Natural colors
Even when you plan a photography outing with specific goals in mind, it’s always the little surprises that make the trip especially memorable.
Ghosts of industry
The Empire Mine State Historic Park in Grass Valley, once the richest gold mining site in California (1850-1956), is also home to some very cool hiking trails. They provide a nice escape from some of the Valley heat, and along the way you may stumble across the remains of a number of smaller mines, some of which, like the Orleans […]
Magical filter
I’m embarassed to admit that I am a very lazy photographer. I’ve accumulated some pretty decent equipment, and over the past two years I’ve had plenty of time to study the basics of photography and to improve my skills. Instead, I mostly wander around and shoot whatever catches my eye — without bothering to get a serious grasp on using […]
On the way home
A couple of days ago, I described the dramatic weather changes we experienced on our recent trip to Clear Lake. As always, the time seemed to fly by, and much too soon we were packing up to head home. I had arrived at the lake separately from the Big Guy; he rode along with a buddy who was towing our […]
Big lake
Even though our recent trip to Clear Lake was only three days long, we experienced so many different kinds of weather it made for a very memorable time. The day we arrived was windy, with dark clouds threatening — not exactly ideal for a fishing trip. It rained off and on all night, and we woke to yet more black […]
Wooly Mullein
Common mullein, also known as wooly mullein, is a common sight throughout the Folsom Lake State Recreation area. It’s an invasive weed that originally came from Europe, North Africa, and Asia. They tend to like open areas where the ground has been disturbed, and seeds can germinate even after many years of lying dormant — in fact, reading through my […]
Lake County living
We just returned home after spending the last few days at Clear Lake, California’s largest freshwater lake. There are so many beautiful hiking trails in the area, most of which I’ve never visited yet; I also enjoy revisiting favorite spots like Anderson Marsh State Historic Park at the south end of the lake and Rodman Slough, at the north end. […]
End of the road
There’s a pretty nice entrance into Folsom Lake State Recreation Area at the eastern end of Horseshoe Bar Road (Placer County) — but only if you’re on foot. There’s no parking allowed along the road’s shoulder and no lot for cars. That’s why I had never actually seen this area until the day I hiked the two or so miles […]
Fresh air
After getting the grocery shopping done this morning, we decided to reward ourselves with a trip out to Granite Bay at Folsom Lake.