I have fond memories of Clear Lake going back to my childhood, when family car trips to Fort Bragg on the Mendocino coast meant traveling along the lake’s eastern shoreline (and occasionally stopping at the Foster’s Freeze in Lucerne, which is still there). Of course, Clear Lake, a very large natural lake, has many, many facets and even now I’ve […]
Although these images all came from the Korea photo albums, some of them feel so very familiar to me after 36 years of living with my own dedicated fisherman. For the same reason, I can make a few observations that might at least partly make up for not knowing the circumstances or the locations where they were shot. The two […]
I’ve seen plenty of American Coots in a number of watery locations, but Clear Lake is the only place I can seem to get anywhere near them. There always seems to be something comical to me about these small birds; maybe it’s just that I’ve come to associate them with the expression “a funny old coot” — what my Merriam-Webster […]
I have frequently admired the blue-green iridescence of the male Mallards’ heads, so it was a nice surprise yesterday to get a glimpse of royal purple on these relatively drab females. I was sitting in my car in Lucerne, on the shore of Clear Lake, when a small group of Mallards settled down very nearby. I think we were all […]
As I wandered through the village of Mendocino earlier this month I found quite a few sculptures on the grounds outside the Mendocino Art Center, but others can be found randomly around town. One of the most prominent is the former Masonic Temple, built between 1866 and 1872. Its builder, Erik Albertson, topped it off with a sculpture that is […]
During our recent stay in Mendocino, I actually walked into town twice from our rental house on the east side of Highway 1. Of course there’s loads of amazing ocean views to take in along the Mendocino Headlands; but if you stroll along any of the village streets you’ll soon find all sorts of quirky touches and beautiful historic structures. […]
Even as winter hangs on for dear life, there are already tons of flowers blooming everywhere in the village of Mendocino. I didn’t have much time to explore, but I did shoot a few blooms on two separate days. The first day was overcast and rainy; the second day was mostly sunny and bright. I can’t help admiring the local […]
I just keep finding more and more photos from our stay at The Sea Ranch in Sonoma County back in September 2022. I thought this would be the final set, but there are still quite a few more images for me to go through. Every one of them brings back great memories, and I hope you enjoy them as much […]
The dirt trail running parallel to Hinkle Creek is roughly a half mile in length, passing through oak woodland inhabited by a variety of wildlife. The murmur of the creek is never far away even though much of its banks are crowded with prickly blackberry bushes. The location is not exactly isolated; visible just up the steep hill to the […]