A Few Hours of Pure Bliss

 

After having purchased fresh vegetables at the farmers market yesterday morning, I decided to stop at the lake on my way back and go for a quick walk. Since this was a spontaneous decision I didn't have my big camera with me, neither my binoculars. I would miss both...

I had planned a really quick walk around the lake, but of course (and I should know this by now) I never made it around it. I stopped every few meters because I saw or heard something exciting and instead of walking around the lake, I went to my favorite places in its vicinity.

The lake never disappoints.

First I visited my favorite tree.

Look who was standing right next to the trail! I just waited and watched, but soon some dogwalkers came by and the Great Egret (Ardea alba) took off. 

I always like the lichen on the tree branches, either on the trees themselves or on twigs and branches lying on the ground. This is oak moss (Evernia prunastri).

The following, however, is not Spanish moss as it is widely believed, but Lace lichen (Ramalina menziessi). It is a combination of fungi and algae - and it is the state lichen of California (the first state to adopt a lichen as a state symbol).

Then there is lichen on rocks - Entodon seductrix (left) and Xanthoparmelia (right), at least that is what I found out.

I find them all fascinating. Here you have oak moss and lace lichen on the beautiful bark of a manzanita.

The manzanitas are already flowering.

So are the Milkmaids (Cardamine californica), one of the first wildflowers to flower, usually in January. Right on time.

Leftover thistle from last year - isn't it stunning?

There were also leftover grasses from last year while the California bay (Umbellularia californica) already showed the first tiny flowers.

While standing above the lake (top photo) I had already noticed a rather large bird on top of a tree, but since I didn't have my binoculars with me, I couldn't identify it at first. I tried to get a bit closer with mixed results because it took off before I could confirm that it was an Osprey (Pandion haliaetus). But then I saw it again in a tree and it was dining on a fish it had just caught. The pictures are very poor, but I had to include them.

I was so excited - can you see that?

This is for Nicole's Friday Face Off.

There were so many birds, the loudest of them being Acorn woodpeckers (Melanerpes formicivorus). They are a noisy bunch! They're also beautiful (like all birds, really) and incredibly entertaining. I could hear and see them everywhere in the lake area, but they especially loved this part.

They love to hang out in the old and dead trees. You have to look hard to see one of them at the top of the tree.

There are a lot of dead trees in this part and I'm glad that they don't get rid of all of them. The woodpeckers use them as their pantry.

There are fungi growing on those dead trees - I think this might be tiny Turkey tails (Trametes versicolor). I'm still a complete newbie when it comes to fungi, lichen and moss.

The trees are so majestic even when they're not quite "fresh" anymore.

Now I was turning onto one of my very favorite trails, in the company of more crooked trees.

It goes up a slope and on top of the slope is a wide "room" with old trees, manzanitas, rocks and low growing native plants.

This is my favorite area near the lake where I often sit on one of the rocks, watching or journaling or sometimes even meditating. Often I see deer up here. This is almost sacred to me, without wanting to romanticize it. I can't really put into words what I'm feeling about this place. The only time I'm not here is during the summer months (May-October) because it's too hot and I respect the rattlesnakes who like to hang out on the rocks. This is not a beautiful place in the conventional sense - it is rough and barren, and exactly what I love.

Look at this dead tree that is standing up here.

I love this tree - and I'm not the only one. Look closer - it has been the home for birds (I suspect woodpeckers). I love how dead trees are still hospitable to those who need a place to raise their young.

This was such a beautiful morning! I'm so glad that I decided to come here and spend a few hours of pure bliss. Nature is so wonderful.

On the way back to the parking lot I noticed that the fence was covered with lichen as well. Don't you just love it?

Change of Plan

 

When we first talked about our trip to Germany - sometime back in late spring or early summer 2024 - we had planned to go to Scandinavia, especially the West coast of Norway, in order to see the aurora borealis. It was a good year for seeing the Northern lights, even as far south as here in Northern California. The closer we got to our departure date, however, the more we got into the "unplanning" phase and said that we would play it by ear when we're there - depending on the weather in Norway.

We were very lucky to see the aurora borealis during our flight, somewhere over Canada (photo on top). During the summer, Kaefer had seen the Northern lights from the German island of Juist. So when we looked at the weather forecast for Norway for the following two weeks after our arrival, we quickly decided that the Norwegian West coast is most probably not a very good destination in the middle of fall - there was nothing but rain in the forecast and zero chance to see the fantastic spectacle in the sky that we had hoped for.

