Pages

Thursday, August 22, 2024

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.




17 comments:

  1. ...walking among gnarled giants!

    ReplyDelete
  2. How I would love to share your walk among the oak trees. Thank you. And I love that furry face too.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Any park that has the wisdom to leave dead trees standing until they fall and perform their natural function of returning nutrients to the soil has my vote. And as you point out there is a stark beauty to them, too. If only people would open their eyes to nature and abandon this fetish we have for tidying things up. Big hugs, Carola - David

    ReplyDelete
  4. The sight of crooked, decayed trees, makes us also think of human old age and physical deterioration.

    ReplyDelete
  5. We don't have oak tree in my area. Hope kitty has a wonderful nap.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hurrah for being able to go for a walk again, even if you did miss the spring ones. Those oaks are so interesting all nearly and twisted. I live in an oak forest and ours stand so tall and straight. (And huge too.) I love that oaks can be so different and style be oaks. Like people and cats (like sweet Kibeau) and dogs too. That looks like a great walk. And I have bathroom question based on your comment on my blog and the photo I showed on my latest Greece post. Is there a proper etiquette for these toilets? I'd never seen one in my travels, and I was thinking it was like if you go in the woods, squatting. And in a skirt it would be easier. Funny at the monastery they had modern porcelain bowl toilets, but not at the nunnery. Have a great weekend Carola. hugs-Erika

    ReplyDelete
  7. Lovely territory but my heart beats a bit faster when I see sweet Kibeau. Oh, sigh....

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wow! These are fantastic photos. I really like they type of terrain. Turkey Vultures have the prettiest feathers. You sleeping kitty blends right into those leaves. Thank you for sharing with FFO and have a nice weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Was für bizarre Geschöpfe, liebe Carola! Auch im Tod sind die Eichen noch schön - doch ich hoffe, es bleiben noch viele für lange Zeit lebendig. Und ihre Formen regen die Fantasie an. Da, wo du tanzende Klapperschlangen siehst, sehe ich (gestikulierende oder bastelnde) Hände vor mir. Ein Ort, der mit und ohne Wildblumen ganz und gar besonders ist.
    Und Kibeau 😍 - schlafende Katzen sind einfach immer entzückend!
    Alles Liebe, Traude
    https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2024/08/weltreise-2024-abschied-von-neuseeland.html

    ReplyDelete
  10. A beautiful walk, Carole. Gnarled and twisted trees are so fascinating. It's easy to make up stories about them. I'm glad you are able to get out and walk again.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Me encanta el paseo. También tenemos muchos robles por aquí. Besos.

    ReplyDelete
  12. The old oak trees in Crane Creek Regional Park sound enchanting, and I love how you captured their character and natural beauty.
    I can just imagine the peaceful scene from the bench and the joy of observing the birds and squirrels.
    And Kibeau's sleepy face sounds like the perfect ending to your day.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Trees are amazing.
    I was out earlier today and part of my walk was by some beautiful trees, I really should have taken some photographs! Perhaps next time I will, I did enjoy seeing all of yours here.

    All the best Jan

    ReplyDelete
  14. Your park looks so much like my favourite local park here. I do love oak trees. Beautiful walk and photos. Kibeau looks so sweet and extremely content. He does not look grumpy at all here.

    -Soma

    ReplyDelete
  15. Carola, Thank you for a wonderful tour of Crane Creek Regional Park via your posts of March 27, 2023, April 26, 2023, and, this post, August 22, 2024. Carola, your blog inspires me. I want to go our for walks/hikes and take pictures focusing on the wonder of nature. You have perfected it, my friend. What a story the old trees tell. I just had to stop and reflect for a while on your second image … the old dead oak. I looked up oak trees on Wikipedia … it says they grow from acorns. Wouldn’t you love to know when that tree started its story. It’s wonderful that the Park allows the dead trees to remain as they decay and give shelter and food for the wildlife. Yes, I do see the mating dance. 😊 I don’t know what to think about the oak lying on the ground with foliage still full and green. Could it have been growing like that for years? Lastly, your “sweet grumpy old man” … one word to summarize the photo: love. Now, re your earlier posts (mentioned above) I love all the wildflower beauty! If I ever get lucky enough to get down to your part of California, I definitely want to see Crane Creek Regional Park. Carola, thank you for sharing your blog and for your kind comments on mine. I always look forward to hearing from you. Hugs and best wishes, John

    ReplyDelete
  16. What beautiful oak trees.
    The crooked trunks are the most beautiful.
    Happy start of September.
    Janice.

    ReplyDelete
  17. You and your friend had a wonderful walk among these oak trees, Carola. There is so much beauty in decaying and dying trees, sometimes even more so than in live ones. I do thing the limbs looked a bit like snakes, using the imagination here. Sweet photo of your kitty lying in the sun on the fallen leaves.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for stopping by. I'd love to hear from you!