Johnny Cash -- Wed/Thur, 4/17 and 4/18

 

Winter cold descended on our house early last year, too early for me, and spring was reluctant to show her face this year.  But, finally, oh joy, we have lift-off!  Spring is here!  I'm not gullible enough to put away my sweatshirt or heavy jacket yet, but, really, Jimmy and I have spent these past few days outside, loving every minute.

NorCal is a riot of color, now, too -- flowers and trees and shrubs rigorously blooming, as though trying to outdo each other, naturally heedless of tomorrow.  Our yard glows with bright white native Pacific Dogwood tree flowers.  2024 is a banner year for these trees.

See?  This is just one of our dogwoods.

A few more from our yard:  Clockwise from top left:  One of those almost-saucer-sized dogwood flowers, red tulips from Ananda bulbs, iris surrounded by Lunaria, another tulip, and a close-up of the red-red-red tulip center.  BTW, the pinky-white tulip is fragrant!

This has nothing to do with Johnny Cash, obviously.  I just love flowers.  In mid-June we're flying to Europe to join friends on a boat-bike tour, and we're excited about it.  We'll be riding their E-bikes for six or seven days in a row, so we thought we'd better try riding our own E-bikes (brand is Giant) a couple of consecutive days to get our heinies used to being in the saddle!  This is where we rode both days, nothing major, 15 miles the first day, 18.5 the next.  I'm happy to report "no issues."

The City of Folsom is about an hour down the hill from our house.  It's also the beginning of the American River Parkway trail that runs on the north side of the river all the way to Sacramento.  And the start of the Johnny Cash Trail on the south side.  Our ride began at Beal's Point on Folsom Lake, above the dam.  The dam is still releasing water.

We recently saw on the news that a seven-foot-tall sculpture of a guitar pick will be placed near Folsom's Rainbow Bridge as a tribute to the late singer.

Thank goodness for E-bikes, 'cause there's nothing flat in NorCal.

Jimmy is approaching Robbers' Ravine Bridge,

which carries quite a history on its own.

The trail takes you up to Folsom Prison where Johnny Cash  -- aka the Man in Black -- performed for the inmates.  A piece of the giant prison pokes out of the trees, top left.

"Big House Museum"  Since we saw a museum sign on the trail, we actually rode up to the prison gate, where a pleasant (and burly) guard told us the museum only opened on weekends.  I took my picture and we skedaddled under the guard's watchful eye.  We may return sometime ....

The prison sits atop yonder hill; you see its cement block wall above.  We enjoyed riding along this scenic trail amid rolling hills dotted with oaks, covered in a lustrous green grass.

Haha, I got the stew startled out of me by this fella.  Top left, I heard a noise behind me.  Top right, in a flash the guy whizzed past me.  Bottom left, my face records my surprise, and bottom right, off I go to join Jimmy.  Those scooters are fast!

We paused on the Folsom Truss Bridge, as usual.  This bridge connects Johnny Cash to the American River Pkwy on the other side, and a complete loop could be made.  It takes you into downtown Folsom, too.  Many possibilities exist to go hither, thither and yon hereabouts.

Always popular American River -- one kayaker in the distance and a SUP'er closer in.  Plus the usual Canada geese and a Merganser or two.

We rode for a while on the American River Pkwy and spied Folsom's Prison wall from this side!  Looks pretty sturdy!

Finally, on the second day, we continued riding on top of the dam past Beal's Point, overlooking Folsom Lake, amazed by the beautiful display of lupines.  And poppies.

These two days of riding brought us to new trails and vistas, which is always good, and in perfect weather.  I think we'll be ready to ride in June, and we will truly be in new territory then!  From Bruges, Belgium to Amsterdam in the Netherlands.  Wowzers.

Monterey Aquarium, Fri 2/14/20

Happy Valentines Day!  And happy birthday to my Valentine sister!  Lucky me, my sweet husband presented me with a wonderful card and box of candy (o boy!).  Well, we pulled out of our cozy nook at the Inn at Tres Pinos Harvest Host site fairly early, though we had less than a 50 mile drive to Monterey.  Without a campsite reservation anywhere, we figured we'd need to get a move on!  There were two things we hoped to do while in Monterey:  1) go to the famous aquarium, and 2) hike in Point Lobos State Natural Reserve.

