bakes-and-cakes domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home1/bellavk3/public_html/paintedcottage/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6131I went to visit beautiful Bee Canyon Park and snapped some lovely photographs of this little gem. It is a wildflower park with wooden bridges that take you over stone washes. If you are looking for a pretty place to do a photo shoot I would definitely suggest Bee Canyon Park. They film several movies here on a regular basis.

I am still in awe of the beauty that surrounds me in Los Angeles and am fortunate to live near some surprising parks, hiking trails and horse trails that are just a few blocks from my home. When I first moved here I would just stumble across them on my walks throughout my neighborhood. Those were magical moments. I was used to living near the hustle and bustle of the LA Airport so this has been a treat. It is not unusual to see a variety of birds, rabbits and coyotes darting in and out of the abundance of trees, and flowers. Below is a photo of a gorgeous Western Bluebird. You can read all about this species, as well as other beautiful birds at the Audubon Society

Enjoy these lovely images. I hope you will be able to visit. It’s small but very charming. There was so much wildlife to be seen, my camera just captured a couple of beautiful Western Bluebirds. I wish I could attract them to my backyard.
Thank you for taking the time to look at the photos. I hope you enjoyed this little visit to Bee Canyon Park, a little gem tucked away in the neighborhood of Granada Hills North. Please check back, I’ll be adding a list of parks and hiking trails that are nearby and worth taking a look at.

When Hummingbirds visit my garden it is a real treat. I just adore birds, especially hummingbirds. There is something magical about these tiny sprite sized birds. Their iridescent colors shimmering in the light make them look like little jewels. When I was looking to buy a home I fell in love with the yard of one property nearby that had at least 100 hummingbirds flying around. It was a sight to behold. I seriously considered buying the house just because of the hummingbirds. Too bad the house itself just wasn’t for me. Thankfully, I got my head out of the clouds and I came to my senses. From that day forward I vowed I would do everything to entice them into my yard.
The yard at my little cottage was quite overgrown and unruly but the birds seemed to love it. Now I was at an impasse. Do I cut everything back and risk losing their visits, or do I leave everything a mess? The practical and realistic side of me won out. The yard had to be cut back and cleaned up. You can read about it here. This daunting project really tested my physical as well as my mental strength. It killed me to cut back overgrown trumpet creeper vines and shaggy, misshapen trees suffocating from overgrowth and neglect. I knew I was possibly damaging the homes and food source for the hummingbirds I so desperately wanted in my yard but looking ahead to the future I knew it had to be done.
My yard and garden are just now filling in nicely. There is still a lot of work to be done. Come next spring I am confident that more hummingbirds as well as other wild birds will be flocking to my yard and making it their home.
The Hummingbird Society is a great resource for learning about hummingbirds.
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