LESLIE SEATON

January 2012: On the minus side of my trip back to Seattle, I did not have Heather Stimmler-Hall to keep me company like I did on the way to Arizona last November. On the plus side, I did not have NaNoWriMo looming over me and spoiling my fun time. So I could relax and enjoy my trip.

Unlike my passenger.

Is there some way to express that the world is full of tiny bits of magic without sounding like a total floofy poofy doofus and while still retaining one's stoic machismo? If there is, please insert it here: ____. In the midst of an otherwise dry and dusty blah drive from Desert Center (vying with City of Industry for World's Least Glamorous City Name), suddenly happened upon a bazillion purple wildflowers in the middle of the dry and dusty landscape. I think these are sand verbena.

Just hanging out in the middle of nowhere, being flashy. I wrenched my bum knee out of joint scrambling over the sand to get photos but it was worth it I tell you.

And these! So showy! So symmetrical! Some kind of desert primrose I think.

First stop was the Oasis of Mara at the Joshua Tree Nat'l Monument. I wanted to stop there because I'd just read "Gathering the Desert" by Gary Nabhan, and he writes about how native folks in the area used palm trees in the same completist way the midwest Native Americans used buffalo. It was used for fuel, food, fiber, shelter. Most ppl I know in AZ were surprised to learn palms are actually native to our desert but this kind - the fan palm (Washingtonia filifera) is.

Unfortunately, the palm oases around this part of the country have been negatively impacted by changes in the water table. In fact, even this historic oasis has to be maintained by irrigation. And it's still not looking so hot.

A lot of the other trees in the area had also been damaged, those by the parasitic desert miseltoe. In general, this was not the cheeriest of stops, but it was brief and at least I can say I saw it.

Onward through the desert of California, past this mass of rocks in the middle of near-nowhere covered in graffiti. My favorite part is the "I DID MY TIME" painted over by the Batman symbol at left.

The drive through central CA is a drive through farmland farmland farmland. Almonds, pistachios, fruit.

All along the I-5 are these "STOP THE CONGRESS CREATED DUST BOWL" signs.

Some signs, though, took a less inflammatory stance.

Arrived that afternoon at Muir Beach.

Mesmerized by dog fetching ball tossed into water. Like 100 times. Doggy paddle out out out, grab ball, doggy paddle in in in, drop ball near owner, shake shake shake. Repeat. He must sleep well.

Brief mini-hike on the Green Gulch Trail.

Selected mainly because the trail goes past the farmland of the San Francisco Zen Center, the center of Shunryu Suzuki whose writing I like a lot.

I talk about this one quote - about, essentially, worry - from him fairly often, mainly because I tend to add a lot of extra horses. "It’s like putting a horse on top of a horse and then climbing on and trying to ride. Riding a horse is hard enough. Why add another horse? Then it’s impossible."— Suzuki Roshi

"‎Why don't you enjoy, you know, your difficulty? [Laughs.] That is, I think, our practice." - Suzuki Roshi

And a second on-the-nose favorite quote to go with what I saw there! "When you do something, you should burn yourself completely, like a good bonfire, leaving no trace of yourself." — Suzuki Roshi

The next day was a day off from making miles and instead I just got to recreate at Point Reyes National Park.

After the beach, headed up to the lighthouse...

For some whale watching with everyone else. I did see one flume of gray whale splurting off in the distance while I was there.

Whale skull

The rangers' whale accessories.

On the way back down from the lighthouse point, saw some deer and elk. The park has several historic cow ranches on the property that are still in operation. Apparently the pasture land was originally naturally created by the grazing deer and elk, and the local native folks helped mantain the pastures through controlled burning, etc., in order to keep the herds around for hunting, etc. They now apparently do not like to share with the cows, but still have some land of their own to graze on.

On my way back to hotel, stopped for an early dinner at Vladimir's Czech Restaurant in Inverness. Was it the best food I'd ever had? Okay, maybe not. But it was serviceable, the owner was friendly, the beer was tasty and there was an Irish band rehearsing and playing for my audience of one (video: http://vimeo.com/36056160). So I was happy with the choice. Vladimir has apparently passed on, but the bathroom is still covered in notes of thanks from patrons.

Next day thru Napa...

Turkey Vulture - spotted in Napa. This turned out to be the only photo I took in Napa, but honestly this season is not the wine country's prettiest anyway.

..to Sacramento Wildlife Refuge for those awful bird photos (http://on.fb.me/x5SHqN)....

Red-shouldered Hawk

I had just planned to stop at the Refuge during my long drive to stretch my legs. But it was so chock-a-block with activity I wound up staying long enough to see a gazillion birds and take many awful photographs.

Northern Shoveler

Blurry ring-necked pheasant

American coot backside. Shoveler in background. Lots of coots at the refuge. They were the easiest birds to get close to, unlike the skittish ones around Seattle.

Lady Ring-necked Duck

Fella Ring-necked Duck & I think a female Gadwall.

Egret

Blurry bunny rabbit

Snow goose

The area is in the midst of a snow goose migration. I really wish I could have gotten a good photo showing HOW MANY geese there were, but you will have to take my word for it: a LOT. Several of the ponds were just covered with thousands of honking snow geese.

...up to Lake Shasta and across into Oregon...

...where...yeah. Welcome back to the Pac NW.

One for the last road night in Roseburg.

On my last day of driving, I made a brief drive-by of the Ankeny Wildlife Refuge near Salem, OR. "Ankeny Refuge was created to provide vital wintering habitat for Dusky Canada Geese. Unlike most other Canada geese, Duskies have limited summer and winter ranges. They nest on Alaska's Copper River Delta and winter almost exclusively in the Willamette Valley."

Chilly skies all through the rest of OR and southern WA the next day.

And at last back to Seattle after 2.5 months away and about 5000 miles on my car. Three days back and already feeling a little antsy for more.