Cloudy skies at Pope Creek
Early May offered up intriguing cloudscapes along the western shore of Lake Berryessa and Pope Canyon Road.
Wild waters
At this fairly isolated spot just across the river from the fish hatchery, a small island blocks the view of the main stream of the American River. Still, I thought the current looked pretty boisterous when I visited Sailor Bar two weeks ago — but on today’s visit I found the rocky shore where I stood that day is now […]
A dramatic entrance
This morning I was lucky enough to see the arrival of a Great Blue heron at the Turtle Pond on Sailor Bar. Although I enjoyed his graceful entrance, it seemed to cause some irritation to one of the local Red-winged blackbirds — who fussed for a moment, just to make a point, before sulkily departing.
Sentry duty, Phoenix Park
When I was pretty young, I had two gray plastic animal figures that my sister and I called “Beat-up Eye” and “Beat-up Nose” because those parts had clearly been chewed on by, ahem, someone in the past. I never did figure out what type of animal they were supposed to be; and I can only guess what type of experience […]
View from the hill
Hiking up the Dorn Nature Trail at Clear Lake State Park two months ago was one of my most enjoyable outings this year. I had the trail nearly to myself, and while the sun frequently vanished behind clouds, leaving behind a chilly wind, I was able to take things at my own pace and spend time just listening to the […]
Memory Monday: An offroad classic
When it comes to our TV, these days if the Big Guy isn’t watching a big-money bass fishing tournament, he’s tuned into the Motor Trend channel, watching the road tripping hosts of Roadkill and Roadkill Garage, or the technical talk on Engine Masters. So I’ve become used to seeing “ugly” cars in various states of repair, and this week’s images […]
New phobia unlocked!
I was all alone, standing in a shady spot along the empty trail beside Turtle Pond, watching the Red-winged blackbirds and shooting pictures with my big lens. I’m not sure why, but I happened turn my head and glance back up the path to my far right — and found this duck standing there, just… watching me. I wouldn’t say I’ve suddenly developed anatidaephobia; but let’s just say Gary Larson’s cartoon is starting to make a lot more sense!
At the Turtle Pond
I did see a couple of turtles, but the stars of the show on this morning were the many species of birds — especially the Red-winged blackbirds. They were continually swooping and perching, calling and battling in mid air while a few brownish females watched from the sidelines. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I decided to explore this […]
Gray day at Coyote Knolls
When the day is overcast and gray along the shores of Lake Berryessa, any little pop of bright color is a welcome sight for the eyes.