Martha's Musings

Sandhill Cranes

2012-01-23T07:00:00.000-08:00

We recently took a couple of birding trips to view Sandhill Cranes. Though I wasn't pleased with the images on either trip, I will share some of the best.

There are several places in the Central Valley of California to view the Cranes in Winter. One area, called Staten Island, is owned by the Nature Conservancy and managed to benefit wildlife. Here Cranes, Geese, Swans, Ducks and other birds can be found foraging in the flooded fields.

Observing behavior is the most interesting part of viewing wildlife.

It is not just to see the animals but see them interacting with the environment and each other.

If you watch the cranes for any time you are sure to see some interesting interaction.

Not far from Staten Island (an island formed by rivers and canals) is the Woodbridge Ecological Preserve, our next stop.

Wave goodnight, Gracie

As the sun was setting, it seemed to draw the cranes attention, it was time for them to head to their night time roost. The crane's foot does not have grasping toes as do herons and egrets so they head to water for the night. If they stayed in the fields they would be prey for the coyotes and bobcats.

Find more views of Our World at Our World, Tuesday, hosted for us by Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia and Sandy.

Find more birds at World Bird Wednesday, hosted for us by Springman.

If you find yourself in the Sacramento San Joaquin Delta in winter and want to know where to view the cranes, Staten Island is here and the Woodbridge Ecological Preserve here. Good viewing can be found along Woodbridge road, not just at the view platform.

Take Off

2012-01-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

On a recent birding expedition to view Sandhill Cranes I spotted a beautiful Redtailed Hawk.

He was sitting on the cross arm of a power pole. He looked like a rufous dark morph and was very striking when in flight. Unfortunately, I didn't capture the underparts in these images but my impression was they were reddish.

As you might expect, he didn't care for my attention.


Get ready

Go!

And he's off

I say "he" but it well might have been female for it seemed to be quite large.

Off it soared. I had a hard time keeping it in my view. My new 400 mm is not image stabilized and the bird was so close that it filled much of my image. All that said, I was mostly pleased with this series.

Isn't it a beautiful bird?

You can find more birds at World Bird Wednesday, hosed for us by Springman.

Locke, California

2012-01-16T07:00:00.000-08:00

On our way to see the Sandhill Cranes we made a stop at Locke. My dad had a life-long interest in history and had brought the little town to my attention years ago but I had never had the opportunity to visit.

So, you might ask, where is Locke and what is its historic importance. It sure doesn't look like much.

The little town sits in rural farmland on the Sacramento river south of Sacramento. Nearby is another small town, Walnut Grove.

After a fire in the Chinese section of Walnut Grove in 1913, the residents decided they needed their own town. Chinese faced severe discrimination in the California of that day, much as Hispanics do today. They had come to America to work; they built the railroads, the levees in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and then worked in the fertile fields of California's Central Valley.

The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 had made it almost impossible for Chinese to emigrate to the US. This meant that men who wished to stay here had little opportunity to marry and start a family. They were also prohibited from becoming naturalized citizens and in some cases from owning land.

It's not surprising then that they wanted a place of their own.

Under California law, the Chinese community could not buy land for their town so George Locke leased it to them.

Today many of the buildings on Main Street are in very poor condition.

Other buildings have been restored.

This monument in a small memorial park is dedicated to the early Chinese residents of California.

The inscription in English and Chinese reads:

Dedicated to the industrious

Chinese pioneers of California

Whose strength and sacrifice helped

Build the Transcontinental Railroad,

Construct the Levees of

The Sacramento San Joaquin Delta, and

Develop the agriculture in the Central Valley

With Determination and Perseverance

The Chinese built the town of Locke and

Continue to shape California.

This gambling hall museum and another museum at the old Chinese school (some men did manage to bring wives to America in spite of the restrictions) show a bit of the life of the residents. The old boarding house has some displays and a few books for sale but is otherwise empty.

Currently only 10 of the 80 or so residents of Locke are ethnic Chinese. A Chinese restaurant and this Chinese medicine shop still represent the cultural heritage.

To see more views of our world, go to Our World, Tuesday, hosted for us by Arija, Gattina , Lady Fi, Sylvia and Sandy.

In Search of the Falcated Duck

2012-01-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

The birding community of Northern California has been all abuzz about the Falcated Duck seen at Colusa National Wildlife Refuge. Birders and bird photographers have been coming from all over California and beyond to view this Eurasian bird, native to China, who somehow found his way to California.

Sutter Buttes

Colusa NWR is less than 60 miles from our home, the other side of Sutter Buttes which I have photographed from my back yard. Close enough that there was no reason not to go and see for ourselves.

It is so close and so popular with birders that we met others from Lincoln Hills by chance and one of them, Jack Ferrante took a picture of Hubby and me as we photographed a huge flock of geese.

White Fronted Geese

Geese certainly weren't the only birds we saw, there was an amazing variety of waterfowl.

Gadwall drake

Pied-billed Grebe

Cinnamon Teal

Northern Shoveler transitioning from eclipse to breeding plumage

The birds were by no means limited to aquatic species. We saw raptors as well. This Red Tailed Hawk was perched in a tree.

Nearby was this bird which I believe is a Peregrine Falcon. If I am wrong about this, please let me know. It is a first for me and I want to be sure.

There were also the usual suspects, lots of coots, a blue heron and another rookery of Black Crowned Night Herons similar to what we saw at Merced NWR.

So, you're wondering, did we see the Falcated Duck?

Yes!

I must say, he was rather uncooperative and I wasn't happy with the images I got. When we first arrived the light was good but he was napping with his friends, some American Wigeons, on a log, his head tucked in. I missed when he jumped off the log to go feed, when I saw him again he was so far away I had to crop the image tightly. Later he came back to the log to preen, great poses but by then the light was low, his front in shadow.

What does "falcated" mean, you might ask. Well, it refers to those curved, tapered wing feathers, he is one fancy duck.

We hope to return for another try but first we have an appointment with some Sandhill Cranes at a different refuge in the opposite direction.

See more of our world at Our World, Tuesday, hosted for us by Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia and Sandy.

See more birds at World Bird Wednesday, hosted by Springman

If you are wondering where this refuge is, it's here.

Do You Know the Way to San Jose?

2012-01-02T07:00:00.000-08:00

Urban areas are rarely a part of my world but they are part of Our World. A recent tour of wildlife refuges found us spending the night in San Jose, California.

It is not so much the urban landscape that I don't care for but the masses of people and traffic we often encounter. I appreciate the man made landscape. I love the mirror like reflective quality of many new buildings.

I am not particularly enamored with the building on the right. It reminds me of the uninspired architecture of my youth.

The building on the left is what draws my attention. It is the old Bank of America Building. Built in 1925-1926 it is said to be the first earthquake resistant skyscraper.

I like the detail in this Mediterranean Revival-Beaux-Arts Archeticture. No central air-conditioning here, an eclectic mix of window air conditioners poke through the windows.

The restored Hotel De Anza, built in the 1930s, still sports its Art Deco detail.

The 25 foot high diving lady was first painted on the building in 1951 to advertise the hotel's heated pool.

On narrow city streets, sometimes the best shot of a building is its reflection as with this Beaux-Arts San Jose Building and Loan Association building.

The oldest building in San Jose is the Peralta Adobe built in 1797. The Adobe is behind the San Pedro Square Market and I didn't see any signs indicating when it might be open for tours.

If one tires of the urban scene the nearby Guadalupe River Park and Gardens is a lovely place to relax. The Heritage Rose Garden still had a few blooms in early December.

To see more views of our world, go to Our World, Tuesday, hosted for us by Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia and Sandy.

Merced National Wildlife Refuge

2011-12-19T07:00:00.000-08:00

After spending the morning at San Luis National Wildlife Refuge we headed to the Merced Unit.

While Hubby napped, I took my camera up to the viewing platform. It wasn't nap time in this pond, it was feeding time. It can be hard to id birds with their heads in the water but I believe we have some Dunlin and a pair of Cinnamon Teals.

Another birder called my attention to this guy, saying it is a common snipe. I'll take her word for it. Even with all of my field guides I am often unsure of shore bird id. To my eye many are quite similar and the field marks subtle. Identification often falls to a single characteristic and juveniles may not display it.

From the viewing platform my attention was drawn to a very different sight. This cowman had roped a calf, I think he was trying to tag it. His well trained quarter horse kept the rope tight.

Back to birding, I spotted the Cinnamon Teal with his head out of the water. I like that splash of color on his back and his red eye.

When nap time was over, we headed out on the auto tour. There was an amazing variety. The Northern Shoveler picked his head up out of the water just long enough for me to get a shot of his large bill and blue-green head.

We ran into a road block. A flock of White Faced Ibis were reluctant to leave the road. I know, they don't have a white face but the guides say they will in breeding season. Nearby was a huge flock of Sandhill Cranes. They were backlit, though and the image I shared last week from San Luis was much better.

I spotted over a dozen birds in these tules and another flying by. What were they?

Black Crowned Night Herons, both mature and immature.

The same pond was host to a flock of American White Pelicans.

