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.
It's 93 degrees and time to hike Pleasanton Ridge. This hike follows a fire road through the foothills and provides great views of the east bay. Click on the pics to get a large view, especially of the scenic shots. At the trailhead, Yanni and I decide to strike our best dork pose.
I am glad that we hiked the ridge, but it is a dry and exposed trail. It climbs over 1,000 feet up and then gradually descends as you make your way back.
There are not many wildflowers on the trail since it is so dry, but we did find this beautiful Mariposa Lily, which I mistakenly identified as a Johnny-Jump-Up. While I do not "make this s%#@ up" as Yanni claims, this is the second time that I have mis-identified a wildflower .
The trails are well marked and it is impossible to get lost. Well, almost impossible. "Let's see, here's the Nevada border, if we head back west......"
So, we're hiking along, and Gary, a friend and neighbor, sees two vultures sitting on a fence. For some reason, they are not flying away, so Gary inches closer.....
...and gets this shot.
And at the last moment, the vultures flies away. These ubiquitous birds are pretty amazing: They feed primarily on a wide variety of carrion, from small mammals to large grazers, preferring those recently dead, but may also feed on plant matter, shoreline vegetation, pumpkin and other crops, live insects and other invertebrates . They prefer the meat of herbivorous animals to that of dogs and other carnivores. Turkey Vultures can often be seen along roadsides cleaning up roadkill, or near rivers feasting on washed-up fish, another of their favorite foods. They really have some interesting stuff going on. Get this: their main form of defense, other than just flying away, is to vomit when attacked. The smell from the undigested food deters most predators. To cool off, they will defecate on their own legs. As the liquid evaporates, it cools, similar to the reason that we humans sweat when hot. And, as mean/ugly as these guys are, they are gentle and timid birds. (I know it sounds like I just make this S%$# up, but its what I read on the Internet, I have a lot of free time.) I can go on about the turkey vultures, but back to the hike.
After a while, we take a break for lunch and more importantly, some shade! (For you camera buffs, here's a shot that makes a light meter go crazy.)
Here's one of the views we get looking southeast:
...and looking east towards Mt. Diablo:
...and another eastward view to the golf course:
Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout, $2.00, Corona, $1.50, Sam Adams, $1.25, hangin' with your buds drinking beer on a hot day after hiking six miles, priceless.
