Best Photos from our Readers and Staff

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE

East County News Service

Photo, left, by Alex Tardy, National Weather Service: car is swept away by floodwaters beneath overpass in Fashion Valley, where the river topped flood stage at 13 feet yesterday morning.

January 17, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) – Torrential rains that doused our region caused roadway flooding and rockslides, filled reservoirs, and resulted in multiple rescues.  Here are photos, provided by our readers, social media users, and public agencies.


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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: GREAT BLUE HERON

East County News Service

January 7, 2023 (Santee) – Scott Lagace started the New Year off right with a stroll around Santee Lakes on January 1, where he captured a Great Blue Heron in flight, shown in these beautiful images.

 


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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: OUR NATIONAL BIRD

East County News Service

December 26, 2022 (Lakeside) – Scott Lagace snapped these photographs of a Bald Eagle, our national bird, over the holiday weekend at Lake Jennings in Lakeside. Though no longer federally endangered, Bald Eagles are still protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act as well as the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. They remain rare in San Diego County, however, where there are only a handful of nesting pairs, making such a sighting a special thrill.


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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: BIG CATS ENJOY SNOW IN ALPINE

East County News Service

December 17, 2022 (Alpine) – Rescued tigers at the Lions Tigers & Bears big cat and bear sanctuary in Alpine enjoyed last week’s snowfall.


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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: FALL FOLIAGE IN EAST COUNTY

December 4, 2022 (San Diego's East County) -- It's a beautiful time of year for a drive through East County's mountain areas.

Our editor, Miriam Raftery, snapped the image in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park (left) and of the town hall in Ramona (right, below), resplendant in fall foliage.


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PHOTO OF THE WEEK: INAJA MEMORIAL

East County News Service

November 27, 2022 (Inaja) – Claudia White took this photo of the Inaja Memorial between Santa Ysabel and Julian, where she stopped to remember the 11 men who lost their lives battling the Inaja Fire on November 25, 1956.  She writes, “My husband, Dean White, was across the canyon on the same fire. He was affected by what they saw and heard for the rest of his life. He was especially saddened by the death of his friend Carlton Lingo.”

She adds, “God bless Albert Anderson, Forrest Maxwell, Carlton Lingo, Leroy Wehrung, Miles Daniels, William Fallin, George Garcia, Virgil Hamilton, Joseph O'Hara, Lonnie Shepherd, Joe Tibbets. Rest in peace. You are not forgotten.”


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PHOTO OF THE WEEK: SUNBEAMS

November 22, 2022 (Alpine) -- Josh Stotler snapped this inspirational image of a starburst sun beaming morning rays onto a field in Alpine, California. 


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PHOTO OF THE WEEK: MASKED BANDIT IN SANTEE

East County News Service
 
October 23, 2022 (Santee) -- Cynthia Robertson sent in this image, originally posted on Facebook, with the following witty message. "Well, tonight I had the scare of my life coming out of the Walmart in Santee. As I walked up to my car, I was approached by a masked bandit. I stepped back and hollered. When he left, I put my packages in the trunk of my car. I looked around to see if I could find him, and he was hiding behind a bush. So I got out my iPhone and started to take a picture, and then he started running at me! He got within a foot of me and I ran and yelled some more. And I laughed because he was so cute even though he scared me."
 
She adds, "The masked bandit was a raccoon."

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PHOTO OF THE MONTH: REMEMBERING 911 IN EL CAJON

East County News Service

October 4, 2022 (El Cajon) – Robert Gehr shot this dramatic photo of a massive flag hanging off El Cajon City Hall in memory of the 911 attacks, against the backdrop of the sunrise.


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PHOTO OF THE WEEK: COYOTE IN COLLEGE AREA

East County News Service

September 27, 2022 (San Diego) -- Steve Treese took this photo of a coyote in his garden, poised to snatch fruit from his garden.  He used his iPhone to snap this image from his bedroom window in College View Estates.

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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: COLORFUL CLOUDS

East County News Service

September 24, 2022 (El Cajon) -- Robert Gehr snapped these photos with his iPhone XR about 30 minutes apart, shows the color change as the sun was rising in the east this morning over El Cajon. The sight transitioned from a vivid orange sunrise to white clouds afloat in an azure blue sky.

 


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PHOTO OF THE WEEK: MULE DEER

September 20, 2022 (Cuyamaca) -- Scott Lagace sent in this photo of a mule deer photographed during a recent hike around Lake Cuyamaca in the mountains of San Diego's East County.


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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: FIRE AT BARRETT JUNCTION

East County News Service

September 1, 2022 (Barrett Junction, CA) – Connie Kirkpatrick took these photos of the #Border32Fire last night and early this morning from the parking lot of her business in Barrett Junction.


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PHOTO OF THE WEEK: SUNBURST AFTER THE STORM

East County News Service

August 24, 2022 (Pine Valley) – Victoria Casteel captured this heavenly image of the sun’s rays radiating through clouds after this evening’s storm in Pine Valley.


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PHOTO OF THE WEEK: ORCHIDS IN BLOOM

East County News Service

August 17, 2022 (Lakeside) - This brilliant bloom on a Hong Kong orchid was taken at the Lakeside Ranch home of Shiloh Ireland Photography.


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PHOTO OF THE WEEK: ON THE TRAIL

East County News Service

August 15, 2022 (Lakeside) -- Shiloh Ireland Photography sent in this horseback-view image of the San Vicente Reservoir in Lakeside.