I think Pintails are elegant looking birds and this one seems to agree. Doesn't he look self satisfied?

We saw another one floating with a flock of Snow Geese.

It was a wonderful day of birding and wildlife viewing. I hope to return before the season is over, but then, there are a lot more refuges in California to explore.

You can see more of our amazing world by going to Our World, Tuesday, hosted for us each week by Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia and Sandy.

To see more birds, check out World Bird, Wednesday, hosted by Springman.

San Luis National Wildlife Refuge

2011-12-12T07:00:00.000-08:00

The coast and Central Valley of California are on the Pacific Flyway, the migratory route for many species of birds. Some birds stop and rest in California before heading further south, others think it is a fine resort and stay all winter.

San Luis NWR serves a double purpose, it is host to many birds but more importantly it is the home of a herd of Tule Elk.

Tule Elk are the smallest subspecies of elk and native to California. Once numbering in the 100s of thousands, their numbers dropped to 28 know individuals before measures were taken to protect them.

San Luis was host to the first herd and now there are several more in the central valley as well as the coastal mountains and Point Reyes National Seashore. There is also a herd in the Owens Valley which I saw often as we traveled up and down Highway 395.

The Owens Valley herd roams freely over land owned by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power so I was a bit surprised to see the elk penned in by a high fence. I suppose it is not surprising, the farmers nearby probably don't want the elk grazing on their crops.

Since we visited in early December, the bulls were no longer with the cows. They still have their antlers, though, they won't loose them until February. The bull elk were near the fence where we could get a good look and poke our lenses through the wire.

The cows and calves, however, were out in the center of the enclosure so even my telephoto lens couldn't get a very good shot. It did look like there was one bull still with them.

There was not as much bird life as we would see later at the Merced Unit but I did get my best shot to date of a kestrel. He flew from fence post to fence post as we drove along, keeping his eye on us from over his shoulder.

Isn't he cute?

The Ruddy Duck's blue gray bill will turn a brilliant blue come breeding season.

Several female Northern Harriers scanned the ground looking for a meal. You can just glimpse this one's distinguishing white rump where it wraps around her flank.
We kept looking for Sandhill Cranes, we could hear their distinctive call and knew they were around somewhere.

There! We finally spotted a small flock.

On our way out of the refuge I spotted this belted kingfisher. So far this is the best shot I have gotten of the species. Actually, it is the only shot. I've seen them several times but they are shy and fly off before I can get my camera up.

We also saw gadwalls, northern shovelers, black necked stilts, coots and mallards. We had been told that there was a better variety of birds at the Merced unit so after a picnic lunch we headed there, about 20 miles away.

See more views of our wonderful world at Our World, Tuesday; hosted for us by Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia and Sandy.

See more of the world or birds at World Bird Wednesday, hosted for us by Springman.

Who Said Birds Are Nice

2011-12-05T11:17:00.000-08:00

Hubby and I have been away, in search of photos. Now I have around 400 to sort through! These reminded me of an essay we once read. A lady, who should have known better, said people should be more peaceful, like birds.

I saw avocets feeding in the tidelands north of San Pablo Bay.

The bird on the right obviously didn't like the other bird invading its feeding territory.

Nothing like kicking a guy when he's down!

Once he felt he'd made his point, he turned and walked away.

The interloper beat a hasty retreat.

Seeing the behavior of animals is, for me, the most interesting part of wildlife viewing.

See more of our wonderful world at Our World, Tuesday, hosted for us by Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia
and Sandy.

and Watery Wednesday (thought more muddy than watery)

View more of the birds in our amazing world at World Bird Wednesday, hosted for us by Springman.

Where did I find these birds? Here.

Silly Goose!

2011-11-27T18:29:00.000-08:00

We haven't been getting very far from home lately so my photography has been limited to my own community. Fortunately, I can usually find something to shoot (with camera). With photography in mind, we went to one of the ponds and found some very obliging birds.

I hope you enjoyed this look at my part of our world. See more of our world at

Our World Tuesday

Graciously hosted for us each week by

Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia and Sandy

Sutter's Fort State Historic Park

2011-11-21T07:00:00.000-08:00

Sutter's Fort is a recreation of the fort built by John Sutter in 1840. A German born Swiss, Sutter secured a Mexican land grant of over 47,000 acres by becoming a Mexican citizen. He sought to establish a self sufficient colony which he called New Helvetica (New Switzerland).

He had a successful farming operation, growing barley, peas, beans and cotton in addition to wheat. He raised cattle, sheep, horses and mules.

Carpentry shop

Grain mill

Blanket Factory

Distillery

Of course, who could imagine a frontier outpost without whiskey?

Docents in period costume explain and demonstrate life at the fort. Many displays have audio explanations that turn on when the visitor approaches.

Sutter's colony did not last long. John Marshall's discovery of gold in 1848 at the lumber mill he ran for Sutter was the beginning of the end. Sutter could not hold his land against the hordes of gold seekers that began coming to California in 1849 and the American courts did not recognize his Mexican land grants.

By 1860 all that remained of Sutter's Fort was the central building. In 1890 the site was purchased by the Native Sons of the Golden West and reconstruction was started a year later based on a map that had been published in Germany in 1847.

Today the Fort is a living history museum, a place where school children can come and learn about life in 19th century California and get some hands on experience in some of the skill that were needed then.

This is one view of our amazing world, see other views at Our World, Tuesday, hosted for us by Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia and Sandy.

Autumn is for the Birds

2011-11-14T08:46:00.000-08:00

In the Summer I don't see much bird life around here. Perhaps it is me, I don't like the heat and hide inside much of the time. Now that the weather is cool, I'm outside and the birds are here, like old friends they have come to keep me company. Here are some birds I have seen on my walks over the last week

The Spotted Towhee is not uncommon. What is uncommon is to get a good shot. Ground feeders, they are often seen in the shade and they scurry under some brush when I come near. This one was catching some sun after a day of rain.

His cousin, the California Towhee

A Meadow Lark shows off his bright plumage.

I've shown you the Acorn Woodpecker, here is another woodpecker that frequents my community, the Northern Flicker.

Phoebes are flycatchers, they can often be seen hawking bugs out of the air. This one is a Says Phoebe, we also see the Black Phoebe on our walks.

I noticed this ball of fluff perched on top of a branch. I couldn't get a view of the entire bird, I think it is a Mockingbird but it is hard to be sure from this view.

Our numerous wetland areas offer a different variety of birds. There are plenty of mallards, coots and Canada geese, but others are around as well.

It is not unusual to see an egret, either hunting in the grasslands or by a pond. The cormorant has it's favorite snag, often this location is too backlit for a good shot.

I think this little heron is a juvenile Green Heron.

I was pleased to get some great images of this Great Blue Heron. He posed, stretched, fluffed his feathers and then flew away. I got some great shots.

See more of our wonderful world at Our World, Tuesday; hosted for us by Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia and Sandy

See more birds at World Bird, Wednesday, hosted by Springman.

Sacramento National Wildlife Reuge

2011-11-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

Knowing that Hubby's eye surgery would soon keep us tethered to our home, we took a trip up deep into the rice growing country of the Sacramento Valley.
Before Europeans came to California this was prime habitat for wildlife. Migrating birds used it as a stopover and other waterfowl found it to be an ideal winter resort.
It is also prime agricultural land and the wildlands eventually became rice fields. The birds thought the rice was a fine substitute for their natural food, the farmers didn't agree.

In 1937 the US Fish and Wildlife Service began to turn some dry alkaline land into wetlands. Today there are 35,000 acres of wetlands and uplands and an additional 30,000 acres in conservation easements.The new wetlands help to lure the birds from the rice fields until after harvest.

There is a two mile walking trail and a much longer auto tour. Except for two spots along the auto tour, visitors are required to stay in their vehicle. I saw Black necked stilts, pied-billed grebes, snow geese, white fronted geese, northern shovelers, American widgeons, cinnamon teals, gadwalls, American white pelicans to name just a few. I was thrilled to see the heron with snake.

I spotted this creature sneaking across the pond. I thought it was a beaver but when I downloaded the shot it was obvious that it was a raccoon.

We were pleased with the variety of bird life that we found at the complex headquarters but disappointed that there were no sandhill cranes.

We learned that the cranes could be found at the Llano Seco unit so the next day we went there. Here the land was being flooded across the road from some rice fields.

See those hazy skies? One problem for the photographer in the Sacramento Valley is the practice of burning the rice fields after harvest. Day after day the sky is filled with smoke haze.

There were lots of geese and I could here the cranes but they were far away. If you enlarge this shot you might be able to pick them out under the trees in the background.

Across the road, in the rice field there were many more but too far for a great shot.

Rice farmers with conservation easements flood their fields after harvest providing additional habitat.

I know that conservatives think government should do less, only spend money on things like war but it is my belief that our nation would be far poorer with a do nothing government. Yes, we need farms and the food they provide but I don't think I would like to live in a world where the only animals were humans and their factory farmed meat animals.

See more of our amazing world at Our World, Tuesday, hosted for us by

Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia and Sandy.

