Scenic Sunday
Flowery guest stars
My camera finds spring wildflowers almost irresistible; and it’s always a delightful surprise for me to notice small insects going about their business among the petals. A lot of the time I don’t even realize the bugs are there until I’m going through the images on my computer at home. Most of these photos are flowers seen recently at Lake […]
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 […]
Scenic Sunday
Western waterfowl
There are so many different types of waterfowl to be seen around the Sacramento area and in various places up and down the valley. I still hope to make it up to the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge to see Snow geese in the winter, and I keep meaning to spend some quality time in the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area. In […]
A day at the lake
We spent a day exploring portions of the western shoreline of Lake Berryessa on a breezy day in May. The water level is still very high, and some public areas are still closed. But there are always beautiful views and the peaceful sounds of the California oak woodlands in spring.