Ten Days at the Trailer

For the 10 days since September 6th, I have been staying ("camping?") in our trailer near Sacramento, California. Fortunately, Mellissa was able to stay with me for seven of those days. We had a great time, relaxing, reading, taking pictures, and hiking around the lake and to the Cosumnes River. No one wanted the nearby forest fires, but because of them, sunrises and sunsets were spectacular.




Every morning, I awoke and went outside to watch the sunrise which was different every time. (Click on the photo to enlarge and then the back button.)







Pop out the trailer's "slide-out", hook up the water and electric, and you are good to go. You regular readers have seen this all before, but hey, I'm here for 10 days and need to shoot something.



...oh yeah, don't forget to prop up the awning....






Mellissa sets up the inside while I work on the outside.







All the comforts of home... In 30 years of working, I never took more than one week of vacation at a time, so it was wonderful to be able to stay out for such a long time.










OK for the first time, I can load video on this site and have a lame vid of the trailer here. Let me know if you are able to view this 34 second masterpiece. This will give you yet another view of inside the trailer and a shot of the lake. There is an extra bonus in it for those of you who, like me, love listening to hillbilly gospel. C'mon, that's everyone, right?

After a day or two in the trailer, I woke up early and decided to take a hike out to the Cosumnes River. Early morning is the best time at the lake. Quiet and beautiful, and no one is around.







I wander around the lake and head west. It's mid-week and early morning, so no people are out yet and the lake is calm. Perfect reflection huh?





(Photo buffs: white balance set to Tungsten lighting for this "blue effect.)

It was great to be out hiking again and to look for wildflowers. And, I always get a kick out of the reflections on the lake.







Even though it is so late in the year, I was pleased to find several wildflowers, like this cool sunflower.







...and his friends....







Unfortunately, the Cosumnes River was dried up this late in the year. It was really bone dry in parts, so I continued my walk and looked for photo ops like this one.







I hiked for a while up-river, but saw nothing and walking along a dried riverbed wasn't too interesting. I remember when this section was a swift flowing S-curve of a river just a few months ago. (Actually, I would have gone much farther, but the truth is that my Crocks were filling up with sand and I could barely walk.)

Check this out: here's a pic of the exact same spot in May of this year....




I did find these bi-valve mollusks, uh...freshwater clams in the riverbed. OK, any way you cut it, dead bi-valves are dead-ass boring, but I liked finding them.





The next morning brought another great sunrise even though the fires in Plumas County had been contained.

Probably the most common question we get regarding our trailer time is, "what do you guys do there?" In addition to the aforementioned reading, relaxing, hiking, and taking pictures, is good ol' cooking.

I should add searching for, and collecting fruits, vegies, and nuts has become a crowd favotite.We found zucchini, peppers, and two kinds of tomatoes in the free peace garden grown in the park. We also found ripe, sweet figs and a walnut tree. Our friends Bob and Roger gave us a fun recipe for white bean and ham soup in an 8-hour crock pot. We added the squash to the soup and used the rest for....

...GRILLING!

Mellissa taught me about figs and I am hooked. I am surprised that I like something that looks kinda weird and has a funny texture. If you have never had a fresh fig, give it a try; they're wonderful.

Other meals, snacks and desserts included these beauties~ Looks good, huh?

OK, what else is there to do? Well, there is fly fishing from an inner tube....

...and boating....

...bicycling around the area is very popular.

You can sit and watch Lou pull out the trailers from the storage area to a coveted lakeview spot.

Of course, kayaking works pretty well here~

Putting soapy water in a bucket, running your flexible wand through it, and waving it through the air is lots of fun too. The kids call it "blowing bubbles."

You can watch the sunrise, guaranteed to come up once a day .

Lately though, we like talking to the big green turtle. Cool huh? This huge turtle was built by some guy who took it to Burning Man where it was immensely popular. At night, all the yellow markings you see on the turtle are lit up by neon lights.