See more great birdlife at World Bird Wednesday, hosted by Springman

Now Hubby is spending 10 days in a head down position while his eye heals. We're hoping that when he sees the doctor on Wednesday he will again be free to roam.

Jacksonville, Oregon Dressed for Halloween

2011-10-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

We avoid urban areas most of the time but I do love small towns, especially the ones that seem caught in a past era.

Southern Oregon has a cluster of three towns. Medford is the urban commercial hub, a place we avoided. Ashland is the artistic town, host to the Ashland Shakespeare Festival and Jacksonville is a small town that tries to attract tourists by preserving its early mining town heritage.

I liked the display in this barber shop window. Black Bart had been a local stagecoach robber in the nineteenth century and who couldn't enjoy the barbershop memorabilia.

Do you remember these? I do. There was one in front of the local drug store when I was a child.

See more of our wonderful world at Our World, Tuesday, hosted for us each week by
Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia and Sandy

Bumpass Hell

2011-10-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

An easy and worthwhile hike in Lassen Volcanic National Park is the hike to Bumpass Hell

The trail is fairly level for the first mile with views of Mt Lassen along the way.

Looking back towards the parking area there are views of Mt. Diller as well. An explanatory sign at an overlook explains that Mt Diller is a remnant of the volcano that once covered the area. Some references call that ancient volcano Brokeoff Mountain and others call it Mt. Tehema.

After a mile you reach another overlook and a 300 foot decent down into the basin. This is the largest concentration of hydrothermal features in the park. There are no geysers as in Yellowstone but it is still interesting and I like the pastel colors.

Boardwalks lead through the area allowing safe viewing of the features. A trail to the right continues on past Cold Boiling Lake to the Kings Creek Picnic area.

It had been a cold and windy day but down by the hot pools and vents, the steam kept us nice and warm.

We made two trips to Lassen this year and hope to make many more.

See more views of our wonderful world at Our World, Tuesday, hosted by Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia and Sandy.

Sardine Lake

2011-10-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

Several years ago we took a drive up California route 49. We explored the northern end of this road through California's historic Gold Country. That trip had been before digital cameras and blogging and I was anxious to return so that I could share this place with you.

The innkeeper at the B & B we stayed at (no, we don't always camp) suggested dinner at Sardine Lake resort but warned us that they did not take credit cards.It doesn't look very impressive but as I recall, the food was good. Since we didn't eat there this trip I can't vouch for the quality currently nor do I know if they now take credit cards.

We were told to check in at the boat house where we could get a drink and wait for our table.

As pleasant as that evening had been, neither of these things are what I was anxious to experience again.

It was this that drew me back. The incredible beauty of the Sierra Buttes reflected in Sardine Lake.

The area is very popular in the summer but was quiet when we visited early in the fall. Even though many fisherman were out on the lake, there were still plenty of boats available to rent.

Nearby is Sand Pond with a picnic area and swimming.

An interpretive trail begins at sand pond. Signs along the way explain how both man and nature have changed the environment over time.

A sign here explained how beavers dammed up the creek here, drowning the trees. After the beavers moved on the pond filled in and became a meadow. Eventually the forest will retake this land.

See more views of our wonderful world at Our World, Tuesday, hosted for us by Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia and Sandy.

A Tribute to Fallen Firefighters

2011-10-10T20:06:00.000-07:00

While traveling US 395 going to and from our cabin, we pass the site of the 2003 Cannon fire. Over the years I have noticed that T-shirts have been accumulating on a wire fence near the fire area. Today I stopped to check it out.

I found this plaque commemorating the crew of a fire tanker which crashed near the site while fighting the fire. Most, though not all of the shirts are from various fire-fighting agencies and as you can see many other mementos have been left over the years.

I was sorry that I had never stopped before. It had the feel of a place of pilgrimage for firefighters and others.

If you are ever driving through the area and want to stop, here is where you will find it.

For more views of our world, go to Our World, Tuesday, hosted for us by Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia and Sandy.

Yosemite--The First Days of Autumn

2011-09-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

It is time again for another Yosemite post. I never tire of this place and we try to visit at least twice a year.

In past years our Autumn visit has always found Yosemite Falls dry. The rocky ground in the high country from which this feature gets its water relies on snow melt. There is no soil to hold the moisture and release it slowly. Whether it was due to the heavy snow pack this year or the late summer thunderstorms, there was still water flowing over the falls.

It was a real treat for the late season tourists and for us as well.

Though not the thundering rush of spring I found the reduced flow to have a charm I don't experience in May or June.

Yosemite Falls was not the only place where water was unexpectedly present. The "lake" in Mirror Lake was gone as usual but there was still water flowing through on its way to join the Merced River.

One didn't have to look too hard to find a pool with a reflection.

It may have been the beginning of Autumn, but the park was filled with tourists from all around the world. I was pleased that for once these late season visitors had not missed out on some of Yosemite's best know wonders.

See more of our world at Our World, Tuesday, hosted for us by Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia and Sandy.

Santa Barbara Mission

2011-09-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

While I saved the best of my recent photos of Mission Santa Barbara for "Around California", there were a few that needed commentary and didn't fit the format of that blog.

In the early days of the automobile it was the auto clubs, not the highway departments, that put up road signs. I even saw one of these old signs on a dirt road once. I suspect that old road had once been "the road" before states started building paved highways. Sad to say, that nostalgic old sign had been stolen a few years later.
The sign gives the mileage to the California missions north and south. It is said that they were placed a days travel apart by horse or cart. Father Serra, though, depicted here with his staff, did not travel by horse or cart, he walked. As founder of the missions from San Diego to Monterey he walked from mission to mission.

I though this "lavaderia" quite whimsical. At first, seeing the water spout, I though it was a pig trough. The sign explained my error. Another sign said that not all missions had such a laundry area but that in the local native culture cleanliness was very important.

My only comment on this is "why should anyone need to be told?"

Find more views of our wonderful world at Our World, Tuesday; hosted for us by Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia and Sandy.

The Rock

2011-09-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

I love the rock in my header. When we walk this path I am always anxious to see it. On this particular evening I hurried more than usual. The clouds were in the right place to catch the color from the setting sun. Would I make it? Ah, yes, just in time to catch "The Rock" in silhouette against the sunset.

See more skies from around the world at "SkyWatch Friday", hosted for us by Sandy, Wren & Sylvia.

Michael's Staycation

2011-09-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

While Michael's Mom and Dad enjoyed a much needed vacation in Seattle, Michael had a "staycation" with Grandma and Grandpa.

First we planned a visit to the beach. Michael likes the water and the beach but as it turned out, we hadn't picked the best day. In spite of the heat at his home, the weather at Zuma Beach was cool and breezy. Not only that but the unusually dangerous surf made it impossible to go near the water.
I had learned that many state and local beaches have sand wheelchairs to borrow so we tried it out. They work better if you pull rather than push them across the sand. It is nice to know they are available.

The Los Angeles area has many adaptive playgrounds, built with help from Shane's Inspiration.
These playgrounds are for all children but have features making them accessible to children with disabilities. There are several not far from Michael's home and we took him to one to play.

Grandpa snapped a picture as he waited below the slide for Michael.

He likes the swing. The adaptive swings are popular with all children and much safer than the traditional swings.
I have noticed that many parks no longer have swings and that is too bad. The motion helps to develop the inner ear and balance. It was a regular part of Michael's therapy sessions.

He wasn't sure what to make of the mister. It was cooling on a hot day but it was a new experience. Some times it takes a little while for him to process something new.

Since it was still hot, on Sunday we looked for something inside with air conditioning. We went to the mall.
Malls sure have changed! Part shopping, part dining and part theme park.
A very nice attendant helped me to lift Michael onto the carrousel. Just as with the swing, he enjoyed the motion. Grandma made sure he didn't fall.

Not ready to go home we decided to find a place to sit and "people watch". Grandpa and I were reminded of what a wonderful country this is. People of many different cultures were enjoying the mall. We are not perfect but compared to many other parts of the world where people can be attacked because of how they dress or how they look, we do pretty good.
We have come a long way when it comes to the disabled. Thanks to the Americans with Disabilities act, we can take Michael out for the day without the roadblocks of an earlier time. Sometimes people wonder, will ask about him but no one suggests that he should not be out enjoying life.

Like all good things, Michael's staycation came to an end. Summer was over and it was time for him to go back to school. His parents tell me that Michael's current school is to be closed just as the last one was. Los Angeles schools are phasing out special need schools. While mainstreaming may be good for some students I am not sure that it is the right choice for a child as vulnerable as Michael.

See more of our wonderful world at Our World, Tuesday hosted by Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia and Sandy.

In a Driveway

2011-09-09T15:08:00.000-07:00

While out walking with grandson Michael, I saw the evening sky reflected in the window of a minivan.

You can see more reflections of the world at Weekend Reflections, hosted for us by James.

More Flowers Along My Way

2011-08-29T08:40:00.000-07:00

The Flowers in bloom change as elevation changes and the season progresses.

Platanthera leucostachys

Two months ago the bog orchid was blooming near Mono Lake, at around 6500 feet.

Last week I found this example in a marshy area at 10,000 feet.

