Looking back ten years to May 2012 Part Two 05-24-22

We had allowed enough time to do some sightseeing and not drive too long in one day.  One problem we had though was finding places to eat.  There is a lot of open highway and not many towns or even service islands.  One really needs to plan ahead.

We saw a lot of wildlife and spent a day driving through the National Bison Sanctuary.  I had driven it before, but saw a lot more bison and other animals this time.  

These sheep were not in the sanctuary, but up on a hillside behind a rest stop.  They had two attendant dogs, but didn't see any sheepherders. 

In the Bison Sanctuary there were a lot of bison - bulls, cows, and calves. 

Ruth McDowell taught in Kalisplett for quite a few years and visited the Sanctuary.  She made this very large quilt (over 100" each side) showing the bison in the pond. 

Many pronghorn antelope all along the way.

                            

Their bright white butts make them stand out on the rolling grey/green prairie. 

 Quite a few deer, but they are more difficult to spot without the bright white backside. 

I believe this is the first wild swan I have every spotted. 

To be continued.....

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Thursday Treasures 06-04-20

I suppose most of my treasures are memories which I access through the pictures I have taken over the years.  Here are some from a trip to Kalispell, WY , eight years ago this month in June 2012, to take a class with Ruth B McDowell. 

Facebook has selected these pictures:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/paMVu7wBRYHdZVva9

I hope pasting this URL on here works. 

Here are some images I have selected from my files.   On this trip I saw a lot of wildlife, some on an all day drive through Glacier National Park. 

Out on the prairie there are a lot of antelope, here is a rare picture of an antelope resting in the grass. 

This is a more likely view and those white butts are visible from a good distance if you look for them in the grass and sagebrush. 

A drive through the National Bison Range provided close up shots of lots of bison and bison calves. 

Many different birds all over, including this lovely swan.

Loons are so distinctive.  This one came close to be sure we didn't get too close to the hen and chicks. 

This bear was really quite far away, I used a telephoto lens. 

This was Ruth's last class, I'm so glad I was there. 

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Miscellaneous 08-24-19

Doe and fawn outside the cabin in Coupeville, WA. 

Two fawns across the street from the Art School in Coupeville, WA.

A fearless rabbit on KoKo's walk one day in Mt. Vernon, WA.  

Why does anyone think this is attractive? 

Hole in blouse, lace chemise, bra back - ugh!

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The summer of the lizards? 07-09-19

I know almost nothing about lizards, but I may learn this year as we seem to have an abundance.  KoKo loves the idea, but I won't let him off the lease to chase them.   Although I have seen them occasionally around the yard, this year I see them every day in my yard and everyone else's in the neighborhood.  I do wonder why there as so many this year - maybe because the drought is over.  But aren't lizard desert animals?  They should like the drought.  Anyone know? 

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Road Trip to WA - Last Day 05-30-18

I left from friends Mary/Joe in San Juan Bautista at 8am with the hope I would make it through Pasadena on the 210 Freeway before the traffic was too clogged up.  And I made it!  Although it had already started slowing it was not the parking lot it is most of the time after about 3pm.  I drove into my garage at exactly 3pm after a 355 mile day.  Glad to be home, but loved the journey.  My longest day was 431 miles from Reno to Bend, followed closely by the Memorial Day total of 417 miles from Yreka to San Juan Bautista.   In all, the trip was 2850 miles.  I was gone for 13 days, five were non-driving days.   I do have some pictures I haven't posted, but will try to get to them this week.  Here are just a few from today.

From the bottom of the "mountain" up the canyon to Mary and Joe's house is between 2 and 3 miles and my top speed is 30 mph in short stretches - mostly more like 20.  It is a winding, ascending road and there are animals along the way.  Always cattle, but also horses, goats, alpacas, etc.  I could see a distance in both directions so I just stopped on the roadway and snapped this picture of a young steer.  He was curious and came closer.

For a better shot.  I saw mostly black cows on the trip. 

Where the mountainous road comes to a stop sign at the bottom of the canyon there is a house with sheep, goats, chickens, and maybe some other critters.  They are fenced and the fence is almost at the edge of the road.  There are three goats and a black rooster here.  

