESCANSO SNOW
Printer-friendly versionFebruary 26, 2013 (Descanso) — Julie Salmons shot these photos after this week’s heavy snowfall blanketed her community in Descanso. A headache for motorists when I-8 shut down nearby, the unusual weather created a tapestry of beauty from a photographer’s eye. Printer-friendly version
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: FOUR-WHEELING INTO MCCAIN VALLEY
Printer-friendly version February 17, 2013 (McCain Valley) – Melody Ponchot of Boulevard sent this beautiful set of photos from an early morning adventure she took with a friend, Donna Tisdale, after the snowfall last weekend. “Four wheeling in the snow to McCain Valley is so much fun,” she observed. This pristine public land, one of East County’s most beautiful
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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.