Almond Orchards Are Like Snowflakes

Each one is unique!

Up until today, all my almond blossom photos have been from one particular orchard in Capay that I deemed especially photogenic.  The orchard in today's photo is just a few miles away, right here in Davis.  I've posted a blog photo of this orchard before on December 7, 2012.  As you can see from both photos, this orchard configuration encourages leaves and petals to collect on the ground.  I'm not sure why this is.  The orchard is unusual in that it's almost completely bare dirt underneath, so perhaps that's part of the reason.  The other thing you can see from both photos is that we have a very short winter here! 

Among the Almond Trees

I also tried photos that would look more like you were actually in the orchard.  I had a lot of trouble figuring out where to place the trees though.  Most people in my family liked the photos better when they contained a vanishing point, so I tried to work across rows but also give more of a "forest" feel.  This one is probably my favorite, although I'm not completely sure about that.  I've really lost the ability to see the forest from the trees, so to speak!  Anyway I'm done driving out here; this photo was made last weekend. 

Capay Valley 2

This one is also from my drive through Capay yesterday; no new photos for today.  It already feels a little repetitive to keep posting the same topic.  Between Napa and Capay Valleys I'll try to vary things a little.  I'm just really wanting to explore these themes right now.  I don't like this one quite as much as yesterday's photo.  It does sort of remind me of prom dresses, but I've got to be looking at it upside down I think. 

Capay Valley

I've been avoiding heading back out to Capay this week because I was hoping for some different weather (less harsh sunlight).  But today I gave up waiting and went back to see how it's looking.  This orchard, and many others, are in full bloom, but there are still many orchards just beginning to bloom.  I'll try again over the weekend, and probably midway through next week too, just to see what else I can get.  I'm happy with this one though.  I like the softness of it combined with the curve of the tree trunk pattern.  It caught me by surprise.  I'm always happy when I find a photo I wasn't looking for!

Almond Orchard

This is how most of the Capay Valley almond orchards were looking last weekend.  They were in various states of not quite ready to bloom.  I doubled back to photograph this barn because I liked the red, white, and blue effect with the sky.  Looking at it now, it seems a little washed out, but I think the colors are about right.  In previous photos I complained that the sky color was too deep.  Here the blue sky still has a winter look to it, although it's getting stronger; this photo best reflects the changing of season.  The bottom half looks like spring and the top half looks like late winter. 

Fall in the Almond Orchard

Driving to Woodland the other morning, I just couldn't help but admire the color and saturation of this almond orchard.  And this is going to sound a little silly, but one of the things I'm proud of from my 2 1/2 years living here is that I can tell one orchard from another.  Almonds are related to the apricot family; they flower and leaf out early in the spring.  They seem to hold their leaves the longest too, but they don't grow nearly as big as the walnut trees.   I have to take a back road route to drive through the orchards and I guess I've never driven this way so late in the fall.  So glad I did!  Love, love, love this color!