So we changed our plan. Instead of to the North, we turned to the South, the Southwest to be precise. The beautiful country of France. In one of my brighter moments, I had not only learned Norwegian before we left for Germany, but had also refreshed my French which now, of course, came in quite handy.

Aachen in the very west of Germany - the cradle of Europe - was our first destination followed by an overnight stay in Charleroi, Belgium. Then we travelled to Étretat in  Normandie (Normandy).

Falaise d'Aval seen from Falaise d'Amont

In 1980 my then-boyfriend and I did a tour through Normandie by bicycle. One of our destinations was Étretat because I had seen pictures of the cliffs and we thought it would be nice to see them "for real". At that time, Étretat was already a tourist destination and somehow it felt depressing to us, so that we left after only one day. Now, 44 years later, I was curious whether I would still feel the same. 

I pretty much did. Étretat is still a tourist destination but even worse, and I still thought it quite depressing. The view of the famous cliffs, however, is still amazing. Thankfully, nature lets us seldom down.

None of us was too excited about Étretat, so we left after a couple hikes up the cliffs. We ended up in Honfleur, a charming old town on the estuary where the river Seine meets the English Channel. 

In 1978 or 1979 my Parisian friend Evelyne and I spent a day in Honfleur during one of my annual Easter visits to her family in Paris. I liked this beautiful little town back then and I did this time as well. It seemingly hasn't changed very much over the past 4 decades - there are the same old buildings, the port, the street cafés on the quay, the small restaurants and a more relaxed atmosphere. 

The port seems to be the heart of the town.

From here we explored the town with its ancient buildings and very narrow streets and alleys.

In one of those narrow streets was the little appartment we had for the night. It was quite an adventure to drive those cobblestone streets and around the narrow corners. The appartment itself was small but lovely, and felt like a jungle.

It was in close walking distance to the centre ville (downtown), so perfect for us. After we explored the town we were tired and hungry. However, the French eat rather late and the restaurant we wanted to visit didn't open before 7:00. So we were hanging out near the old-fashioned merry-go-round, watching the little kids and the changing colors in the sky.

But the wait was worth it. L'Absinthe is a beautiful old restaurant and the food was delicious.

We had a three-course meal - I forgot what my appetizer was, but my main dish was salmon with cider butter and vegetables and as dessert I had créme brûlée. French cooking is just wonderful.

I didn't take a picture of the bottle of white wine that we shared between the three of us, but I need a drink for Bleubeard and Elizabeth's T Tuesday. Here's some rosé sparkling wine that we had last Thursday for my birthday - cheers!

A Good Neighbor

 

There is a beautiful big pasture in our neighborhood. I wrote about it here in 2016 when it was for sale and we all were worried that new development would destroy this precious little corner. 

Thankfully someone in the neighborhood stepped up and bought it, so that its rural character could be preserved. There was a big sigh of relief going through my neighborhood.

We all agree that our very best neighbor was living here.

No one knew what his real name was - he was just Donkey. Some kids called him Don Quixote which I think was very smart. Kaefer and I called him Donkers, and whenever you called him by whatever name, he came running down to the fence, expecting some nose rubs and, even more, some food. 

Carrots might have been his favorite food. He loved them and never gobbled them down, but chewed them very carefully and thoughtfully. 

He certainly didn't have the best teeth anymore, though.

He was owned by the people who live above the pasture. He was rescued from BLM land about 30 years ago and quickly became an integral part of our community. He loved us and we loved him back. My friend Matt lives right across from the pasture and says that Donkers made his demands for fresh carrots pretty clear when he saw Matt standing in his kitchen (which faces the meadow).

I could hear him braying even inside our home with all the windows closed - granted, I only live a couple minutes away from the pasture.

I was particularly fond of his ears.

On the first Saturday of the new year, Donkers was found dead in his pasture. He had been suffering from Cushing's Disease (which none of us knew), but despite the disease he was around 40 years old. That is quite an old age for donkeys whose average lifespan is 33 years.

He even made it in the paper.

Our tight knit neighborhood came out with a little memorial at Donkers' gate.

I think we will all miss him. The pasture is not the same without him. But I'm sure he will keep on living in our hearts and the children will always fondly remember him. I know that Kaefer does.

This is the last photo I took of him, just a few weeks before he passed.

His sweet face is my contribution to Nicole's Friday Face Off.