It is a tiny flower, each bloom less than 1/2 inch

with many on a stalk about a foot high.

Pedicularis Attollens

Smaller still are the flowers of another bog plant, little elephant's head.

Elephant's head is a larger but similar plant whose elephant shape is easy to see with the eye, this little flower needs the macro lens to appreciate the shape.

Dodecatheon alpinum

Yet another plant of the alpine bog is the aptly named "Shooting star".

My timing was off to get a picture, I was only able to find one example when I went out with my macro lens.

Lilium parvum

Yet another wetland flower blooming last week was the "Sierra Tiger Lily".

Though Calflora says it grows between 4000' and 8000' I found it at 10,000'.

Symphyotrichum spathulatum

Other flowers, like this mountain aster, bloomed on the dryer slopes. This semi-double bloom was a particularly attractive specimen.

Aquilegia formosa

Columbine is not fussy, it can be found in wet or dry areas.

Calochortus leichtlinii

The "Mariposa Lily" seems well adapted to dry slopes for that is where I usually find it.

These are a few of the flowers I saw last week in my world. Find other views of our wonderful world at
Our World Tuesday

Morning Sky

2011-08-25T09:45:00.000-07:00

I love waking to this view in the morning, as the first light hits the mountains across from our cabin. Yesterday the sky sported a mackerel sky adding some interest to the sky.

Find more skies from around the world at SkyWatch, Friday, hosted by Sandy, Wren and Sylvia.

In case you're wondering

2011-08-24T21:08:00.000-07:00

Our little town has been in the news today. Some of you may be aware that I live in Lincoln, California, the little town with the burning LP tanker car.

We live about as far from the rail car as is possible and still be in Lincoln so there is no danger to us. The area surrounding the fire has been evacuated and the city has brought in some hot shots from Texas who are experts in handling such fires. Things seem to be under control and we are hoping that there will be no loss of lives or property.

Traffic Jam!

2011-08-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

I call Tioga Pass the "back door" to Yosemite. It is the only entrance from the east. Since it is only about 30 miles from our cabin, we thought we would pack a picnic and go looking for some scenic images.

Three quarters of a mile from the entrance, this is what we found. While most of California's population lies to the west, most of the country is east of the park and many coming from other parts of the country choose this entrance. We've seen lines before, 10 or 12 cars, but never anything like this!

All was not lost, though. The traffic was stopped at Tioga Lake, a fine place for a picnic and a few photos.

Find more views of this amazing world of ours at That's My World, Tuesday, hosted for us by Sandy, Wren and Sylvia. We all mourn the loss of our fourth host, Klaus, a wonderful photographer, who passed away last week. He is missed.

Mono Inn

2011-08-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

I rarely post about commercial establishments but on occasion I see fit to break my own rule. This is one of those occasions.

The Mono Inn sits on Highway 395 a few miles north of Lee Vining, California. It was built in 1922 as a health resort. When we built our cabin 25 years ago it was a family run restaurant with good food.

Later the Inn was purchased by the Ansel Adams family and managed by his granddaughter, Sarah. It was filled with prints of Adam's photos as well as other photographers.

For some reason, the Adams family closed the restaurant a few years ago and it sat empty until being reopened last May.

The site has a history dating back far earlier than the resort, though. Next to the inn is this monument to Kit Carson's daughter whose grave is near by.

Mark Twain visited the area and wrote about it.

But it is not the history that draws us, or the connection to Ansel Adams or even the food, though it is still quite good.

No, the attraction is the view.

I sits on a bluff to the west of Mono Lake and the view is spectacular. If one is lucky enough to be there when the moon is near full the location offers an additional bonus, a view of the rising moon.

See more views of the world at That's My World, Tuesday, hosted for us by Klaus, Sandy, Wren an Sylvia.

A Few Shadows

2011-08-13T09:04:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've seen any good shadows to share but last week there were several that caught my eye.

First I noticed this shadow of Hubby's feet as the morning sun came through the window by his chair at the cabin.

Later, out on the deck, I liked the shadow of the glass topped table. (I know, the deck needs painting, again.)

Later, while taking a stroll near the Tioga Road, we saw the results of a winter avalanche. The snow had broken off this little tree but the tree was shielding its assassin from the sun leaving a mound of snow underneath.

You can find more interesting shadows at Shadow Shot Sunday, hosted for us by Tracy in Brisbane.

A Yurok Village

2011-08-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

Patrick's Point State Park has a reconstructed Yurok Village. The tribe uses it to teach both their own young people and the public about their traditions.

They had several dwellings and I found the construction to be very interesting. They were built the traditional way, using planks from trees in the state parks that had fallen due to natural forces. The round hole on the left side of the dwelling is the doorway.

It is hard to see from this shot but you enter onto a platform that runs around the edge of this sunken room. The platform is used for storage and the people are below ground level.

It seems a good way to avoid drafts in a cold and rainy climate. In the center is a fire pit.

What about smoke? Well they had a smoke hole, covered with planks to keep the rain out.

They had no nails so they lashed the buildings together using plant ties. I found the construction to be very ingenious.

As with many cultures, the sweat lodge is important an important part of the culture.

The Yurok made dugout canoes and believed them to be living beings.

At the stern of the craft are two foot rests, these are the kidneys. Towards the bow is a nob, this is the heart.

In front of the heart is carved a pair of lungs.

The canoes were used by both men and women. They provided transportation on the rivers and larger ones were used to hunt in the ocean.

I find it interesting to see how people adapt their cultures to use what is at hand. Plains Indians made homes from hides which were abundant. In areas where birch was abundant that was used for making canoes and shelters. Acorns are toxic but where they are abundant, native Americans learned to leach out the toxins. Humans are amazingly resourceful.

See more of our amazing world at That's My World, Tuesday; hosted for us by Klaus, Sandy, Wren and Sylvia.

Flowers Along My Way

2011-08-01T08:25:00.000-07:00

It's my birthday and to celebrate, let's take a hike.

We'll walk from the cabin in search of wildflowers. Spring came late to my mountains and when the snow finally left the plants seemed to say "look how long the days are, we better all bloom at once before winter sets in".

Up by the lake the meadow was filled with wild iris.

Leaving the lake we pick up the trail on a more arid section. Here we find mule ears, paint brush, lupine and pennyroyal.

Pennyroyal

Have you ever had the pleasure of walking along a trail with

pennyroyal? No? Oh how I wish I could share the aroma through the internet. It has a wonderful minty fragrance. On a warm day it freely perfumes the air. If it is being stingy with its scent, just rub your hand across its leaves.

There were several varieties of lupine. I find these hard to identify but the most likely candidate seems to be spurred lupine

Dagger pod--Phoenicaulis cheiranthoides

Dagger pod is one of several species in the mustard family. More common along the trail was its cousin, the yellow wallflower.

Copeland's Owl Clover--orthocarpus coplandii

The snapdragon family was well represented. This lovely owl clover is one of my favorites but I saw several other paintbrush type flowers, in scarlet, orange and gold.

Davidson's Penstemon--penstemon davidsonii

There were two different penstemons in bloom

Elephants Head--pedicularis groenlandica

It's hard not to smile when encountering this member of the snapdragon family.

Another aromatic, this in the Amaryllis family, the wild onion. I think this is a Swamp Onion as it was growing in a marshy area.

The snow has not entirely left my mountains. These two were enjoying a little play in the snow below Cooney Lake. I lingered a while at the lake. I watched a gull watching a fisherman. The bird kept flying over the fisherman's line. I think the gull was hoping to make the fisherman's catch its own.

On my return to the cabin, I paused to enjoy the view. I could see all the way to Nevada but Mono Lake is hidden from view. It is behind the mountains on the right.

I hope that you enjoyed this view of my world, see more of our wonderful world at That's My World, Tuesday, hosted for us by Klaus, Sandy, Wren and Sylvia.

Aracata Marsh

2011-07-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

A visit to a water treatment facility is not usually high on my bucket list but the Arcata Marsh is an exception.

It is actually only the last part of treatment that was of interest but when we looked at the exhibits in the visitor's center, I found the whole process to be of interest.

In 1979 the city of Arcata embarked on a project to take land that had been used for dumping, pasture and a logging deck and turn it into a marsh and wildlife sanctuary that would be the final stage in the water treatment process.

The plan worked so well that it is now a model for waste water treatment.

Once the waste water has worked its way through the treatment marshes and is dumped into Humbolt Bay it meets or exceeds the Federal clean water standards.

In the process it provides prime habitat for birds and other wildlife

We were there when the bird activity was at its lowest but we still saw quite a variety. The marsh is on the Pacific Flyway and looking at the bird list I can see that the best time to visit is during migration.

If you are interested in the waste water process, you can learn all you would ever want to know at their website.

Gray Whales at the Klamath River

2011-07-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

On our way to Klamath, California we stopped at a visitor center. Along with brochures we received the news that a Gray Whale and her calf had been feeding in the Klamath for two or three weeks near one of the campgrounds. Was it the one where we had reservations?

You're looking the wrong way!

Yes! The whales were swimming up and down in a circuit of about a tenth of a mile, ending in front of the campground.