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PHOTO OF THE WEEK: PICASSO PEACOCK

East County News Service

August 3, 2022 (Lakeside) – This beautiful peacock named Picasso resides at the ranch home of the owner of Shiloh Ireland Photography.

He writes, “Picasso ending the breeding season and beginning to drop his majestic feathers.  His over 6.6 foot train) Nature is beautiful.”


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PHOTO OF THE WEEK: RUFFLED FEATHERS

East County News Service

August 2, 2022 (Lakeside) - This snowy egret with ruffled feathers was photographed at Lindo Lakes Park in Lakeside by Shiloh Ireland Photography.


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PHOTO OF THE WEEK: STORM CLOUDS OVER EAST COUNTY

East County News Service

July 31, 2022 (El Cajon) – Robert Gehr snapped this dramatic sky image on July 31 from El Cajon, as thunderstorms swept into East County’s mountain areas.


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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: LAKESIDE RODEO

East County News Service

July 26, 2022 (Lakeside) – The owner of Shiloh Ireland Photography sent in these photos taken at the Lakeside Rodeo grounds on July 17, including an action shot of a junior barrel racer.

 


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PHOTOS OF THE MONTH: LAKESIDE RESIDENTS SHOW THEIR PATRIOTIC SPIRIT

East County News Service

Photos by Shiloh Ireland Photography

July 17, 2022 (Lakeside) – For the past several years, Lakeside residents have held an impromptu Fourth of July parade.  This year’s event honored the memory of the late Betty McMillen, founder of the Maine Avenue Revitalization Association and long-time leader of the Lakeside Historical Society.

Participants meet at the Lakeside Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) building in decorated vehicles, then drive through the town to show their patriotic spirit each Independence Day, followed by lunch with hamburgers and hotdogs at the VFW. This July 4, Shiloh Ireland Photography sent in these photos of the occasion.

 


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PHOTO OF WEEK: SANTEE SALUTES INDEPENDENCE DAY

By Rebecca Jefferis Williamson

(Photos by Rebeccca Jefferis Williamson) 

July 16, 2022 (Santee) Santee Salutes, the city’s celebration for the 4th of July, included food vendors, music, fireworks and more. The event, which fell on a Monday, was well attended. But for those that planned ahead---parking was not a problem.

Parking spots for lots surrounding Town Center Community Park could be purchased online at the City of Santee’s website for $10 per spot. ADA and non-ADA parking was offered. Check the event’s website in advance next year for the July 4th festivities, or for any other events they offer paid parking, to lesson the scramble for a spot. 


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NASA'S WEBB DELIVERS DEEPEST INFRARED IMAGE OF UNIVERSE YET

Source:  NASA

Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI

July 12, 2022 (Washington, D.C.) - NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has delivered the deepest and sharpest infrared image of the distant universe so far. Webb’s First Deep Field is galaxy cluster SMACS 0723, and it is teeming with thousands of galaxies – including the faintest objects ever observed in the infrared.


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PHOTO OF THE WEEK: HALF MOON

East County News Service

July 3, 2022 (El Cajon) - Robert Gehr took this photo of the half moon in the early morning eastern sky over El Cajon this week, exposing the many craters from interstellar objects impacting its surface over eons of time.


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VIEW THE WINNING PHOTOS OF THE LAKE JENNINGS SPRING PHOTO CONTEST

Source:  Helix Water District

June 22, 2022 (Lakeside) - Helix Water District is proud to announce the winners of the 2022 Lake Jennings Spring Photo Contest, with this year’s first place in the adult category going to photographer John Wozny of El Cajon for his image titled “Casting a Sunset.”


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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: LIGHTNING STORM

 

By Miriam Raftery

June 22, 2022 (Mt. Helix) -- Amy Payton took these dramatic images during last night's thunderstorm from her porch in Spring Valley overlooking state route 94 at Calavo.

Her photos show some spectacular lightning strikes over Mt. Helix in San Diego's East County.


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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: COLORFUL CLOUDS

East County News Service

June 22, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) – They may look like impressionist paintings, but they’re clouds over East County taken by Robert Gehr in El Cajon today.  The colorful palette and orange glow enhance formations from a tropical storm, says Gehr.

 


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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: CLOUDS OR PINK UFOS?

East County News Service

June 18, 2022 (Shelter Valley) – Tina Goff snapped the photos left and below of saucer-shaped clouds at sunset from her home in Julian overlooking Shelter Valley around 8:06 p.m. on June 17.  Goffl quipped,  “They may be coming for us, LOL!”

Carol Birch also took pictures of the same beautiful and bizarre cloud formation. (right)


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PHOTO OF THE WEEK: COOPER'S HAWK

By Miriam Raftery

June 14, 2022 (La Mesa) -- Each year, a pair of Cooper's Hawks has chicks raised in their nest atop a large ficus tree on our property on Mt. Helix in unincorporated La Mesa. 

Today, one of the fledglings landed on our gate just a few feet from me, unpreturbed by my close proximity, and I snapped this photo of our newest resident bird of prey.


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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: SUNRISE ON VOLCAN MOUNTAIN

East County News Service

May 24, 2022 (Julian) -- Scott Lagace snapped these inspiring shots of the sun's rays on an early morning hike up Volcan Mountain in Julian.


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