Memory Monday: Salmon River, 1966

It’s been awhile since I did a Memory Monday post, mostly because I haven’t felt greatly inspired. But today I’m excited about it, because I went out to Denio’s on Sunday afternoon and found a wonderful little photo album that I just had to bring home. I don’t know who the people in the photos are, but as soon as […]

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Mendonoma

I’m continuing my look back to September 2022 which I began yesterday, and today’s post includes images from Black Point Beach in Sea Ranch  and Gerstle Cove near Salt Point (Sonoma County) and  the Point Arena Lighthouse (Mendocino County). This was really one of the nicest coastal trips we’ve had, and I would be very happy to spend more time […]

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Sense of spring

As I wandered around an abandoned and overgrown portion of Spanish Flat Campground at Lake Berryessa, I found an oak woodland covered in foxtails and invasive vetch as well as a surprising variety of flowers growing wild alongside forgotten pieces of roadway and cement pads. I can only guess at what this hilltop headland looked like in its prime; these […]

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Lizard love

I can always be pretty sure of spotting Western Fence Lizards (also called Blue-bellies) on my outdoor adventures during the spring, usually perched atop sun-warmed rocks or  old logs. Sometimes it takes sharp eyes to spot their camouflage. Still, for all the many times I’ve seen and photographed these little guys, I never knew until today that they have the […]

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Off the beaten track

Spring is an excellent time to explore around the shores of Lake Berryessa, as we recently did on our day trip during the first week of April. I discovered this unobtrusive trail near the Lupine Shores campground — guarded by a rather suspicious ground squirrel — which took me around the headland in a wide loop. I found the peace […]

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Osprey love

After recovering from a drop in numbers some 25+ years ago, Ospreys seem to be thriving again in Northern California. I see them frequently whenever I visit Clear Lake or Lake Berryessa — especially in February through August, when they’re always busy nesting and raising their young. On our recent day trip to Steele Canyon at Lake Berryessa, I noticed […]

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A visit to the vernal ponds

When I made this year’s first trip to Phoenix Park last week I was hoping to see a lot of wildflowers after all the rain storms we’ve had. I was a little surprised that the various pools didn’t seem to be overflowing, although I know that only the earliest flowers are blooming right now. All in all, it was a […]

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Scenes from Steele Canyon

A couple of days ago I drove over to Lake Berryessa with the Big Guy, and we spent the day at Steele Canyon Campground, near the south end of the lake. There is so much to explore all around this gorgeous lake that anytime we go over there, I find something new! Of course, my very favorite time of year […]

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Anticipating August

I guess this is the time of year when I usually start looking forward to August — when I spend a week in San Francisco, using public transportation to get around and exploring various parts of the city. Part of the fun is photographing some of the views from my window seat on the Amtrak California Corridor train. Empire State […]

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