It is hard to get good photos of whales. They tend to look like an amorphous blob and are about the same color as the water on a gray day. As with all animal photography, it is good if you can get the eye and here I did.

At times they were on the surface to breath.

Then they would submerge and be invisible for several minutes.

Gray whales are bottom feeders. They feed in shallow water, rolling on their side to scoop mud off the bottom and then forcing the mud through their baleen with their long, strong tongue. Then they lick the small tube worms and crustaceans off the baleen and scoop up some more.

The calf came up and briefly rested its head on the mother's back. It gave a good view of the mouth, the eye at the corner of the mouth and the blowholes.

Find more watery views at Watery Wednesday, hosted for us by 2sweetnsaxy.

If you are nearby and the whales are still there, here is a link to a map of the viewing area. Only registered campers are allowed in the campground but there was good viewing from the road.

More information about gray whales.

Why I Love Our Roadtrek

2011-07-18T08:26:00.000-07:00

We camp with a van conversion, sometimes they are called a "caravan". It is small, built on the body of a 15 passenger Chevy van and it can go almost anywhere.

We had no trouble making this sharp turn into a campground on the Klamath River but the driver of this large motorhome had a problem. She didn't turn wide enough and her hitch caught on the asphalt.

We all waited while a tow truck operator banged out some asphalt and jacked up the coach until the driver was able to make the turn.

It was well worth the wait, though. It turned out that a female Gray Whale and her calf had taken up residence in the river right by the campground. More about that tomorrow.

That was part of my world last week. For more views of our world check out
That's My World, Tuesday, hosted by Klaus, Sandy, Wren and Sylvia

The Tioga Road

2011-07-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

Part of the easiest route to our cabin is still closed due to snow and a second route is congested due to construction; we decided to drive through Yosemite and over the Tioga Road.

We passed Yosemite Creek, several miles above where it will leap over the cliff and become Yosemite Falls.

We passed Olmsted point (I took this shot last year). Looking east we see Tanaya Lake. To the west, on a clear day, is a view of Half Dome.

Olmsted Point is the most dangerous part of the road to clear of snow in the spring. Deep drifts and steep drops make it necessary to go slow and watch for avalanches. A few years ago a plow operator lost his life and the park service doesn't want a repeat. This year, due to the heavy snow pack, it didn't open until June 18.

When we stopped to admire the view at the top of Lee Vining Canyon I saw this plaque.

I am not surprised that it is considered a civil engineering masterpiece. I can still remember when I was a child and this part of the road was still one lane dirt with turnouts. I could feel the stress and tension in my father and I hid on the floor of the car. There were no seat belts in those days.

Turnout at the top of Lee Vining Canyon looking back up the road.

The road is now much improved and much safer.

The view down canyon towards Lee Vining

It is still hazardous, though. One year we were stopped for several hours. A motorist had gone over the edge and taken several motorcyclists with him.

Some places it just wasn't possible to level out a roadbed so they improvised. Those who don't like heights might want to avoid this road. It's no longer legal to hide on the floor of the car.

Smart Phone; Dumb Driver

2011-07-04T08:28:00.000-07:00

California is my world and California has a law requiring hands free cell phone use. When I saw this woman fiddling with her smart phone I expected that she would soon break the law by putting it too her ear. No, she kept fiddling; texting (also illegal)? game? internet? I don't know what she was doing but at 50 mph I wish she had been paying more attention to her driving.

See more of our world at That's My World, Tuesday, hosted for us by Klaus, Sandy, Wren and Sylvia.

Bidwell Mansion

2011-06-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park is another of the Parks scheduled to be closed at the end of the year.

It was built in 1868, about 15 years and 50 miles from the Ide Adobe which I wrote about in February. Close in time and place but worlds away in comfort and convenience.

Both of these historic sites are on the State Park closure list.

In 1841, John Bidwell was one of the first Americans to cross the Sierra and settle in the Sacramento Valley. He made his money as a miner and merchant but his true interest was in agriculture and public service. Along with his wife Annie, he championed women's suffrage. He donated land for the establishment of a normal school which today is California State University, Chico.

This was a thoroughly modern home for it's time. The heated air from an alcohol lamp below the fan rose, turning the fan in the days before electricity.

The house had running water and flush toilets.

The globes face up because these were originally gas lamps. The valves can be seen on the tubes that both support the lamps and supply the gas.

When electricity became available they were converted to that power source.

There was even a built-in oven. Everything was up to date in this home.

It was a large house for a couple with no children but they entertained the notable people of their time: President and
Mrs. Rutherford B. Hayes, Civil War General
William Tecumseh Sherman and naturalist
John Muir were some of the guests in this gracious home.

It is unfortunate that the citizens of California are willing to see their parks close. These historic sites are a window into the past for those who assume there were always modern conveniences. The Ide Adobe and Bidwell Mansion together show both the evolution of modern life and the vast difference in life between the poor and the affluent, something that is not always obvious today when almost everyone seems to have an i-pod and a cell phone, even if they don't have a home to put them in.

Shadows and Reflection

2011-06-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

Last month I noticed these great shadows and reflection at the entrance to our community lodge. I guess I could link it to SkyWatch as well but will limit it to

Weekend Reflections, Hosted by James

Shadow Shot Sunday, hosted by Tracy

Birding at Eagle Lake

2011-06-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

I am a relative newcomer to birding and birding wasn't on my mind when I decided we should camp at Eagle Lake in north eastern California. While the grebes I shared last week were certainly the highlight, they were far from the only birds we saw.

There were water birds

I watched this pair of mergansers cruise by an American White Pelican.

This tern flew by me so close I've done almost no cropping on this. At 300mm I couldn't focus on the whole bird and had no time to zoom out. That is an unusual problem for me when photographing birds!

Western Tanagers were common in the campground. These colorful birds are hard to miss but given the cloudy sky and dense forest I needed a high ISO and large aperture resulting in a lack of sharpness.

What every birder enjoys, whether a newbie like me or an old hand, a new bird to add to the life list. I got two this trip.

This little guy I believe is a brown creeper. I felt lucky to spot him as he is well camouflaged.

The White-Headed Woodpecker is another new bird for my list. This is a female as it lacks the red patch on the back of the head.

Yes, there are eagles at Eagle Lake. I caught sight of this guy towards the end of the day. In addition to the eagle there were osprey. We have camped a lot of places but never seen such a variety of bird life. I saw other birds as well, a Yellow Rump Warbler and another bird I couldn't identify.

We had a bit of excitement, too. Some children playing with matches set fire to a tree. There was a lot of discussion among the campers as to what to do about it. I had a hose but it wasn't long enough, eventually someone did come up with a suitable hose and by the time CalFire arrived the fire was out. The professionals leave nothing to chance they sprayed it with water, trenched around the tree and soaked the ground. They stayed for several hours and then repeated the soaking.

See more views of the world at That's My World, Tuesday, hosted for us by Klaus, Sandy, Wren and Sylvia.

You can find more birds of the world ant World Bird Wednesday, hosted by Springman.

Grebe Courtship

2011-06-14T08:19:00.000-07:00

Viewing the courtship display of Western Grebes has been high on my bucket list. When we chose to camp at Eagle Lake in Northern California I didn't realize that the lake hosted a large population of the birds nor did I know that this was the time when they were pairing up.

When we went to the marina it was quickly apparent what was going on and we were treated to the full repertoire of breeding display.

According to the "Birder's Handbook" there are four different elements to the courtship display. We witnessed all of them but I only got pictures of three.

The first shown here is weed dancing. The birds stand up in the water each holding a piece of plant in its beak.

Unlike ducks and geese, the grebes' legs are far back on the body allowing them to stretch far out of the water. They can hold that stance for quite a while.

Bob preening looks almost choreographed.

First one and then the other will bob its head down in a preening motion.

Dip shaking, which I didn't get a picture of, is similar but the birds dip their head in the water and then shake of the drops.

The most exciting part of the display is rushing. The birds run across the water.

Eventually one falls back into the water and the other one stops. I wonder if they are saying to each other "look how strong I am, I can help you feed a large brood"?

We saw a great variety of birds at Eagle Lake, both in the water and in the woods. Some were new to me and I'll show those in a latter post.

A word on the "Birder's Handbook", if you enjoy birding and aren't familiar with this wonderful guide you might want to check it out. It isn't a field guide, it has no pretty pictures, but tells you where the birds nest, what they eat, which parents care for the young and has lots of information on bird biology and bird behavior.

I've linked this post to World Bird Wednesday, hosted by Springman.

Railtown 1897

2011-06-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

Railtown 1897 is one of the California State Parks on the closure list. We want to visit as many of the parks on the list as possible and since we love trains this was a good place to start.

We chose May 21 for our visit because they would be using the recently restored engine #3 for their Saturday excursion. Currently the park is open daily but the train runs only on Saturday and Sunday for a six mile round trip.

We arrived early so that we could see them back the engine onto the turntable. Steam from the locomotive is used to operate the turntable.

After fueling it's backed up to the old water tank. This is the same water tank seen in the TV show "Petticoat Junction"

Although it is a state park, all of this work is done by volunteers.

