Here are some more images from my October 2023 hike along the Ecological Staircase trail in Mendocino County near Fort Bragg. The trail starts at Jug Handle State Reserve parking lot and ends at the Pygmy Forest. The path leads through a former homestead site and land formerly owned by a timber company which was last logged in 1961.
From big horizons to tiny colorful blooms along Interstate 40 in central Arizona, June 2023.
For the last few months of his life in 1993, our Zack (also called Zeno) was an only dog. He had a tough time getting used to the loss of Phoebe, the pitbull who was like a mother to him. Despite his lifelong health problems, we always took Zack on outdoor adventures, and he would follow the Big Guy everywhere, […]
I’ve always loved to hear the call of the Red-winged Blackbird, described in the National Audobon Society Master Guide to Birding as conk-ka-ree or ok-a-lee (no “Okily-dokily!” Ned Flanders jokes, please!). I went for years without enjoying the sight and sound of these handsome birds, partly because of local habitat loss and partly because I wasn’t spending time in the […]
I’ve discovered that the small town of Point Arena in Mendocino County is a great place to spend a few days — or even longer — no matter what time of year. The last time we were there was in December; the weather was a bit unpredictable, and I didn’t get out and go hiking as much as I normally […]
Whenever I think of Seal Beach the first thing that comes to mind is Leisure World, the huge retirement community based in this Southern California coastal town. That’s because I still recall a few visits my family had with a lovely older couple who lived there when I was quite young. I have at least one photo of Grandma Pat, […]
This week I have a handful of slide images from December 1981 that I’ve hesitated to share for awhile. Although I was present for at least some of them, my memories are very vague, and I wish I could remember more details. I actually kept a small journal but it provides only sparse information. My family was spending Christmas and […]
Images from our hike along Oregon Bar on the North Fork American River (Auburn), in November 2023.
I’ve stopped at the small Moat Creek parking area a number of times now, always to follow the short path to the shore. The site is just a bit south of the town of Point Arena, and the beach is popular with surfers (high tide) and with tide pool explorers (low tide). On this visit, I decided to check out […]