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
Search by Specific Date
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:READY TO BLOW–POPOCATL VOLCANO
Printer-friendly version May 22, 2012 (Mexico) – ECM correspondent Nadin Abbott and her husband, Tom are vacationing in Mexico and captured this image of Popopcapetl, a smouldering volcano 30 miles from Puebla (pictured) and 60 miles from Mexico City. An eruption could occur at any time. “When it does go, they will have to test air at different altitudes to
PHOTO OF THE WEEK: SUPER MOON CLOSE-UP
Printer-friendly version May 10, 2012 (East County) — If you thought the moon looked larger than usual Saturday night, you’re right! The “super moon” occurs once a year, when the moon’s orbit past brings it closest to the Earth. Bill Ortiz took this photo of the “super moon” shining brightly over East County. Printer-friendly version
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: SUPER MOON
Printer-friendly version May 6, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) — ECM editor Miriam Raftery snapped this image of last night’s "super moon" — the closest that the moon comes to earth in its orbit this year. This full moon shot was taken off Highway 79, between Santa Ysabel and Ramona, casting a golden halo as it rose. Printer-friendly version
NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT AT MISSION TRAILS NOW THROUGH MAY 4
Printer-friendly version April 25, 2012 (San Diego) — The Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation is presenting a solo exhibition by award winning nature photography Scott Streit. This exhibition is on display in the Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor’s Center Art Gallery, One Father Junipero Sera Trail, San Diego now through May 4 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. Streit
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: YUCCA—YUM!
Printer-friendly version April 21, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – Dan Connors spotted this enterprising ground squirrel, a member of the gopher family. “Gophers generally cannot eat the Yucca flowers as the spiny leaves protect the plant,” he observed. “This one grew up next to a rock pile, and the gopher jumped from the rock pile to the
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: CITIZENS FIGHT BACK AGAINST OCOTILLO WIND PROJECT
Printer-friendly version May 17, 2012 (Ocotillo) –Robert Lundahl spotted these signs posted by residents and environmentalists, who are mobilizing to inform the public about negative impacts of the proposed Ocotillo Express wind energy facility. The site borders Anza Borrego Desert State Park on Bureau of Land Management public lands. If built, 450-foot-tall turbines would produce electricity for transmission over
PHOTOS OF THE MONTH: DESERT BIGHORNS
Printer-friendly version April 12, 2012 (Ocotillo) – “My wife, Mary, and I had the pleasure of seeing a large group of bighorn sheep while we were on one of our desert wildflower trips,” Robert Baran says. They photographed a group of 15 or more Peninsular Bighorn Sheep on Saturday, April 7 between Meyer Creek and Ocotillo. Printer-friendly version
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: THE DESERT IS ABLAZE IN COLOR
Printer-friendly version April 9, 2012 (Anz-Borrego Desert) — Daren Sefcik snapped these beautiful blooms this week in the Anza Borrego Desert State Park, where the desert is ablaze in color. Printer-friendly version
MISSION TRAILS 2012 AMATEUR PHOTO CONTEST: DEADLINE APRIL 27
Printer-friendly version April 5, 2012 (San Diego) — Do you enjoy taking photos of your experiences while in Mission Trails Regional Park? Perhaps you’ve taken interesting photos of the various flora and fauna within the park. If so, you may want to consider submitting a few of your better photos into our annual Photo Contest. The entry fee is
PHOTO OF THE WEEK: ONLY IN EAST COUNTY!
Printer-friendly version April 3, 2012 (Lakeside) — Pami Wilmers of Lakeside rides her horse, Seth Boy, through the Jack in the Box drive-through in Lakeside. Photographer Billy Ortiz offers this explanation for the unusual jaunt. “Pami will be in the Lakeside Western Days Parade next month, so she rode through town to get Seth Boy used to the cars
Search by Specific Date
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.