This little car follows the train down the track to check for fires. I couldn't help but wonder what was done in the days when all railroads were operated by steam. I suspect that a lot of fires went undetected until the next train came along.

A visit to Railtown is a like a step back in time. Volunteers in period dress add to the ambiance.

The state hopes to find partners to take over the parks it will close. Considering the amount of work already done by volunteers and the economic value to the town of Jamestown, I think it likely that this park will continue to operate.

Portraits

2011-06-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

Rock Wren

I was pleased with the image quality of some of my recent backyard bird photos so I cropped them to make bird portraits.

This little guy had been teasing me for over two years. He seems to live around the rock retaining wall near the trash cans. Of course I don't take my camera when I am taking out the trash and when I would go out with my camera he was never around. Finally, bird and camera were both in the same place.

If you enlarge this you can see the texture in the feathers. It was well worth the wait.

California Quail

I see quail in my yard almost every day and have many images but this, I think is my best. I'm not sure it can be improved on

Hen Turkey

Not a common backyard visitor but on a recent rainy day I spotted this solitary turkey just beyond my yard. You might notice raindrops were falling on her head, mine too for that matter. She was a wet hen but didn't seem to be a mad one.

Turkeys are usually in flocks but this was the second time I've seen this one out by herself.

Tree Swallow

One of the most challanging things about photographing the tree swallow is its eyes. Those black eyes tend to disappear into the dark blue green of the feathers. I took dozens of images trying to get a highlight in the eye.

I had some better poses and backgrounds but they lacked the nice highlights of this image.

You can find more birds at World Bird Wednesday, hosted for us by Springman

Feats of Clay Ceramics Competition

2011-06-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

I promised pictures of some of the entries in the "Feats of Clay". There were so many wonderful pieces of art I had to pick just a few to share, actually, quite a few.

It would be hard to pick a favorite, but this would be at the top of my list. I found it to be an amazing

creation.

There was a lot of variety, some were whimsical.

Some showed such an amazing

realism, it was hard to believe that they were made of clay.

Others invited contemplation.

The presentation of the works was unusual. Some were shown in a warehouse section of the building, surrounded by pieces of Gladding McBean's own ceramics, the rest were displayed in one of the beehive kilns.

The human mind is amazing, what a variety of ways it can find to mold a piece of clay!

You can find more interesting views of our world at That's My World, Tuesday, hosted by Klaus, Sandy, Wren and Sylvia.

Storm Watch

2011-06-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

My backyard has a great view for storm watching and last evening there was a lot to watch. We didn't see any tornadoes but two were spotted in the valley west and north of us.

See more views of the sky at SkyWatch Friday, hosted for us by Klaus, Sandy, Wren and Sylvia.

Osprey Nest

2011-05-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

On our recent camping trip we were fortunate to see this Osprey nest.

The pictures are not as sharp as I would like, my lens is a 100-300 and not the sharpest.

We went out in the evening to get some shots of the birds on the nest. I couldn't see any chicks but was glad to watch and photograph the adults.

When we got home I noticed something below the adult on the right, was it a twig, the remains of a meal or?

Yes, I'm sure that is a little Osprey between the adults.

Even though we were quite a ways away, our presence made them nervous and the light was low so we left them in peace.

We returned in the morning when the light was better. No sign of the little one but a sharper image. These should enlarge (sometime they refuse) so that you can get a better look at the nestling.

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After a few days of camping we returned home. Always anxious for more birding opportunities I thought we should check out a nearby pond where Green Herons have nested the last several years. I've found them hard to photograph, they seem quick to spot me and the first I see of them they've taken to the air.

This time I had a bit of success, I spotted the Green Heron through the bushes and got a quick shot of his head before he took off.

Then an even bigger surprise, an osprey! It did a few circles over the pond and flew off to the north. I have never seen an osprey here. Our ponds are small and shallow and to me, they don't seem like good osprey habitat. I think it will find better hunting at some of the reservoirs.

There was even good birding in my own backyard. This little hummer posed for several shots.

Then I saw the tiniest quail I have ever seen. They couldn't have been more than a day or two out of the shell. Mom was calling and I barely had time to get a shot before they scurried under some shrubs.

Check out World Bird Wednesday, hosted by Springman, for more images of birds

Feats of Clay

2011-05-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

"Feats of Clay", strange name, funny logo.

If the little city of Lincoln, California has a claim to fame it is "Gladding McBean". Never heard of it? If you are an architect who likes to use decorative Terra Cotta in design or a ceramics artist who wants to enter her work in competition, then you probably know Gladding McBean and the "Feats of Clay"

Clay pipe for sewers and fresh water is the most obvious product,but the truth is that since the housing bust there has been no market and these pipes have been sitting here for several years.

So what do they make at this large plant? This stuff at the left. These broken pieces of decorative terra cotta have been sent here to be replicated for the restoration of the buildings from which they were removed.
Each year in May, Lincoln Arts in cooperation with Gladding Mcbean hosts a tour of the plant and a juried competition for creative ceramics.

The first step in the process is the making of a model. For new work the architect would send a detailed drawing, for restoration drawings would be made from the old pieces. The model must be larger than the finished piece because the clay will shrink during drying.

Molds are then made from the models and clay is beaten into the molds. There can be no air pockets.

The clay spends several hours in the mold, once out of the molds they are finished by hand and then sent to the drying room before being glazed and fired.
There is only one firing, unlike the pottery some might have made as a hobby, there is no bisque firing here.

The kiln room is huge, mostly containing these large beehive kilns used for the clay pipe. They haven't been in operation for several years though some still hold the fired pipe. I guess there was no point in removing it if there was no one to buy it.

The decorative terra cotta goes in this smaller kiln, roof tiles and quarry tiles in a similar kiln a bit bigger.

It is an interesting tour with too much information to take in all at once. Fortunately, Gladding McBean has some informative videos and pictures on their website.

The tour of the plant is only one part of the"Feats of Clay", the other part is the amazing works of art on display. The competition draws artists from around the world and I'll show you some of it in a latter post.

This is a part of my world, find other views of our wonderful world at That's my World, Tuesday, hosted for us by Klaus, Sandy, Wren and Sylvia.

New Melones Reservoir

2011-05-26T07:00:00.001-07:00

While camping at New Melones Reservoir last week we went down to the lake to watch the sun set.
We saw these turkey vultures looking for a roost for the night.

As the sun slipped behind the hills, the sky lit up with color.

See more skies from around the world at SkyWatch Friday, hosted for us by Klaus, Sandy, Wren and Sylvia.

The Hidden California

2011-05-23T20:37:00.000-07:00

Hubby and I took a day trip recently. I wanted to visit some more counties for my other blog. It turned out not to be a great day for photography, the air had a lot of haze. It was still a good day to visit some new places.

Our first stop was the little town of Colusa on the Sacramento River. Where's Colusa?

Colusa has the second oldest operating courthouse in the state. Can you make out the golden bear in the pediment? That is the symbol of California and is on our flag. It dates from the brief period when we declared our independence from Mexico, before we joined the United States. California was the "Bear Flag Republic".

What is the oldest operating courthouse? Mariposa, I guess I should check out their courthouse.

There was a lot going on, a quilt show and a civil war reenactment. It looked like the whole community had turned out.

There was even a carriage drawn by a handsome pair of draft horses. We didn't stay for the reenactment, we had other places we wanted to see.

We headed off into the coast range, a land of rolling hills, cattle and few people. I felt like I had stepped back in time to a California that once was.

We stumbled upon the tiny hamlet of Lagoda, the sign said "population 15". I just loved these whimsical sculptures, they seemed to be made of cast concrete. Several houses had them.

Where's Lagoda?

The area wasn't completely unknown, there were several groups camped along the East Park Reservoir and some fishermen out on the lake.

My pictures weren't what I was hoping for, few were of the quality I like for "Around California" but it was a great day just the same. The more I poke into the remote corners of California the more I enjoy it.

See more of our wonderful world at That's My World, Tuesday, hosted for us each week by Klaus, Sandy, Wren and Sylvia.

Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge

2011-05-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

There has been so much talk about the new bridge at Hoover dam that we decided to check it out.

• The highest and longest arched concrete bridge in the Western Hemisphere.

• The second-highest bridge of any kind in the United States and 14th in the world.

• The world's tallest concrete columns of their kind.

I knew who Pat Tillman was, a former football player for the Arizona Cardinals killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan. I had to Google to find out who O'Callaghan was; a Korean War veteran and two term governor of Nevada.
Thus it is named for people from each of the two states hosting the bridge.

The bridge was built after the tragedy of
9-11. Since highway 93 crossed over the dam it was feared terrorists might try to blow it up, so prior to the completion of the bridge in October 2010 commercial traffic had to make a 75 mile detour and private vehicles had to pass a security checkpoint. Now this bottleneck to traffic on highway 93 has been eliminated.
The checkpoint is still there, private vehicles can cross the bridge to park and visit the dam. There was a long line at the checkpoint when we were there.

You can find more bridges at Sunday Bridges, hosted by Louis at San Francisco Bay Daily Photo.