The Veterans Memorial Park is a first come, first served campground, and we were lucky to get there in time to snag a good spot.  Chris, the ranger, was a helpful, good guy, and kept his park clean and quiet.  Taps sounded at 10pm and Reveille piped through the loudspeaker at 7am ... Jimmy and I smiled at both.

After setting up, we made our way to the aquarium.  Visited here once before, can't recall what year, but we were shocked this year at the entry fee -- $40 for seniors, each!  We bit the bullet and went in ... it's enchanting, really and truly.  

I only took a half-million photos, so I'll share a few with you.  When we first arrived, the Sea Otters were fixin' to be fed.  This guy held my attention, however, with his comfy poses.

The huge tank that winds through two stories of the aquarium -- Kelp Forest -- is fascinating.  People like me stand and stare, mesmerized by the fish, etc., gliding past.  It must be like taking a tranquilizer! 

There's lots of smaller tanks and exhibits.

This strange-looking crab was in a tank by itself.

A cluster of Strawberry Anemones -- such pretty color. 

The pic above and the next two were also taken in the Kelp Forest.  Different "types" of Sharks and turtles and Rays inhabit the tank with quite a variety of fish. 

The funny-looking fish in center is a Sturgeon ... a leftover from ancient seas!

It's like armor-plated.

Shorebirds had their own section on the 2nd floor.  Sandpipers, Plovers, American Avocets and several others.

All the kids called out, "Nemo!" when they approached this exhibit.

So did I.

Angelfish?

When it came time to feed the African Penguins, we made our way up the stairs and joined the crowd at the windows.  These guys are just as much or possibly more fun to watch than the otters.  The kids loved seeing the penguins swim right up to the window.

Another favorite is the jellies, so exquisite ... from the tiniest to the biggest.

Delicate, all.  

Dude!

This will hold you spellbound!  At the bottom of a big tank, these anchovies or smelt or whatever they were, circled, like a murmuration of starlings, until a Hammerhead Shark or one of the rays swam into their midst.  They'd split and then regroup to continue their clockwise movement.  I guess they were fair game if one could be caught ... certainly the sharks delved into their school repeatedly.

We spent several hours in the aquarium, happily surrounded by sea creatures, leaving just before closing time at 5pm.  It was crowded, but probably not as much as it would be on the weekend.  Or as Everly Rose would say, "not too bad."  Instead of eating in a tourist-y restaurant at Cannery Row, we opted to eat at home.  

What a marvelous establishment this nonprofit, public aquarium is.  It's known for its regional focus on the marine habitats of Monterey Bay.  Also, it was the first to exhibit a living kelp forest when it opened in October 1984.  Save your pennies and come to the aquarium if you get a chance!

Lotsa cuties! 12/01/12

How can it be December already?  Another year draws to a close in a few days.  Time is marching along!  Well, we enjoyed the first day of December at the Long Beach, California Aquarium with long-time friends, Lyn and Alan, of Santa Ana.  This aquarium was a first for us.  I didn't make note of how long we spent observing the various critters in the tanks and enclosures, but I think we must have been there at least two hours.  All the different types of jellyfish - from large moon jellies to a tank of the tiniest graceful jellies I've ever seen - were really captivating.  

Moon jellies.

These little guys looked to be no bigger than a dime.

This one had a rainbow current vibrating along its body (if that's what can be called a body).

Beautiful orange color on these.

We liked watching the antics of the sea otters, puffins, and penguins.  They're fun to watch in the water and silly to see on land.

 Puffins right next to the glass, as if to say, Hi, c'mon in, the water's fine!

Magellanic penguins.

