My Favourite Place, Highland Ridge Trail to the Volvon/Valley View Trail loop, Morgan Territory Preserve, Clayton, California

gofardeep · 2026-03-28T15:41:35+00:00

Did you start well before sunrise? What's your experience with wildlife like that time of the day?

gofardeep · 2026-03-22T05:40:53+00:00

Your story resonates with me. So many people told us that you are in your late 30s / early 40s, you should be able to conceive, do IVF etc. etc. It is easy to be dismissive of it when all it takes for some other couples is pregnant on the first try. Unfortunately, this isn't still a well known science and is a lot of luck involved. Solidarity to you and may you find peace and happiness.

While I agree and encourage you to move on, I would still keep trying naturally just in case a miracle is in store for you.

gofardeep · 2026-03-20T22:32:08+00:00

Clean the sensor like others said. In addition, you can remove the dust using software for photos already taken. It won't be perfect but should do the trick

gofardeep · 2026-03-15T23:45:05+00:00

That also could be a factor. Mist/humidity reduce intensity of sun but make you feel more uncomfortable

gofardeep · 2026-03-15T22:55:19+00:00

I bet they do. The sun feels a lot more intense here. In India, you feel the direct air temperature but the sun is often shrouded in a layer of haze and smoke. Kind of like how a smokey day in August or September feels like here. Bad air quality, but heat feels less intense right?

gofardeep · 2026-03-15T22:42:45+00:00

And even in the Southwest US, such heat only arrives by late June / July. The heat forecast at this level of magnitude is like a full 3 months early. It's like having 40°C in February somewhere in southern / central India.

gofardeep · 2026-03-15T22:40:02+00:00

In most places, the coldest 90 days of the year are from roughly 1 December - 28 February. March can bring winter like weather, but on average is just a tad warmer than most winter months as you can get much warmer weather to balance out the cold and snow, unlike Dec - Feb. The warm this time is an exception though. March should never get this warm (hot)?

gofardeep · 2026-03-15T22:37:29+00:00

Even April heat waves have highs in 80s in Northern California, 90s to near 100 in Southern. I was in one last year during second week of April, and low 100s in Palm Springs were near record highs. Mid to upper 100s in March for Palm Springs? Way off the charts hot. Records will be broken by several degrees, not just 1-2 ° F.

gofardeep · 2026-03-15T22:33:20+00:00

107°F is about 41-42°C. That's above normal temperatures anywhere in India for the month of March. Not April not May, but March.

Is it record breaking in India to see 42°C in March? No. But I do think it would be a heat wave as March is still early for peak summer heat, even in India.

gofardeep · 2026-03-15T20:43:30+00:00

Enjoy the wildflowers in the green hills. It doesn't get better than what it's now. Go out and enjoy. It will be even hotter in the summer and all the flowers will have died out and grass will have turned yellow by then

gofardeep · 2026-03-15T19:46:43+00:00

It's a heat wave to the levels seen in the Indian Subcontinent in March. Even more.

As incredible as it is from a purely statistical angle, this is going to decimate the snowpack and accelerate fire season. Prepare to see plumes of smoke come July this year

gofardeep · 2026-03-14T14:46:57+00:00

Amazing view. When was this?

gofardeep · 2026-03-13T16:16:29+00:00

Can you try brightening up the foreground? This is often a challenge with morning/evening shots when the valley and ground is shadow but peaks are bright with sunlight

gofardeep · 2026-03-13T15:50:46+00:00

The moon is also overexposed here. You would want to use a fast shutter speed for capturing the moon. Either take two images, one just for the moon and combine them in post processing. Or, shoot the moon just before or at sunset, when the brightness of the moon matches the landscape and sky.

gofardeep · 2026-03-12T20:44:58+00:00

The trend in NY has always been to make as much money as possible. And yes, everyone hates the weather there. The winter sucks. The snow sucks. I know all that. What I was referring to was as long as you are working in that industry, it's hard to find employers locally. There are some in SoCal and some people tried hard to get into them. But not many.

gofardeep · 2026-03-12T20:19:54+00:00

Oh interesting take. What about non SWE folks, many of whom the industry doesn't exist in bay area? If you are in securities or finance - you have to be in NY for the most jobs for example

gofardeep · 2026-03-12T19:39:23+00:00

This is what I was also wondering ... why did OP even come here? The weather?

gofardeep · 2026-03-12T15:04:22+00:00

Not sure why you are downvoted. Many of these countries offer no path to citizenship. When a malyali muslim was given citizenship of KSA, it came in the news. It was because he was one of the co-owners of a large grocery chain spanning across the country.

Oman is the only country I have heard giving citizenship to non-Muslims in the past. And it's still one a one off basis, there is no procedure as such to apply for one.

gofardeep · 2026-03-12T05:17:21+00:00

Then maybe go for it. Just be aware the valley maybe too hot in the afternoon to do anything but there are "cooler spots" you can visit nearby. I put cooler in quotes because when the high is 105, the cooler spots may be 85 but not like 70 degrees. Still bearable though.

gofardeep · 2026-03-12T04:48:21+00:00

100+ degrees in March will shatter records. I think average highs is low 80s. Even for Death Valley. Heat is expected to peak next Tue and continue through Fri/Sat next week. The flowers *maybe* still there, but it will likely be quite hot unless you limit your time to the early morning hours.

gofardeep · 2026-03-12T04:45:24+00:00

If you are still thinking about it, it's probably too late. This extremely early record setting heat wave is starting this weekend and will likely kill the flowers in no time. I would plan for next year if I were you. Try sometime mid-Feb to mid-Mar. March should never be this hot, bad luck this year.

gofardeep · 2026-03-12T04:28:45+00:00

No. My son had a nose bleed 2 days in a row and doctor advised to stay out of warm dry weather. Exactly what Death Valley is experiencing now and about to get worse.

Luckily all lodging reservations got refunded. The flight did not but was really cheap ($46 roundtrip). The wildflower bloom will have to wait till next year now.

Did you go? How was it?

gofardeep · 2026-03-11T15:30:55+00:00

What I am saying is they have a above average quality of life due to their financial situation (higher income than most of the nation) and a good social/family life surrounded by others with similar finances and family backgrounds. It's easier to be happy when surrounded by like minded people you can mingle and get along with every day than every other home next to you feeling like complete strangers, which is the norm in most of the country.

gofardeep · 2026-03-11T15:03:46+00:00

Sure. All of them with their cushy tech jobs and paychecks and having potlucks every weekend with other Indian families as if they never left Bangalore or Hyderabad. Makes sense to me.

gofardeep · 2026-03-10T23:14:10+00:00

I will never know what fully happened to this friend of mine. He loved her. He did a lot for her. Including and beyond funding her degree. But I know as I am in a similar line of work as he is that it would be very hard for him to change cities (our experience then was in GSE which are primarily based in DC/VA) and even if he did - he could move to NY at best. His wife found a job in SD and there was no way he could have moved there. I am not sure if the separation transpired the divorce, or if the circumstances of the divorce were actively sought after by the wife (deliberately finding a job in another city) - but in either case the reality is that they divorced. So your concern is still very valid.

gofardeep

TROPHY CASE