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?

The 366 Project: September

 

September had hardly begun when it was already over - at least that's how it felt. It was a busy month.

My friend Kris and I went on some beautiful walks in our regional parks where we saw the first signs of autumn.

At the lake we discovered a huge hornet nest.

Look at that intricate work! Isn't it impressive?

I love to be at the lake early when the water steams and is backlit by the morning sun. Such a beautiful and slightly mystical mood.

It also was a busy month in regards to knitting. I was often sitting in the garden knitting up hats and socks, often with Kibeau as my reliable but mostly sleeping companion.

At the farmers market I could still get peaches and made buttermilk peach cobbler. Next time I will not make it in the cast iron pan because it was a bit of a pain to clean out the baked-on parts, even though my pan is well seasoned and it shouldn't be a problem.

We were very excited that the Mourning Doves came back to their nest and had another brood. I'm happy to say that they raised both babies and about a week ago I saw them taking off. I still see the little ones occasionally in our big tree. The other excitement was that I noticed a bird in my garden that I hadn't seen before. After consulting Merlin and my Sibley and confirming with David, I now know that this is a Black-headed Grosbeak. This little guy is very camera shy.

And of course we're getting closer to the election. Campaing signs have turned up in our neighborhood. I love the cat ones, but I love the handmade signs by children even more. I asked one of my little neighborhood girls whether she would make one for me, and we now proudly display it right next to our frontdoor.

Unfortunately, there was also this:

I have no idea what people who steal campaign signs want to achieve with that. Do they think people would change their mind? Hardly. This behaviour makes me mad, and I would be just as mad if this would have happened with Trump/Vance signs. I wish we would return to respect and civility.

Together with other neighbors we were busy writing letters to voters in states with voter suppression laws to let them know how they can get heir voter ID. That there even are voter suppression laws in a country that boasts about its democracy is shameful.

Last but not least, September is a special month for the Geek and I. 28 years ago we had our first kiss on top of the tower of Stiftskirche in Tübingen. You can see the tower here - taken on a cold but clear and sunny winter day. It was warmer back then on that day in September, but there was a constant drizzle - which didn't prevent us from kissing.

For us it's a reason to celebrate and open a bottle of bubbly. Cheers, my friends!

With all these faces, I'm linking up with Nicole's Friday Face Off.

Walking Among Old Oak Trees

 

Last week my friend Kris and I took a lovely walk in Crane Creek Regional Park which is one of my favorites. The reason I like it so much is that it has so many old native oak trees that give the park its special character. In the spring a grand show of native wildflowers downright explodes here, but due to my stupid knee and the surgery I wasn't able to see it this year. However, last year I did see the wildflowers and if you are curious about them, you can see them here. 

The first oak we saw was a dead oak.

Most dead trees are simply left in this park where they slowly decay and still give lots of shelter and food supply for the wildlife. I think this is one of the reasons I like this park so much, its very natural state.

Here's another decaying tree:

Isn't it gorgeous? Of course, poison oak is already growing up the trunk in the background.

Below you see two dead trunks in front of and next to oaks and other trees that are way more alive.

Getting closer and changing perspective, they looked a little different.

They actually remind me of a mating dance of (rattle)snakes, only a bit bigger and clumsier.

We were getting closer to the halfway point of our walk, a bench in the shade of this tree. From up here we had a splendid view over the oaks in the valley. While we were sitting there, we were able to observe many birds and feisty squirrels. Crane Creek is home to a good number of raptors; this time we saw and heard Red-tailed hawks as well as White-tailed kites.

The oak we were sitting under already showed some signs of autumn.

Other oaks seemed to have fallen only recently, lying on the ground with their foliage still full and green.

Others were just crooked - my kind of tree!

Do you see the Turkey vulture sitting on the dead tree (this was actually a song Kaefer learned during 6th grade science camp on the Marin Headlands). Just right before it had landed with wide open wings. Their wingspan is enormous, but I was too late with my camera, because...

... I was taking a picture of this. Crooked tree branches over our path. These are the things I love.

You can hardly see the face of the Turkey vulture, but I do need a face for Nicole's Friday Face Off. So I stayed closer to home and took a picture of soundly sleeping Kibeau on top of the leaves in my garden, just wanting to be near me. I love his sweet little face when he is so relaxed. My sweet grumpy old man.