Reflections at Hoover Dam

2011-05-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

The copper tinted windows in the buildings at Hoover Dam had some great reflections.

Here I caught a reflection of part of the new bridge an a worker hanging from some ropes.

No, actually it is a monument to those who built the dam that is reflected.

In the background you can see the new bridge and all the people on it. Unfortunately, the parking lot allowing access to walk the bridge is small and there was no parking space for us there.

Check out more reflections at Weekend Reflections, hosted for us by James.

After a Storm

2011-05-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

We have been having unusually stormy weather lately, but the clouds cleared enough for a walk and some pictures before the rain returned.
The flower is Dichelostemma multiflorum, called "wild hyacinth" though other plants go by this name elsewhere.

See more sky views at SkyWatch Friday, hosted for us by Klaus, Sandy, Wren and Sylvia.

Horseshoe Bend

2011-05-17T20:11:00.000-07:00

Horseshoe bend, out side of Page Arizona is my watery shot this week. I suppose that I could have gotten a better shot had I crawled on my belly out to the edge. It was undercut, though, and the sign said to beware.

It is a great view, even for a coward like me.

Thanks to 2sweetnsaxy for hosting Watery Wednesday. Check it out for more water views.

Petrified Forest

2011-05-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

Petrified Forest was the last park on our recent tour of the Southwest.

We've been here before but always when the Summer sun had washed out the colors and much of the beauty lies in the color of the rock.

On past trips the heat had kept me from exploring down into the badlands. I was pleased that the weather cooperated and I was able to see these beautiful formations of Chinle Shale up close.

Of course, people do not come to this park just for the badlands, they come for the petrified wood.

Agate Bridge is an example of how the Park Service has changed its ways.

It was thought that this log would soon collapse so a support was made under it. Today they would have allowed nature to take its course and the bridge would have been allowed to break and fall into the ravine.

Painted Desert Inn is a relic of a bygone era. It was built by the CCC on the site of the earlier Stone Tree House. It no longer serves meals or provides lodging but is a museum and a tribute to the craftsmanship of an earlier era.

This is what people most want to see, the amazing colors of the petrified wood.

Once freely harvested by rock hounds, the petrified wood in the park is now protected. They ask you when you enter if you have purchased any outside the park and on leaving if you have collected. It is all on the honor system, though. There are plenty of rock shops outside the park so it isn't necessary to steal our heritage.

I like this one, you can see the petrified remains of the roots. No doubt that this was once a living tree but that was 225 million years ago. To find out more about how these trees came to be turned to stone, click here.

You can see more views of this wonderful world of ours at That's My World Tuesday, hosted for us each week by Klaus, Sandy, Wren and Sylvia.

Glen Canyon Dam Bridge

2011-05-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

When it was completed in 1959 the bridge cut 192 miles off the trip from one side of the canyon to the other. More important, and the reason it was built, it provided access for the workers of Glen Canyon Dam to the other side of the canyon.
Unlike Hoover Dam, the road never crossed over the dam. We also stopped to see the new bridge that bypasses Hoover Dam, I'll show you that next week.

I'm linking this to Sunday Bridges. Thanks to Louis at San Francisco Daily Photo for hosting this meme.

Dreamcatcher Shadow

2011-05-14T09:12:00.000-07:00

We saw this dreamcatcher at a footpath leading in to Zion National Park. It had little locks attached. I don't know the purpose of the locks but I suspect that people would purchase them and place it with the hope a wish would be granted, just my speculation.

Dreamcatchers originated with Ojibwa, a Native American people. They have been adopted by other tribes as a symbol of unity. I think it makes an interesting shadow.

You can find other interesting shadows at Shadow Shot Sunday, hosted by Tracy at Hey Harriet.

Canyon de Chelly

2011-05-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

Except for a hike to one ruin, visitors can only tour the canyon with a Navajo guide. You can, however, view it from the rim. The rim drive has many view points that give great canyon views.

Nature favored us with some beautiful skies when we arrived so I feel justified in linking this post to SkyWatch.

From the rim you can look across the canyon and see many ruins left by the Anasazi now referred to by the politically correct term of Ancestral Pueblo peoples. Whatever you choose to call them it is amazing that they could live on those cliffs. Some Navajo will say that when these ancient people lived here the canyon floor was higher and it wasn't such an achievement.

Theses tall spires are called "Spider Rock". In the Navajo belief system it is believed that Spider Woman made her home here. Spider Woman was said to have taught the Navajo how to weave.

One version of the myth can be found here.

The following day we hired a Navajo guide and went into the canyon itself. The river meanders back and forth across the canyon and so does the road, such as it is. Our guide knew just where to cross in her 4x4, often driving in the river for long stretches.

Down in the canyon we got a much better look at the ruins.

We also saw a great many petroglyphs. Our guide was very informative and tried to answer our questions. There was, however, a decidedly ethnocentric slant to her commentary. She wasn't an anthropologist.

Canyon De Chelly is a hybrid park, a National Monument but on Navajo land. The park service has rights to the site which will soon expire and there is talk of turning it over to the Navajo Nation. Our guide wasn't sure it would get the protection it deserved if that were to happen.

See more wonderful views of the sky at SkyWatch, Friday; hosted for us by Klaus, Sandy, Wren and Sylvia.

A Different View of Terrorism

2011-05-10T12:05:00.000-07:00

Linked to Signs, Signs

Something Different

2011-05-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

I'll get back to the southwest trip. I can't leave the subject without showing you Canyon de Chelly. For "My World" this week I want to share what I have been seeing in my own backyard.

I took this through the window, a bird I hadn't seen at the feeder before.

I managed to sneak outside and get a sharper shot, a black headed grosbeak.

I'm not sure about this one since I can't see the back or wings but I think it is a non-breading American Goldfinch.

No doubt about this one, a beautiful American Goldfinch in full breading plumage. When I enlarged the series of images I found out that the goldfinches eat the green cones on the birch tree. No wonder it is always full of goldfinches.

The female Anna's Hummingbird likes the delphinium.

The California quail provide regular entertainment in the garden. The brown smear coming from the upper right is an out of focus branch.

That's my world this week and you can see other parts of our wonderful world by following the link to

That's My World, Tuesday, hosted for us by Klaus, Sandy, Wren and Sylvia.

Antelope Slot Canyon

2011-05-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

The last stop on our tour was Antelope Slot Canyon, a place of light and shadow I had long wished to visit.

This in on the Navajo Nation and can only be visited with a Navajo guide. It's a place that cries for HDR processing so for the rest of these images I took my RAW file, made +2 and -2 images in the RAW converter and then used tone compressor in Photomatix.

Several Navajo companies have rights to lead tours here so it is very crowded. You can get a longer tour that allows you to set up a tripod but that wasn't an option for us. The companies each have other slot canyons they can visit which are less crowded but again, that wasn't an option for our group.

You could get an unobstructed view by looking up.

Our guide knew all the tricks, he showed us this heart shaped slot.

He threw sand on this ledge for a "sandfall".

Find more shadows at Shadow Shot Sunday, hosted for us by Tracy in Brisbane.

Utah Sunset

2011-05-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

We bookmarked our Road Scholar trip with some camping. At a campground on the Virgin river we caught this great sunset.

See more interesting skies at SkyWatch Friday, hosted for us each week by Klaus, Sandy, Wren and Sylvia.

Rainbow Bridge National Monument

2011-05-03T12:05:00.000-07:00

Day nine was cold and cloudy but this was the day we were scheduled to take a tour boat over 40 miles up what had once been Glen Canyon to view Rainbow Bridge, the largest known natural bridge.

I can still remember the controversy in the 60's over the flooding of the canyon to form Lake Powell. Proponents of the project said it would make it easier for people to see Rainbow Bridge. David Brower of the Sierra Club responded, “Should we also flood the Sistine Chapel so tourists can get nearer the ceiling?”

Since it follows the line of the canyon, the lake is relatively narrow with many arms. It is down one of these arms that the boat took us to access the bridge.

A short hike from the dock took us to the bridge

There it was! Enlarge this shot and you can see not only the ranger in the foreground but some tourists at the base of the left leg of the bridge. It is huge. I can't describe the feeling of being in the presence of such an example of nature's grandeur. I didn't want to leave. But it was a long hike or swim if the boat left without me so I hiked back to the dock with the others.

On the ride back the skies started to clear and the wind came up. As we had on the way out, Hubby and I braved the cold and stayed on the upper deck to better see the scenery.

You can find more watery sites at Watery Wednesday, hosted for us by 2sweetnsaxy.

Day Eight

2011-05-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

On day eight we covered a lot of territory.

The first stop was Edge of Cedars Museum. This is a Utah State Park in danger of loosing its funding. It has an amazing collection of artifacts, well curated. I had wished we had more time.

The ruins on the the site included a kiva that visitors can climb down into.

It was a cloudy day, if it had been sunny I could have captured shadows from the cutouts in this sculpture.

The many sculptures were an added bonus to the site.

The Next stop was Gouldings Trading Post for Navajo Tacos. They seemed more like tostados to me but by any name they were quite good.