We stood a long time at the sea horse and sea dragons tanks; they were some of the most intriguing creatures in the aquarium.  My point-and-shoot camera couldn't capture what I saw with my own two eyes and the pictures were pretty disappointing.  The little fella below is a Weedy Sea Dragon.  It moved leisurely thru the water, looking for all the world like an aquatic kangaroo!  As you can see, its cousin, the Leafy Sea Dragon in the second photo below, resembled kelp!

 Can you make out the Leafy Sea Dragon?

The tropical and Hawaiian reefs were full of exotic and beautifully colored fish - mesmerizing to stand there, with the fish gliding by.  Also fine were the coral reefs.  I enjoyed the shorebird sanctuary with its ruddy ducks, black-necked stilt and American avocet.   Fact is, the entire aquarium was filled with lotsa critters, creatures, and cuties - something for everyone.  Most enjoyable afternoon.

And, of course, everybody's favorite:  Nemo, the clownfish.  Always a big draw.

It was already dark when we left the aquarium (nighttime comes so early in December!).  Alan drove us to La Parolaccia in Long Beach for a fine Italian dinner.  Alan, Lyn, me, and Jimmy, having just eaten our fill, pose for a picture before heading for home.  What a nice day we had!  Thanx, guys!

On the coast @ Newport OR 10/6 - 10/9

We left Tillamook in a drizzle, driving south to Newport and South Beach C/G. Not exactly the best or easiest drive, tho it was a short one. We picked a quiet site, which wasn't hard to do this time of year in a large C/G like South Beach (227 sites). Though Discovery Season rates are in effect as of Oct 1st, prices still seem high: $22/nite for W/E... but we are on the beach and that counts for a lot. We love listening to the surf - a sound that can lull you to sleep at nite. The sky had cleared somewhat, and after setting up, we made our way to the beach for a walk along the shore. As we topped the last dune, a 30 mph wind greeted us, blowing sand in our eyes, shoes, and so on. I took off my visor lest it blow all the way to Tillamook! It was a chilly wind, too, so we walked maybe half a mile and turned around... much better with the wind at our backs.

The next day dawned relatively clear: Aquarium and Hatfield Science Center day! And then a delicious fish lunch at Buy Local... a long walk on the Historic Bayfront lined with canneries and fishing boats in Yaquina Bay and loud barking and belching sea lions. What a nice day we had.

Jimmy gazing out to sea. Next photo taken @ the Aquarium: All this junk was collected at South Beach in only two hours!


Jellies performing a graceful water ballet. Next photo of Jimmy's arm in a great white shark's jaw at Hatfield Science Ctr. (BIG teeth!)


Fishing boats lined up in picturesque Yaquina Bay. Two "buddies" resting quietly (for the moment) on a pier.

We enjoyed being outside today, tho we wore jackets all the time against a coolness, but rain is back in the forecast for tomorrow. So, we plan a short jaunt across the coastal range to Corvallis. We've never been there before, and the time is right!

Jan 1-2, Tuesday and Wednesday - Monterey

Monterey! After the wonderful drive up the central California coast, we found a fine CG in the Monterey Fairgrounds! The camp hosts gave us directions to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Fisherman's Wharf, and Cannery Row... and we could ride our bikes! Early the next morning, the sun shone thru thin clouds, but a chill wind hurt... a stop at the wharf for a cup of hot chocolate warmed us up. We were at the Aquarium when it opened at 10 AM, and spent the next three hours admiring everything in every tank. The water used in (at least) the biggest tank is directly from Monterey Bay and is sparkling clear. The anemones and corals are as pretty as any fresh flower arrangement. Great morning! Followed by a delicious clam chowder lunch on a (heated) open deck overlooking the bay, watching the gulls and seals and sea otters. We returned to the aquarium after lunch, and then rode our bikes a bit on the trail.

We were running out of time, but managed to tour the Maritime Museum and Presidio of Monterey History Museum before they closed at 5 PM. A quick ride back to our snug home on wheels, and that was our day. Made the decision based on bad rain/wind forecasts to leave the next morning and head south. Wished we could've had more time in the area, but ... we'll just have to come back. Next time we want to ride our bikes on the 17-mile Pebble Beach drive. And

so much more!