Author: cindy knoke

https://cindyknoke.com/ I retired early after 27 years as a psychotherapist/mental health director (Cindy Barton LCSW) and moved to the outer limits of no-wheres-ville to a home I call "The Holler." My closest neighbors are coyotes (packs and packs of them and they are HUNGRY), rattlers (lots and lots of them and they are MEAN), and free range cows/bulls (the bulls aren't too friendly either!) Forget cell phones. They don't work out here. Forget GPS, it misdirects. It's best not to wander too much out here, the people (and their dogs) are kinda twitchy. To reach The Holler you turn right at the reeking chicken farm, down a bunch of pot-holed semi-streets/dirt roads, past the abandoned refrigerators and occupied old RV’s and then things get kinda dicey. My friends usual reaction to the trip to The Holler is, “You’ve got to be kidding!” Or, “Next time let’s meet half way.” This is our little bit of heavenly Appalachia right here in rural California. I blog about traveling, photography, Holler happenings, and anything else that strikes my fancy. Stop by the blog and take a peek. It’s safe. I promise. Cheers, Cindy~ This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Puffed Up~

On July 6, 2026July 6, 2026 By cindy knokeIn Birds, Conservation, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, TRAVEL REVIEWS111 Comments

Puffin.

Pensively,

A close-up of a puffin perched on a rocky surface, featuring its distinct black and white plumage, orange and yellow beak, and large, expressive eyes.

ponders.

A close-up of a puffin with a black and white body, orange beak, and striking white face, perched on a rocky surface near water.

This Horned Puffin,

Close-up of a puffin with distinctive orange bill and white face, showcasing its black body and light-colored tufted feathers on the head.

and his playful Tufted Puffin cousin,

A tufted puffin splashing in water with its distinctive orange bill and black feathers.

are both Auks,

A tufted puffin swimming in dark, rippling water, with its distinctive orange beak and wet feathers.

from Alaska!

Cheers to you from Alaska’s precious puffins~

Glacier Bear~

On June 15, 2026June 15, 2026 By cindy knokeIn Conservation, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, TRAVEL REVIEWS, Wild Life241 Comments

A light-colored bear standing near a tree in a lush green forest.

You can see her spirit in her souful eyes.

A young bear peeking out from behind a tree, partially hidden by greenery.

She has many names, Glacier Bear, Ghost Bear, Spirit Bear.

She is a Leucistic Alaskan Glacier Black Bear with black skin and translucent/pale fur, and is one of the rarest animals on earth. She is rarely seen or photographed and her population amongst Alaskan Black Bears is less then 1%.

A close-up of a brown bear standing on a rocky area surrounded by greenery.

She is more rare than her cousins, The Spirit Bears in British Columbia, and we watched her for about half an hour from a skiff on The Chilcat River Eagle Preserve near Haines Alaska..

A light-colored bear standing next to a tree in a green forest setting.

She was entirely unafraid and very curious about us.

A bear sitting beside a tree in a dense, green forest.

I now know why indigenous people’s call her Ghost Bear, even up close, and we were close, she has a gauzy, ghostlike, appearance.

A close-up of a light-colored bear standing near a tree, surrounded by lush green foliage.

We are on a three generation trip to Canada and Alaska, introducing the seven year old twin grandsons to all the wonder.

A close-up of a bear partially hidden behind a tree stump, surrounded by lush green foliage.

But none of us, including my camera and I, were prepared for the the most amazing wonder of them all. I forgot all about my camera settings since I have never photographed a glacial ghost bear before!

A light-colored bear sitting among green foliage in a natural setting.

Cheers to you from soulful Spirit of Alaska~

Don’t Pet Spot~

On April 28, 2026May 20, 2026 By cindy knokeIn Conservation, Coyotes, HOLLER HAPPENINGS, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, Wild Life202 Comments

Coyote walking through a grassy field, with its tongue out and alert expression.

He bites,

A coyote sitting in tall grass, with greenery in the background.

he’s hungry,

A coyote standing in a dry, grassy field with a curious expression.

and he’s wild.

A coyote sniffing the ground in a grassy field.

Spot probably got kicked out of the coyote pack which sometimes happens.

A coyote walking through a grassy field, with its tongue out, showcasing its natural habitat.

Loner’s like Spot have a tougher time hunting and surviving.

A coyote lying on the grass with a stick in its mouth, surrounded by sparse vegetation and flowers.

Don’t try to take his bone, he wouldn’t like that…..

A coyote lying on the ground in a grassy field, looking toward the camera with a relaxed expression.

But Spot looks quite healthy and curious!

A coyote standing in a field of dry grasses, looking towards the camera with a slight smile.

The loners let humans get closer,

A coyote standing in a natural habitat with tall grass and wildflowers.

but I keep my distance.

A soaring hawk with outstretched wings against a clear blue sky.

The Red Tailed Hawks came closer too, curious about the brave coyote and the cautious human.

