The lupine superbloom at Folsom Lake is currently drawing hordes of photographers and other folks from all over Northern California, causing massive traffic jams and parking problems in an area of the lake that’s normally very quiet. But what many people overlook (thankfully, I guess) is that, even in the middle of winter, there’s always plenty of beauty to be […]
I explored the Oaks Nature Trail at Folsom Lake’s Peninsula Campground once before, last summer; even though this path is a bit more “civilized” than the dirt horse trails I usually like to wander, I still enjoyed myself a lot. And this time out was even better. Everything was much more green than during my summertime visit. I had a […]
A breezy day at a quiet spot on Folsom Lake. When I was able to tear myself away from admiring the flowers, I actually noticed a few birds too.
The California fan palm (Washingtonia filifera) was especially popular with developers and landscapers in my area during the 1950s and 1960s, and they can still be spotted thriving in some unexpected places even now. Not too surprising, since they typically live from 80 to 250 years, or even longer. It was hard to miss this lone pair growing along the […]
I can’t count the number of times over the years I passed through the city of Auburn on Interstate 80 and noticed the old courthouse and the statue of the miner. Each time I promised myself, “One of these days I’m going to stop and check this out.” Well, that day finally arrived — and even though I only paused […]
The waters of Folsom Lake may be at historically low levels this spring, but right now the shoreline that would normally be underwater is covered in something something even more beautiful. We found these purple lupine blanketing the ground at Rattlesnake Bar State Park on the north fork, but it seems to be blooming in profusion elsewhere on the lake […]
I didn’t see a great variety of vernal pool flowers when I visited Phoenix Park last Tuesday, but the aptly named Goldfields are blanketing the depressions, accentuated by a few pale pink Checkermallow. I also noticed (but didn’t photograph) quite a lot of yellow Fiddleneck and Butter ‘n eggs, and the small invasive pink-purple Filaree are literally everywhere. My personal […]
I’ve seen so many turkeys strolling around this part of town for such a long time that these days I normally don’t bother photographing them anymore. But when a flock comes wandering down my street and stops right in front of my house, I can’t resist. Even though these big birds are now an all-too-common sight, it’s still a great […]
The disappointment of seeing ever-lower water levels at Folsom Lake on each successive visit is only just counterbalanced by the abundant wildflowers and the fact that, so far at least, everything looks very green and fresh. Now is the best time to get out hiking, before everything dries up and the temperatures start climbing beyond the magical springtime range into […]