Category Archives: Santa Barbara

Chumash Rock Art, Santa Barbara County

These Chumash paintings show little wear from the elements over the last several decades. They are presented here without alteration, but for a slight intensification of the existing natural color. They measure roughly about twelve inches in length. The pictographs … Continue reading

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Matías Reyes, Santa Barbara Mission (1887)

“Old Matías Reyes lived in Mission Cañon. He used to bring wood to town and sell it.” —Santa Barbara: Tierra Adorada, A Community History (1930) In her book, “Canyon Voices: The Nature of Rattlesnake Canyon (2006),” Santa Barbara resident Karen Telleen-Lawton … Continue reading

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Mastodon & Mammoth Sign: Reading Trees in the Santa Ynez Mountains

Santa Ynez Mountains “Elephants’ habit of snapping or uprooting trees could explain why species such as oak, ash, beech, lime, sycamore, field maple, sweet chestnut, hazel, alder and willow can regrow from the point at which the stem is broken. … Continue reading

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Arlington, Cathedral, La Cumbre Peaks Scramble & More

The stairway to Arlington climbing out of Mission Canyon. “Genji climbed the hill behind the temple and looked off toward the city. The forests receded into a spring haze. ‘Like a painting,’ he said. ‘People who live in such a … Continue reading

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Sage Hill Wildflowers

California poppies on Grass Mountain, Zaca Ridge, Figueroa Mountain 3-26-2016 Around these here parts, in a mild climate with little to no snow, the wildflower blooms mark one of the few striking signals of seasonal change. The go-to sites in Santa … Continue reading

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