This is the first time I have seen flowers in the fields along Hwy 156 and there were two large plantings.  There was a sign announcing Burpee Ferry-Morris, so I suppose these mixed flowers are for seed.   I love the blue mountains!

I could not tell what flowers they are and there is no place to stop to examine them. 

06-01-18 Update:  Friend Mary says they are sweet peas and adds "A couple weeks ago you could roll down your car windows and smell the wonderful perfume of the flowers. "

There has recently been a large grass fire along the I-5, I could smell it.

I always think these fires so close to the pavement are caused by thrown cigarettes. 

A wild sky.  Clouds and contrails whipped by the strong, gusty winds. 

A long lonely looking road, very light traffic today, seems to go on forever. 

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Driving I-5 Santa Nella to Templin Hwy 05-02-18

I have driven this section of I-5 since it opened in the early 60s.   The first time, there were signs saying, "Next gas 110 miles".  Of course, some people didn't believe it, after all this is California, but they ran out of gas frequently.  The highway was there, but not much supporting business because the roadway was through raw country and farmland.  The convenience stores and gas stations and motels had not yet caught up with the times.   Even now there are long stretches without services and it pays to keep an eye on the gas gauge.  It is a long haul and the landscape varies only slightly as you roll along.  Here is a series of pictures taken Tuesday, May 1st, as I drove south.  Just to give you an idea what it is like to drive a portion the 360 miles from San Juan Bautista to Placentia, CA. 

A lot of land is grazing for cattle, horses, and sheep. 

Rolling over dales and hills.  (No daffodils!)

Most of these pictures are pointing to the west.  The mountains to the east are the Sierra and they could not be seen on this trip due to haze, which is not unusual, I rarely see them. 

There are lots of orchards.  I have shown you almond orchards which stretch for miles along the highway.  These are citrus trees, notice how dense they are and the leaves are a dark matte green. 

The road stretches on - mostly flat and rather straight (as roads go). 

This image is to the east where the distant Sierra hides in the haze and clouds. 

Again to the east with an orchard in mid distance. 

Most of the west side of the highway is grazing land. 

I didn't happen to catch any cows, but saw a lot of them. 

Looking to the east there is one ranch/farm that has their vines covered with a sort of gauze.  I imagine it is to protect the grapes from birds.  I believe these would be table grapes. 

Here is a slightly closer view of the gauze covered vineyard. 

Since I-5 is the main north/south route there are LOTS of trucks.  Mostly they travel in the right lane and the cars whiz past them in the left lane.  Car speed limit is 70 mph, but the normal speed is about 80 mph.  With a few exceptions who need to go as fast as their car will go, 100 if they can get by with it.  

I'm just passing this truck. 

And this little red car doesn't think I am going fast enough. 

And this truck doesn't think he can stand to drive in the slow lane.  

There are quite a few torn out orchards all along the way.  The trees are knocked down and left in the field, I suppose they need to dry out. 

These trees look like they have been down for a while, so they will probably be shredded soon..  I was unsuccessful in taking a picture of the piles of shredded trees and ultimately the enormous mountains of shreds/sawdust type stuff waiting to be hauled off somewhere.  Probably used for mulch. 

But then a few miles down the road there are new trees being planted.  There is a huge problem of lack of water, but perhaps the new trees are planted with a more advanced irrigation system that doesn't use as much water.  Don't know!

Toward the south end of my drive there is more uncultivated land covered with sage and tumble weed and native plants.  When I first drove this route all those years ago it was mostly uncultivated. 

There are two areas of feed lots.  One is part of Harris Ranch near Coalinga and the other is further south.

The cattle are mostly in the open. 

But one location has far reaching roofs with open sides. 

After going up over the Grapevine part of the route I stopped at the Lebec Rest Stop.  When I came out to return to my car it was sprinkling.  Fortunately it wasn't anywhere near freezing. 

Off with the sun glasses, on with the windshield wipers.  I had to figure again out how they work.  There has been so little rain in SCalifornia that I forget from year to year. 

Higher and rainier. 

Too little visibility for pictures now. 

The rain continued to the top and down the other side into the Los Angeles basin.  Not too far from the bottom of the mountains I ran into road construction at Magic Mountain.  It was another 2-1/2 hours home. 

It can be a long boring drive.  You might want to take a book on tape!

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