Susan: May 2005 Archives

AOL has blocked my domain, mackerelstreet.com, because some spammers "spoofed" it and used it to send out spam. If you signed up for the notification list and you use AOL, you will no longer receive my messages. Feel free to file a ticket with AOL support--I know of no way to get AOL to change its mind.

Up at Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park this weekend, an idyllic ridge-top pastoral scene 1600 feet above sea level, I played paparazzi to some cows. This fellow stared me down until I moved away.

I have a lot of pics from Point Reyes, but I think you've seen the biggies. One last shot to say goodbye, looking through one of the historic ranches on the peninsula to Drake's Bay on the other side.

This lovely lady was preening herself on a cliff next to the Point Bonita.

There are many ways to see the Golden Gate Bridge, but to feel like it's almost on top of you, take the second exit after the bridge on northbound 101 and snake your way up to the first major vantage point in the Marin Headlands. Doesn't get any bigger than that.

The dome of the Palace of Fine Arts--home to the Exploritorium--glitters in the sunshine, forever hiding its nature as a temporary exhibition at a long-ago world's fair.

More from the Bridge, click below.

And back we go to Point Reyes, as I took waaaaay to many photos there to get by on just two posts. First of all, I took a peek at the lighthouse.

The stairs leading to the lighthouse go down about the hight of a 30-story building. It is one of the windiest spots in North America, having once recorded a wind of 113 mph. It is at the very tip-tip of the Pt. Reyes Peninsula, and is shrouded in fog so often the foghorn runs continuously. But not this day.

Very near to the lighthouse is the view of the enormously long Pt. Reyes Beach. Wildflowers bloom late into the spring here.

Click below for more from Pt. Reyes.

Today we have a guest photographer, my mom, Pat, who has a shiny new point-and-shoot camera and took it out to the beach recently. Humboldt County, California--roughly the size of Delaware for the East Coast readers--is a beautiful place, with the world's tallest trees, craggy mountains, and empty beaches. It's about 300 miles north of San Francisco. It is also where I went to high school. I'll be posting some of my own pics of Humboldt later on, but today let's join Holly the Corgi as she tours Manila Dunes, aka Samoa Dunes, a thin stretch of land that acts as a barrier between the Pacific Ocean and Humboldt Bay.

There at several historic working dairy farms on the Pt. Reyes seashore. This lovely lady is a resident of "A" Ranch, the one closest to the end of the peninsula and the lighthouse. She wasn't much for conversation, but she has an extensive earring collection.

North of the San Francisco Bay Area is the American Eden, a place lush and green and full of wildflowers and distant vistas. Sir Francis Drake found it many years ago, and before him native tribes wove its tule grasses into a myriad of useful things.

Nowadays Pt. Reyes National Seashore is a retreat from urban life within an easy day trip of most of the Bay Area. Though the trailheads may seem crowded, like most national parks, a little effort puts you far from the crowd. Elk wander some areas of the park, while cows reign supreme in others. My first sight last Saturday was of a local resident near the visitor's center, posing with the wildflowers.

More later this week.

Found this little fellow snacking in the Coyote Hills, Fremont. He is obviously on some sort of new diet craze involving heavy consumption of greens.