At Rattlesnake Bar

I’m never surprised anymore when hiking around Folsom Lake to find driftwood shelters; some of these are constructed near the waterline (or where the waterline used to be), but others are far from the water, in among the trees. Most appear to have been hastily built, but occasionally I’ll find a shelter that was created with great care and skill, like the one I discovered a year ago near Horseshoe Bar. It even had a landscaped backyard and barbecue area! My more recent finds have been less elaborate but still fun to photograph.

Perfect spot for a breather and a spot of lunch

Room with a view… of the North Fork Ditch (right)

Below, near Brown’s Ravine I found not a shelter but a tree swing. I spent quite a long time trying to successfully capture the wild movements of the empty swing on this very blustery day.

Sometimes I’m not exactly thrilled to find a shelter — like this painstakingly constructed burrow spotted in the vernal pool area of Phoenix Park (Fair Oaks).