Two big birds

Turkey vultures aren’t the most attractive birds, but they do play an important role in the environment by cleaning up recently dead carrion. And there is something fairly dignified in the way they survey the landscape from above. I’m never sure, whenever I see Canada geese gathered alongside the bike trail, whether they’ll stand there calmly and let me pass […]

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Early mornings are for the birds

One of the best things about getting out for my hike by 6 AM is that I see and hear more birds. Like the mockingbird above — he was so busy singing his heart out he didn’t notice me at first. He looked a bit surprised, then decided it was time to move his concert elsewhere. I still haven’t decided […]

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Down a quiet trail

I celebrated July 4th by taking a hike along one of my favorite Lake Natoma trails. There are quite a few spots with overgrown weeds and berry bushes as well as poison oak; I had to negotiate fallen trees and trail damage from last winter’s storms. I rarely meet anyone else on the trail, and this morning I had it […]

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Memory Monday, Week 33

Back before The Big Guy was able to afford a fishing boat, we did an awful lot of fishing from the shore. There was frequently a fair bit of hiking to get to the water from wherever we’d left the car, and then of course we had to hunt around for the “right” spot to find the fish. Our dogs were […]

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