On our recent trip over to the Mendocino coast, I had other things on my mind besides looking out for birds; but I was lucky enough to encounter a few, some of them quite literally at my front door. Although I frequently heard some of the hawks that I saw on our previous trip, I never got near enough to […]
This was the one place I had never intended to explore. It frankly gave me the creeps every time I walked past it on my way to Manchester Beach, and while I wished I could learn more about the history of the place, I was content to let it rest in peace. But I did find the courage to peek […]
I always feel mixed emotions whenever I try to photograph red flowers. Discovering deep carmine red blooms always fills me with joy; but I perpetually fail to duplicate their true beauty and intensity with my camera. My frustration continues when I sit down to edit the images. Usually I wind up with something more pink than what I believe is […]
It’s been nearly a year since I last visited Secret Ravine, tucked into one of the few remaining green spaces between Roseville and Rocklin. I’m never sure how much longer this tiny haven is going to remain, surrounded as it is by housing developments and major roadways, including Interstate 80. I had actually forgotten about this bunch of pictures which […]
In my next post in this short series I’ll be focusing on the farmhouse located in the same general area near Manchester Beach; but for today I have more shots from both of the empty houses sitting perched on the bluff above the 5-mile-long beach, near Alder Creek. I can only try to imagine the luxury and comfort that once […]
We have a number of options when it comes to driving home from the Mendocino coast, and all of them are at least somewhat winding and scenic. We’ve traveled State Route 20 from Fort Bragg east to I-5 in Colusa County; Highway 128 along the Navarro River to Cloverdale on U.S. 101; and of course the more indirect route, down […]
Since I’ve now visited the area near Manchester Beach State Park a couple of times, I finally decided to do a bit of digging for more information. In doing so, I learned that the region to the west of Highway 1 and north of the park entrance on Kinney Road is called Lake Davis Wetlands and Coastal Dunes Natural Preserve. […]
I didn’t expect to find flowers along the Mendocino coast in early February. But despite the rain and chilly weather, I actually encountered a few hardy blooms, both wild and domestic, growing in the areas between Manchester and Fort Bragg. I’m sure that with all the rain Northern California is getting at the moment, there will a lot more colors […]