Sunday, April 26, 2009

Shorn Sheep in San Ramon

Yesterday late in the afternoon, I stopped over at 
Forest Home Farms 
to visit the flock of sheep that resides there...


They have been shorn... 

...and they were enjoying the fresh green grass...

Suddenly they just ran away from me...

A final look at the sheep and old farm before the sun set...
Very soon the Farmer's Market will be back at Forest Home Farms on Saturday mornings. I can't wait!

Monday, April 20, 2009

Geese in San Ramon

Yesterday, it was extremely hot out, so in the late afternoon I headed over to the East Lake at AT&T Business Park in San Ramon to see what our geese and goslings were up to...

Here's the East Lake where many Canadian Geese have made their home...

Have a seat on the bench and enjoy the show...

They love the fresh green grass...


Here come the traffic-stopping gangs...



The teens want to go swimming in the lake...



The babies seem to enjoy the warm water, too...


The parents keep a watchful eye over their youngsters...

Time for a break from all the water play...


Two adult geese in flight over the East Lake...
AT&T Business Park is located on Camino Ramon, next to the Marriott Hotel, and it's a great place to watch our suburban waterfowl in action.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Summit View Trails - Revisited

The weather forecast for this weekend called for clear skies and unseasonably warm temperatures, so I got a fairly early start this morning and decided to take a short hike along the north end of the trail at Summit View Trails. It's a great place to get views of the valleys, Mt. Diablo, seasonal wild flowers, and sunrises and sunsets. Join me for a quick hike before it gets too warm and the green hills turn golden brown...

The trail starts just a few feet from where you park your car....

Head on up the hill past the wildflowers and go through the gate...

Mustard grass is still in bloom...

As you climb the trail, you'll pass an expensive housing development...

And here's the view looking southward towards Dublin...

...and you'll catch a glimpse of our landmark, Mt. Diablo...

There's even a bench in case you want to take a break and enjoy the views...

Here's looking south toward Pleasanton...

You'll get great views of San Ramon and the western hills...

...and the south end of San Ramon Valley...

A few poppies are fluttering in the morning breeze...

It's starting to get hot and dry up here...

Take one more look at the wildflowers - they'll soon be gone...

That's it for today...

Summit View Trails is located at the corner of Old Ranch Road and Bridle Court in San Ramon. Old Ranch Park is across the street and has a variety of facilities to enjoy. However, the best views of the surroundings are seen from the Summit View Trails. Click HERE to view images from the south end of the trail which begins just on the other side of Bridle Court.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

A dog, a bike rack, and a camera

Who could possibly resist the sweet bronze statue of Dirty Biter, one of La Conner's most famous canine residents? Well, I simply couldn't; I was mesmerized by the engaging replica that I encountered during my stroll through the quaint, colorful streets of La Conner. As the story has been told, Dirty Biter was everyone's most beloved dog in the small, waterfront town, and his favorite hangout was a First Street watering hole where a bar stool was especially reserved just for him. Unfortunately, Dirty Biter's life came to an abrupt end in a brutal dog fight in 1982. Hence, a life-sized bronze statue was made in his honor and now sits snugly on a metal bench next to the tavern he so often visited. 

So as I said, I was mesmerized by this piece of art and couldn't quite take my eyes off his life-like image. As I began to step away, my eyes still glued to that protruding tongue hanging from his smiling mouth, I neglected to see the bicycle rack in front of me. Suddenly I found myself teetering on top of the rack, suspended by a screw that was extending from one end and had snagged my pants. It held me prisoner as I squirmed helplessly trying to free myself from the sharp weapon that was ripping my pants and cutting into my skin. To no avail, I was unable to escape. Suddenly I heard a crash and watched helplessly as my camera shattered on the ground in front of me. My travel buddy stood next to me, frozen in space, watching in shock as the camera settled onto the hard, stone surface...

Yep...here's the result of my mishap...a camera that I was unable to use for the remainder of my trip. Upon my return home, the doc looked it over, removed the smashed lens cap thereby revealing the shattered polarizing filter. My immediate thought was whether or not my favorite and oh-so-costly lens had been scratched and whether or not the camera still functioned...
After minor surgery to remove the filter, I reattached the lens and tried it out. It seems to work fine although it squeaks a bit when the autofocus is engaged. The doc suggested to keep on using it. Only time will tell what the true extent of its injuries are...
What lessons can be learned from this rather comical and quite possibly expensive mishap? Always put your camera away in its shockproof camera bag and for heaven's sake, look where you're going!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Pacific Northwest Scenes

Well, because of a rather funny mishap on my part, my favorite camera lens has perhaps suffered grave internal injuries. I will have to wait until I'm back in San Ramon and have it checked out by the Nikon doc...very sad indeed and all I can do is hope for the best. In the meantime, here are a few more shots from springtime in paradise - taken before my camera mishap...

Boats resting in Flounder Bay, Anacortes...

Towering trees in Washington Park, Anacortes...

Guemes Island ferry...

Deception Pass...

Skagit Valley daffodil fields...

Skagit Valley farm...

Daffodils...

A lone bird, Flounder Bay...

Magnolia blossoms, La Conner...
Enjoy!

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Whidbey Island, WA

Yesterday my travel buddy and I drove south to Whidbey Island, which is a very long (62 miles) but narrow island just south of Fidalgo Island. The Deception Pass Bridge connects these two islands. Whidbey is relatively flat but has spectacular shorelines, picturesque farming and fishing communities, an abundance of aquatic life, and colorful flora and fauna. There are several small waterfront towns, which cater to artists and tourists alike. No matter where you are on the island, you'll be awestruck by the sweeping views of Mt. Baker, Mt. Rainier, the Olympic Peninsula, beaches, forests, prairies, and colorful homesteads. Whidbey Island is one of my favorite places to explore when I'm in Washington. Come take a look...

The stunning Deception Pass Bridge, completed in 1935, connects the two islands...


Here is a typical beach at Ebey's Landing National Historic Preserve...

There are lots of hiking trails on the island...

...which lead you high above the water...

...and give you gorgeous views of farmland and Mt. Baker...

The old pier in Coupeville, a small artist colony...

Views across the calm waters...

Here are some more colorful sights from one of my favorite towns - Coupeville...











You can drive the entire length of the island and then catch a ferry over to the mainland or to the Olympic Peninsula. But no matter what time of year you go, Whidbey Island is a lovely destination.