You hop in and turn the pedals and away you go. A front tire under the neck helps to steer. It's just amazing.

Or, you can just walk around and enjoy the beauty. Thanks for visiting the site and hope you like the pics. Until the next posting....

Sunrise at the Trailer

No great story here, but Mellissa and I went to our lakefront vacation home for the weekend. OK, it's a trailer near a pond, but to us, it's paradise. Each morning, I look out the front window and decide if the sunrise is worth me getting my fat a$$ out of a warm bed to photo it. This is what I saw.

Incredible, huh? Usually, we are just hanging out, enjoying the lake in our little trailer and reading.

I thought this was spectacular. Be sure to click on this photo to open it full size. Every minute, the light would change and add or subtract color. After about five minutes, the clouds left and it was just morning.

See? No big story; just wanted to share a couple of cool sunrise shots.

Why I like going to our trailer so much....

There are many reasons why I like to go to our trailer so much. (Yes, I am saving the obvious and best one for last.) Some of our friends have asked what draws us there so often. Upon returning from this last weekend's trip, I gave it some thought so that I could share it here.

For starters, I love the mornings there. The sun comes up right in the big window and always provides a great view. And, just when you think you've seen it enough, it changes, like this: bringing in a thick fog right at sunrise. It is so quiet in the mornings (since all the party-people are sleeping it off from the night before.) The only sound you hear is the birds and me clicking away.
Speaking of wildlife (the other kind), I always find something new that is interesting. I've learned that if I just pay attention (usually on hikes), I will see something good.

For me, it's the birds that are almost always amazing there. Being so close to the Cosumnes River, you get a lot of wildlife hanging around.












...and of course, the vultures as usual. I have so many shots of circling vultures, I decided that I will only shoot them if they are in a different position.




Also, I like the "photography challenge." That is, I like trying to get the best shot possible and especially the difficult ones. It's fun to experiment with the light and ultimately share the results. This little guy -- a thrush, I think -- was hard to get in the right light and then to crop and expand to be able to see him. Click on the pic as usual.
When walking around, especially in the early mornings, you never know what you'll see by just turning the corner. Check this out: Typical trail just winding around ..... I am always looking for snakes trying to warm their blood by laying in the sun, especially rattlers. In general, you don't want to surprise wildlife; it tends to make them flee, fight, or bite, the last two I do not want to encounter.

It's funny (funny, meaning "interesting", not funny meaning "funny") how much can bite you outside of the safe walls of your home. One time, I was just standing quietly on a trail enjoying the scenery, when I felt something on my leg. Looking down, I see (and feel) 4,948,510,395,385,284 ants!! I quickly realized that I was standing on an ant hill. Had they been fire ants, I would have been in real trouble.

OK, so I wind around the trail here, and see the cool egrets. These common birds are, well..common, but always fascinate me.







http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egret
Other than the wildlife, the other thing that I love is wildflowers! Like almost all outdoor places, especially in the spring, the Sacramento area is filled with beautiful wildflowers. Here, the poppies, which have not fully opened as yet in the morning, sit with the common vetch flowers.


In walking around, there seems to be a real simplicity about the place. What you see is what you get (wysiwyg, pronounced "wizy-wig") And, it's not complicated; don't step on the bees when walking through the Owl's Clover, don't grab the shiny (poison) oak branch, but do enjoy the subtle spring colors.
OK, what else do I like about the joint? Make no mistake, we eat well. Crock-pot chicken, mushrooms, broccoli, tomatoes, onions, and carrots will stick to the ol' ribs.


Now, we just need something light to wash it all down....



And, of course, no day is complete without a good start. Is there a better way to start than with a broccoli, cheese, mushroom, tomato, and red pepper omelet? Little English muffin on the side? Strong black coffee?



Among the many good things about going to the trailer, is it's proximity to the Lodi wine-growing region. We have been tasting at these wineries for years and have joined several of the wine clubs. While a member of only one currently, we sometimes"partake of the grape" on our way home on Sunday afternoons. The Lodi wine area is a rapidly growing region trying to compete with the better-known Napa and Sonoma regions, and their pricing reflects that.