A golden eagle with outstretched wings perched against a blue sky.

Cheers to you & Hope All is Well from The Holler’s wild ones~

The Gardeners~

On March 15, 2026March 15, 2026 By cindy knokeIn Conservation, EXTERIOR & INTERIOR DESIGN, Flowers, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, Uncategorized248 Comments

A vibrant field filled with a variety of colorful flowers, including pink, orange, red, and yellow blooms, with people in the background enjoying the scenery.

What would the world be,

A vibrant field filled with multicolored ranunculus flowers in shades of pink, orange, and yellow, with people walking in the background.

without our gardeners,

A vibrant field of blooming ranunculus flowers in various shades of pink, orange, yellow, and red, with visitors strolling through the rows under a clear blue sky.

who tend the flowers,

A black butterfly with white spots resting on a purple flower surrounded by green foliage and other colorful flowers.

where flutters fly by,

A close-up of a woman with a butterfly resting on her forehead, set against a backdrop of colorful flowers.

and make friends with humans?

A vibrant field filled with blooming white flowers, primarily ranunculus, creating a lush, green landscape.

Gardeners,

A vibrant field filled with blooming pink ranunculus flowers, interspersed with red and yellow blossoms, stretching across the landscape.

are like the flowers,

A cluster of white ranunculus flowers surrounded by green foliage, showcasing varying stages of bloom.

they tend,

A close-up of a white flower with soft pink accents, showcasing multiple layers of delicate petals, alongside a vibrant pink flower partially visible in the background.

they make the world beautiful.

A vibrant yellow and orange ranunculus flower in full bloom, surrounded by green leaves.

Cheers to you, and all the world’s gardeners, from The Flower Fields in Carlsbad California~

The Eastern Sierra~

On February 28, 2026June 8, 2026 By cindy knokeIn Conservation, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, Wild Life258 Comments

Got slammed with 111 inches of snow in the most recent 5 day storm.

UC Berkeley’s Snow Lab records this as the snowiest 5 day stretch in 40 years.

But the Sierras are once again,

silent,

still,

serene.

Even the twin waterfalls are sleeping!

Life perseveres, waiting for spring thaw.

The White Mountains (in the back), are home to the few surviving California herds of wild mustangs who are now going to be captured and removed by helicopter roundup and bait water trapping. See prior post on these magnificent wild creatures and their keystone place in the wild habitat:

Wild Mustangs of Mono Lake~

The US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management are moving forward with plans to capture and remove approximately 500 wild horses from their home near Mono Lake in California’s Eastern Sierra. The mustangs have lived here since the 1800’s. The Forest Service and BLM claim the horses are a danger on roads and disturb sensitive habitats.

Interestingly, cattle are allowed to graze in much of this “sensitive habitat.” Reports indicate wild mustangs are consuming habitat allocated for privately owned cattle. In more than 50 years I have never seen a wild mustang on a road, and neither have my friends and family, some whom live in the area, and had no idea they were even here.

https://americanwildhorse.org

https://www.easternsierrawildhorses.com

Cheers to you from The Eastern Sierra and her not long remaining, wild & free mustangs~

What To Do in The Desert?

On November 15, 2025November 16, 2025 By cindy knokeIn Conservation, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, TRAVEL REVIEWS281 Comments

When an atmospheric river,

dumps torrential rain,

spawning dozens of high mountain waterfalls,

that crash down right by the door of your condo rental,

creating flash floods?

What to do?

Get wet,

and take photos too!

It is an amazing experience because it happens so incredibly quickly. It starts with serious torrential downpours that are fast in onset, next you hear roaring, go outside, and see dozens of waterfalls falling from the 8000+ peaks of The Santa Rosa Mountain Range, to the sea level and below, and since your vacation condo sits at the foot of these mountains, the show is quite spectacular! The photos can’t do it justice in the midst of the storm. Lakes and rivers have formed where dust and lizards were sunning yesterday! Now I personally see why you do not want to be in a narrow desert canyon in a flash flood situation. It’s way too fast and way too intense.

Cheers to you from the flooding desert~

Sonoran Badlands~

On November 6, 2025November 6, 2025 By cindy knokeIn Conservation, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, TRAVEL REVIEWS205 Comments

(click/tap to enlarge)

Stark,

stunning,

solitary,

soulful.

Badlands have a beauty,

that calls you back,

year after year.

Be safe & well. Cheers to you from The Sonoran Desert~

Blue Footed Boobies~

On September 19, 2025November 6, 2025 By cindy knokeIn Birds, Conservation, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, TRAVEL REVIEWS255 Comments

(click/tap to enlarge)

Are grace,

in the sky,

and charmers up close.

Mexico,

off season without the tourists.

Arte de Mexico,

on every street and every home.

I have been flying around like the birdies and am not posting quite as frequently, but just like the birds, I will always drop by to see what you’re up too!

Cheers to you from Mexico & Hope you are safe & well~