Orange County Daily Photo

hidden history

having lived in south orange county for almost 40 years, i'm always surprised to find out about something i've never heard of or seen. the old mission cemetary in san juan capistrano is one such place. dating back to the 1860's, the cemetary is the final resting place of many of civil war veterans and the native Acjachemen and Juaneno families from the early rancho period of the capistrano valley. it is also home to many, many unmarked graves. burials of modern day members of san juan capistrano's oldest families still take place here to this very day. 

the cemetary is owned by the catholic diocese of orange, who apparently do not appreciate the visits of intrepid blog photographers! while snapping my shots, i was visited by the OC sheriff's department, warning me that taking photographs of this historic site is prohibited. luckily, the deputy let me go with my photos intact.

there is a legend that the cemetary is indeed haunted, perhaps the impetus for discouraging visitors to the site.... the ghost of la llorona, or "the weeping woman" is said to haunt this hallowed ground.

The basic story is that La Llorona was a beautiful woman by the name of Maria who killed her children by drowning them in order to be with the man that she loved, but was subsequently rejected by him. (He might have been the children's father who had left their mother for another woman.) Then, after being rejected by her lover she killed herself. When Maria reached the gates of heaven, she was asked, "Where are your children?" and she replied, "I don't know, my Lord." She was not permitted to enter heaven until she found her children. She now wanders the Earth for all eternity, searching in vain for her drowned offspring. Her constant weeping is the reason for her name. 

and they say orange county has no real history!

laura bloom

11-15-11

Taken on May 28, 2011. My Boy Scout troop was putting flags on veteran's graves at the Westminster Memorial Park Cemetary. It was a very somber day. The boys of the troop were so respectful and well mannered. I was so proud of them that day.

veteran's day

2011 veteran's day remembrance - el toro memorial park.

laura bloom

 

11/9/11 - San Clemente

One of my favorite shots I've taken of San Clemente Pier.

 

Photo by Sean Lara

www.SeanLara.com

11-8-11 Spirit Posters

Taken 11-5-11 at Fountain Valley High School. The school was riddled with rain smudged rival game spirit posters. It reminded me of my high school days, when the Marina/Edison games were such a big deal.

a step back in time

back in a forgotten corner of orange county, a country store to supply all your needs. feed, tack, and yes, even wine from an orange county vineyard. the trabuco general store is a true gem. 

laura bloom

11.04.2011 - Out of your league

One thing I love about custom cars, is when people combine their ingenuity with their skills, like welding, and make mundane things absolutely wild. Take a look into the cockpit of this "ratrod" and you might find more than a few examples of what I liked to call - Creativity.

-APE

October 23, 2011-Helmut Newton in Old World, Huntington Beach

10.29.2011 Green Glass

Taken at a recycling plant in Anaheim.  Must have been one heck of a party!

10.28.2011 - Orange Indeed

Very few trees in the Orange County area have leaves that change colors and fall to the ground. The start of the fall season is truely seen on trees such as the odd Maple tree, with its signature maple leaf turning all the shades of the sun before finally falling. In this photo, the blinding sun is rising over the San Mateo Creek as seen from San Clemente, Ca. -Any further south and it wouldn't be home.
-APE! 

 

10.27.11

More candied bacon advertising for Halloween.

10/26/11 - San Juan Capistrano

A few weeks ago I saw this guy while taking photos after a wedding ceremony with my clients. A little bizarre, but it made for a great photo.

 

Photo by Sean Lara

10.25.2011 Huntington Harbor

October 22, 2011~~I've been riding my bike down to Huntington Harbor early in the morning. It's so peaceful. The splash of orange on my gray day canvas reminded me that it was Halloween.

10.22.2011 Montage Resort

Perks of being a photographer and working at the beach.

10.21.2011 - Step Away From The Vehicle

Sure, We've all been harassed by one of the cheesy "Step away from the vehicle" car alarms one time or another since the early-90's... But I feel they were always very ineffective. One fine morning I was perusing the rust spots and dents of this late-model VW bug at Cars and Coffee and came across its "Thief Deterent" style security system. Boy, was I ever detered! The Dog pictured above sat calmly next car whilst all that held it back was a thick leather lead tied to a 30 year old rusty VW door latch, in a crowded parking lot of people and other dogs - this is a true testament to its obedience and the owners trust in his pet.

-APE