A peaceful oasis
The summer season at Berryessa officially opens on May 5, but during our visit nearly two weeks after that date we had no trouble finding escape to the sights and sounds of nature that we were craving.
A walk to remember
On shore fishing trips, I normally don’t get to stop and check out places like this visitor center at Lake Berryessa. We’ve passed by this sign quite a number of times without even slowing; but on this occasion, we were looking for a quiet and shady spot to eat lunch. We found what we were looking for here, and even […]
May I always remember
Today I’m digging down deep into my archives, looking back at some of my favorite May images from between 2015 and 2020. When I examine my huge collection of photographs, it’s amazing to me how far I’ve come in just the past ten years. Even now, I’m far from an expert photographer, but my equipment has certainly improved, and I’d […]
A unique dining capital
I’ve shared a variety of sights around Roanoke, Texas, quite a few times over the years — most recently in June 2024 when I took a walk through the historic downtown. I wouldn’t say I’ve gotten to know everything about this small town in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, but certain parts of it have become familiar. And while I’m no […]
Along the boardwalk
On my most recent visit to Anderson Marsh State Historic Park on Clear Lake, I had the boardwalk almost entirely to myself. The morning was already warming up, but a small group of state park workers had clearly been working for hours under a tent beside the trail leading out toward Cache Creek. At first I wasn’t sure what they […]
Smittle Creek Trailhead
If you look at a map of Lake Berryessa, you’ll find Smittle Creek just off the Berryessa Knoxville Road, tucked into the western shore and hiding behind a couple of islands (called Small Island and Big Island). The last time I explored along this trail was back in January 2019; since then, the Spanish Fire scorched vast areas on this […]
State park gold
Golden poppies and beautiful vistas at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park at the south end of Clear Lake. This is one of my favorite spots to visit in the springtime. I only wish I lived closer so I could take part in some of the park’s guided nature walks and tours of the Ranch House.
Still living, still learning
I don’t like to make excuses for my photographic failures — most of the time I understand that the fault lies with me. But sometimes no matter how hard you try, it just doesn’t happen. Take for example the red larkspur I found near the Joe Riley Day Use Area on Lake Mendocino’s southwest shore. I was the only person […]
What’s up, Duck?
When I was sharing my favorite images of waterfowl a couple of days ago, I somehow managed to overlook this handsome male mallard I recently spotted in Nice (Lake County). As I was leaving our rooms at 8:30 to make a run to the nearby supermarket, there he was standing on one foot atop what I could only assume was […]