Almost 200 welded metal trees, covered with bottles and recycled items, sit along historic Route 66 south of Barstow, California. The two-acre Bottle Tree Ranch, by artist Elmer Long, dates back to year 2000.

After Long inherited his father’s bottle collection, he began fashioning metal trees to display the collection. Long added various recycled items to create his folk art.

The site is opened daily with Elmer Long usually present. Because of late night human visitors, he’s added security cameras.

I visited back on March 11th and finally posted my images. Over 40 images in this flickr album: 2017 Bottle Tree Ranch.

Bottle Tree Ranch creator Elmer Long.

April 2, 2017: A Confederate soldier fires at advancing Union troops.

The Blue and The Gray Civil War re-enactment returned to Moorpark this last weekend.

The event, normally held in November, was cancelled in 2016. The field at California Lutheran University used for the 2015 event, had been leased to the Los Angeles Rams.

This year, the Rotary Club of Moorpark held the re-enactment at Hitch Ranch, just West of downtown Moorpark. It’s a good site and this year’s cool temperatures really were appreciated.

But personally, the old site at Tierra Rejada Ranch is still my favorite location.

In 1862, following his victory at Manassas in Virginia, General Lee invaded Maryland. On Sep. 17, 1862 the Union troops under the command of General George McClellan attacked Lee’s army at Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg, Maryland. The Union won the bloody fight.

The five battles at this year The Blue and The Gray event recreated the fight at Antietam. Due to a scheduling conflict, I missed the three battles on Saturday, April 1st. But I attended the two Sunday battles. The Union won the first, the Confederates the second.

In the image above, I got lucky and caught a muzzle flash. Below, Union troops react to a pyrotechnic explosion recreating a cannon ball explosion.

I've posted more images in this 2017 The Blue and The Gray flickr album.