The sky was perfect for this iconic image of Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park.

Our final stop of the day was a Navajo Culture Center in Page, AZ. I had mixed feelings about this place. It wasn't run by the Navajo Nation and the man who ran it seemed to have an agenda beyond teaching about his culture. We did learn some interesting facts about weaving and tradition but I left feeling conflicted.

These dancers were very good but they were dressed in the tradition of plains tribes doing dances from plains tribes. We were told that Navajo dances couldn't be performed because it wasn't the proper season.

I would have rather spent more time at Edge of Cedars, there was a lot I didn't have time to see and I think I would have learned a lot more.

You can find many view of this wonderful world of ours at That's My World, Tuesday, hosted by Klaus, Sandy, Wren and Sylvia.

Bridge or Arch?

2011-05-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

While the terms "natural bridge" and "natural arch" are often used interchangeably, geologists usually make a distinction.

Rainbow Bridge

The term "bridge" is usually used to indicate a span that has been eroded by a stream running through it.

Double Arch

Arches are also formed by water but by the freezing and thawing and chemical weathering of water.

Linked to Sunday Bridges, hosted for us by Louis at San Francisco Daily Photo.

Evening Moab Sky

2011-04-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

We had some free time in Moab and took a walk just as the sun was setting.

The golden light was captured by the highest of the red rocks.

The clouds were white cobblestones on a blue highway.

Kokopeli rushed to take one last ride.

Find more skies from around the world at SkyWatch Friday, hosted for us by Klaus, Sandy, Wren and Sylvia.

The Parks of Moab

2011-04-26T12:05:00.000-07:00

Our next stop was Moab, Utah where two National Parks and one State Park awaited us.

Our first stop was Dead Horse Point State Park. This afforded us a great view of Canyonlands and the Colorado River.

We also had a view of some salt ponds where water saturated with potassium chloride and sodium chloride is left to evaporate and the salts are then harvested. The mountains in the background are the "La Sal" mountains. Fittingly, la sal means salt in Spanish. The are sits atop a large deposit of Potassium and Sodium salts, the remnant of an ancient sea.

This overlook was withing the boundaries of Canyonlands National Park. We didn't go down into the canyons, it is rugged land and the roads are unpaved.

The following day we headed to Arches National Park where the features are quite different. We took several short hikes.

On this hike our destination was landscape arch. You can gage its size by the figure in the corner.

We didn't have the blue skies of earlier days but even on this gray, cloudy day the color of the rocks was spectacular.

You can find more scenes of the great outdoors at "Outdoor Wednesday" hosted for us by Susan at A Southern Daydreamer.

Capital Reef National Park

2011-04-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

Capital Reef is one of the lesser known parks in the National Park System. It is out of the way but well worth a visit

Two features give this park its name. The first is the white domes that resemble the dome of our nation's capital.

The second is the cliffs or "reefs" forming a barrier that made travel difficult.

Life was hard for the Mormon pioneers and they willingly sold their land to the Park Service. There remain not only restored pioneer buildings but orchards with heirloom trees nurtured by the Park Service. Visitors can eat what they like in the orchard or harvest some to take home for a fee.

Evidence of earlier cultures still remains like this granary

and these pictographs.

An easy hike took us to a low natural bridge

and the more spectacular Hickman Bridge.

You can see more of our world by going to That's My World, Tuesday, hosted for us by Klaus, Sandy, Wren and Sylvia.

Frosting on the Hoodoos

2011-04-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

The next stop was Bryce Canyon where a different type of formation awaited us.

The hoodoos of Bryce and what a treat for the photographer.

Snow had started to fall while we were at breakfast but the skies were clearing by the time we got to the rim.

The slippery trails kept us from our planned hike but it gave us some great photo-ops!

It was cold and the wind was whipping up the snow but still, it was Bryce at its most beautiful.

Even better, someone else had to deal with the snow and wind while we traveled in comfort. Our driver was a retired firefighter and knew how to handel large rigs in adverse conditions.

The sky that morning was so beautiful that I am linking to SkyWatch Friday and send my thanks to Klaus, Sandy, Wren and Sylvia for hosting this meme.

On to Zion

2011-04-19T12:05:00.000-07:00

The day after our orientation We headed our for a week on the road; first stop, Zion National Park.

Zion may be in the desert but when we were there we saw plenty of water. Here it was sheeting over Weeping Rock.

At the end of the park road, a place called Temple of Sinawava, another waterfall leaps over the cliff and cascades down the rocks

A closer look at the cascades.

The Virgin River at the end of the River Trail, sometimes people can wade into the water and walk up the narrows. Followers of Geogypsy may remember that she posted about this hike in 2009. I don't think she would want to make that hike now. The river is high, swift and loaded with sediment.

More watery scenes can be found at Watery Wednesday, hosted for us by too sweetnsaxy.

Visit to the Colorado Plateau

2011-04-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

We've been on the road, this time to Utah and Arizona. After a few days of camping in California we drove to St. George, Utah for a "Road Scholar" program about the geology and human history of the

Colorado Plateau.

Our instructor was Dan, (the one on the left) 83 years young, a retired geologist, he was determined to share his enthusiasm for the geology of his home state of Utah.

Patty, his wife, was our coordinator. It was her job to keep Dan and the rest of us in line and everything running smoothly.

They were fun, funny and young at heart.

After a morning of introduction to what we could expect they took us to Snow Canyon, named for a person, not the white stuff. At Snow Canyon Dan showed us Navajo Sandstone, a feature we would see often all over the Colorado Plateau.

This sandstone is the remnant of ancient sand dunes, much like the Sahara of today. You can see how the winds changed over time by the different direction in the patterns of the stone. We learned that this is called cross bedding. See the tiny people in the upper left? These formations are huge.

While much of the sandstone is the red we associate with the southwest in other places it is almost white but it is all Navajo sandstone.

It is just one of many layers exposed by erosion in the Colorado Plateau, here it's covered by a lava cap, protecting the sandstone from erosion.

Don't worry, I'm not going to try to give you a course in geology but I did find it added something to the trip to know what those layers of rock are.

It was a ten day course and we visited Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Monument Valley, Arches, Canyonlands, Lake Powell and a few other places. Then Hubby and I continued our camping trip and went to Canyon de Chelly and Petrified forest. If you get tired of red rocks over the next few weeks, feel free to leave. I hope you'll return later, to see what our next adventure will be.

More views of our amazing world can be found at That's My World, Tuesday, hosted for us by Klaus, Sandy, Wren and Sylvia.

The Rookery

2011-04-16T19:33:00.000-07:00

Last month I noticed some flashes of white at the rookery shared by herons and egrets.

The herons are first to take up residence but they are hard to spot from a distance.

Once I knew they were in residence I drove to a church parking lot and walked across some fields to get close enough.

Not too close, though, I don't want them to abandon this rookery as they did an earlier one. (A golf course had been built under that rookery.)

There was a lot of activity, birds were coming

and birds were leaving.

They were flying off,

off to do their bird jobs.

I didn't get a chance to share these before we headed out on our trip so better late than never. You can enlarge these for a better view of the action.

I'm linking this to Bird Photography Weekly, you might like to check it out to see what other birders are doing.

Home in Time for Spring!

2011-04-16T10:14:00.000-07:00

We've been away, exploring the parks of the Colorado Plateau for the last three weeks. I haven't had much opportunity to visit blogs so I have a lot of catching up to do. I also have a lot of images to sort through. It is going to be tough, like choosing a favorite child.

I was afraid I would miss the wisteria in bloom but we returned in time. Three weeks ago I photographed it in bud. Do you see the heart made by two twining tendrils?

The dogwood is in bloom as well, reaching skyward as if wanting to touch heaven. Our trip was wonderful but I am glad I did not miss these blooms.

You can find other sky views at SkyWatch Friday

The Wisteria's Promise of Spring

2011-04-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

The buds are swelling, promising a wealth of fragrant flowers. Can't you just see those lavender blooms against the deep blue sky?

See more views of the sky at SkyWatch Friday, hosted for us by Klaus, Sandy, Wren and Sylvia.

A Few Birds Along the Path

2011-04-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

Last week I decided it was time again to take my camera on our walk. I hoped to see some birds that I hadn't shown you in a while.

I always like to see the phoebe, always dapper with his cutaway coat. He makes short forays off of his perch to catch an insect on the fly.

The Western bluebird hunts in a similar manner. He posed, showing me the beautiful colors on his back.

Then he darted off, after an insect on the fly.

The killdeer was hiding in plain sight. He was away from the path and so still that I almost didn't see him.

I've been trying for years to get the ring necked pheasant in my lens. As usual he ran off into the brush as soon as I spotted him. This is my best attempt yet. They are common around here but they tease me, jumping up to flap their wings and call then dropping down into the brush before I can get a shot.

Find more views of our wonderful world at That's My World, Tuesday; hosted for us by Klaus, Sandy, Wren and Sylvia.

Between Storms

2011-03-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

And then the rain came again.

See more views of the sky at SkyWatch Friday, hosted for us by Klaus, Sandy, Wren and Sylvia.