Wild waters

At this fairly isolated spot just across the river from the fish hatchery, a small island blocks the view of the main stream of the American River. Still, I thought the current looked pretty boisterous when I visited Sailor Bar two weeks ago — but on today’s visit I found the rocky shore where I stood that day is now […]

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Lake County ranch

Staying in a small house near Middletown (south of Clear Lake), we knew to expect cats roaming the property. Now, I’m not sure anyone informed the cats we would be arriving; but luckily our furry landlords allowed us to stay, as long as we kept to ourselves and didn’t make too much noise.

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Two creeks, one lake

On my way home from Clear Lake in March of this year I paused alongside Highway 128 to shoot a few photos of the lower part of Putah Creek, where it exits Lake Berryessa (I published more images of Putah Creek in April, seen here). The landscape on both banks was lush and green, making it a tempting spot to […]

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Schoolhouse Cove

I’ve visited Lake Berryessa several times in my life, but there are still many facets of this large man-made reservoir I’ve never seen. One of them was the northeastern shoreline which I visited yesterday with the Big Guy. He’s been in this area by boat but had never seen the shoreline either. We discovered a few very beautiful places, one […]

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Tackle box

I’ve forgotten how and when I became the proud owner of this vintage aluminum tackle box — complete with a previous owner’s fishing license and a decal from the State of Oregon. I’m sure I had some idea of cleaning it up and using it to store some of my own doodads. But instead it’s been just sitting around my […]

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Lost cars

Why — and how — do random cars always seem to end up in the bottom of an otherwise attractive ravine? The sight of this abandoned wreck of a pickup truck in Roseville a couple of weeks ago instantly brought back to mind a similar eyesore that rested in Orangevale’s Snipes Ravine for many years (although I suspect it may […]

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Temple of Kwan Tai, Mendocino

It was easy enough for me to find this brightly painted (and lovingly cared for) historic site along Albion Street in the village of Mendocino. According to The Hiker’s Hip Pocket Guide to the Mendocino Coast by Bob Lorentzen, the first Chinese arrived in this area when their boat, headed for the gold rush, was shipwrecked on the Mendocino coast. […]

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On the Dorn Nature Trail

One day during our stay in Nice last month, the Big Guy suggested that I drive around to the opposite side of Clear Lake and explore the trails at Clear Lake State Park. I’d been to the state park a few times in the past but only to launch the boat and go fishing. He was convinced that I’d find […]

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