Some gorgeous redhead
This cute little female common merganser was enjoying the still waters of Lake Natoma this morning. I love the mohawk, but I’m sure it looks better on her than it would on me!
Down a quiet trail
I celebrated July 4th by taking a hike along one of my favorite Lake Natoma trails. There are quite a few spots with overgrown weeds and berry bushes as well as poison oak; I had to negotiate fallen trees and trail damage from last winter’s storms. I rarely meet anyone else on the trail, and this morning I had it […]
Memory Monday, Week 33
Back before The Big Guy was able to afford a fishing boat, we did an awful lot of fishing from the shore. There was frequently a fair bit of hiking to get to the water from wherever we’d left the car, and then of course we had to hunt around for the “right” spot to find the fish. Our dogs were […]
Looking berry good
Blackberry season is coming! Quite a few of the berries I see on morning hikes have already turned dark, but they’re not quite sweet enough just yet. I’ve learned to very gently wiggle them to see if they easily detach from the plant; if not, I leave them alone to continue ripening. Even when far from ripe the colors of […]
Young eagles
The mother eagle teaches her little ones to fly by making their nest so uncomfortable that they are forced to leave it and commit themselves to the unknown world of air outside. – Hannah Whitehall Smith I heard these juvenile bald eagles before I saw them on my hike this morning. All the warning signs along the top of the bluff […]
American summer
Next Tuesday will be the Fourth of July — summer undeniably is upon us. Years ago, The Big Guy and I used to walk or bike down to the shore of Lake Natoma after dark every July 4th to watch the grand finale fireworks display above the Folsom Rodeo. For some reason, lately it’s become too much trouble to stay up […]
Leave only footprints
I swear I’m going to start bringing along a garbage bag and a trash grabber on my morning hikes! I just can’t comprehend why people come to enjoy nature — and then leave it spoiled by their refuse. But I see this every day, no matter where I’m hiking. I shot all these objects just as I found them, without […]
Snipes-Pershing Ravine
About 18 years ago, the State of California acquired the roughly 45 acres of land known as Snipes-Pershing Ravine. Several groups and individuals, including the Sacramento Valley Open Space Conservancy, had been pushing for a long time for preservation of the area. It’s surrounded on three sides by suburban housing, with Lake Natoma to the east. It’s a great place […]
I’m just standing here, reflecting
It’s always a treat to spot a Great Blue Heron, and even better to get a decent picture. I spotted this one just upstream from the Lake Natoma Crossing in July 2014. According to my Peterson Field Guide to Birds, at 4 feet tall these graceful waders are the second largest long-legged bird in the West (after the Sandhill Crane).