That leaves the sheer beauty of the place as another reason we love to go back there. Every time, every season, it amazes us.









OK, and the number ONE reason I love going to the trailer:











I get to read the paper! No, just kidding....I get to watch TV! OK, kidding again...I get to spend 3-4 days with the most wonderful person in the world, Mellissa. I love to see her relax, sleep, read, and unwind. So, after 38 trips in the trailer, I guess we still enjoy it.

Our Big Weekend

First off, thank you for the positive comments on the blog. It's fun to do and seems like a good way to keep those who are interested up-to-date on what we've been doing.

This weekend was action- packed for Lisa and me. We started early Friday morning with a trip to SF to pick up our visas for China, and visit with Glen. While Lisa was in the visa office, I was left to guard the car which was packed with camera gear, clothes, birthday presents, and items for the trailer.

Feeling brave, I parked near St. Mary's Cathedral. Having passed it many times, I have never seen the inside, so I decided to check it out. I had the car in sight most of the time and I figured that no one would break in so close to such an important church. God would surely strike down any ne'er-do-well who committed a crime so close to his house.

Everything about St. Mary's is huge. The building itself, the front door, and even the door handle. Once inside, a helpful guard explained the history, purpose, and construction of this grand building. I learned that it seats 2,400 people and can accommodate another 1,600 for the big events like Christmas, Easter, and funerals. Lisa returned with our visas and off we went to see Glen.

After our visit, we drive for a couple of hours to our beloved trailer for a little R & R. Hanging out, reading, sleeping, watching movies, cooking, and surfing the Internet are favorite activities. Spending Friday night here, we made pasta and ate M&M's. Very healthy.

A new 10-22 super wide angle lens helps to cram a lot of stuff in the picture. Lenses this wide give a funny distortion to the image that I really like.

On Saturday morning, I decide to take a hike to the Cosumnes River. It is located about a mile from the trailer on a trail that follows the lake.

On the way to the river, I see a tree full of egrets. Having only wide lenses with me, this was the best I could get. I was glad Lisa got to sleep in a bit while I worked my way to the river.

I finally make it to the river and see this old and very heavy chair that I figure I can use as a tripod. I drag it 50 yards to this spot to get the same shot thousands of others have gotten for years.

The Cosumnes River is 80 miles long and has a real claim to fame: The Cosumnes is the last remaining undammed river on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada. It's a great river hosting tens of thousands of migratory birds during the winter. Over 200 different species have been identified along the Cosumnes. This, and other gripping facts can be found at http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/california/preserves/art6318.html

We leave Elk Grove and the trailer and drive 2 1/2 hours north to the little town of Magalia to visit our friend Lauren. She lives on a golf course and has a great deck out back that overlooks it. Lauren was kind enough to let us bunk down for the night, and in exchange for a bottle of wine, she gave us dinner and then breakfast on Sunday morning. Perfect.

Sunday morning, we leave Magalia for the 30-minute drive to Chico to see Dan and Judy's new puppy, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

OK, this dog is all kinds of CUTE. And he is all puppy. Named Tobias, he is called Toby, a perfect name for this little guy.

Is this a face or what?

After visiting with Dan, Judy, Rebecca, and Toby, we head for Maya's 2nd birthday party.

Maya was pretty happy on her special day. Many of her friends and family were there to wish her well and give presents. No wonder she's smiling. We had fun hanging with everyone, eating pizza, and watching the cute kids.

OK, here's the trick to blowing out the candles at your birthday party: First off, be two years old so you only have a couple of candles to deal with. Secondly, CONCENTRATE.

Now, when you're ready, stand onto the bench and blow, to the amazement of your friends.

After the party ended, Rap Master Cool J showed up and shockingly, did a 4-hours drum solo while the dwindling crowd booed and threw cabbage.

Except for the annoying drum solo by Cool J, it was a great weekend.