Yes, Summer is Over

Well Golly, if one thing is for certain up in these hills it is that, at some point, the weather is going to turn chilly. At least the snow doesn't burn. And every thing looks different with snow around... It gives one the opportunity to take pictures of all of the same things and have them look fresh.

Of course, before the snow struck there were a few days of beautiful, calm, sunny weather. While they might be rather cold, I believe the proper term is "Brisk and Refreshing"... good excuse for a walk.

Quilted Pine

Yes, it is just a dead pine tree. But that pattern on the outside makes me wonder... If it was sawn into boards, would they have a pronounced quilted pattern? But this dead tree is in a national protected area... just admire and wonder.

And then the weather arrived. The clouds dropped down and scraped the mountain tops leaving behind a nice layer of fluffy white stuff.

Snowy Path

Everything becomes new and fresh Walking trails that were becoming tired & redundant display a charming new side.

Footprints

And neighbors you were hardly aware of before make their presence known.

Stragglers

Poking out here and there are reminders of the warm times... a few days earlier.

Spring Trail

Placed 10 feet or more above the ground, I suppose that when this sign pointing to the "Spring Trail" is at eye-level Is about the time that you need reminding that Spring is just around the corner.

Then you have a warmer, sunny day followed by a brutally cold night. On this hillside, The bits of clinging, fluffy snow grew ice crystals

Furry Snow

The crystals growing out of the snow made it look furry... So I needed to take a picture of it on a fir tree.

Forested Snow

Walking over the hills, the forests are different. The tree trunks contrasting with the ground...

Feathered Ice

One morning I went out I saw that the hood of my car had become this. An amazing feathered ice pattern. It only lasted a few minutes after the sun came up. It had to be a sign! Clearly it was cold the night before.

Bear Prints

Later the same day I came across these bear prints in the snow... I like the classic Pigeon-toed walk... I decided not to go in that direction.

Snow Path

The first footprints on this snowy path will be mine. But first I want to admire it before I go stomping all over it and ruin it.

Ponderosa Pine

Did you know I have a thing for Ponderosa Pine trees? They are one of my faves... top five, at least — Sorry, I can't rank any tree higher than top five, because my favorite tree is always the one I am in front of.... But for Ponderosas, its not only the massive grandeur of the big ones, gnarled, "all-elbows" branches, their red-amber color ... The bark... when you look closely... is made of all of these abstractly-shaped flakes and the older and lager the tree is, the more I am amazed by them... Oh yeah, and they smell really nice too!

Blue Sky and Pine Trees

Up near the top of Mount Elwell, I'm standing in the middle of a dried out pond... well dry except for about a foot of snow. See those red Ponderosa pines? Way up here there is a whole lot of wind so they don't have an abundance of wide spreading branches. But I still like how they look

Ponderosa Pine

Yes, another Ponderosa Pine tree trunk... This one is not as close and it is a much older tree. I like how the tree defines the panels of color. It seems the older the tree, the larger the panels. And while I can find myself at times spending way too long admiring these trees, I won't subject you to any more of these kind of pictures (today).

Way off in the distance, you can see the volcano Mount Lassen. it's about 70 miles (112km) away, as the crow flies.

This is a view along the Feather River Valley looking down stream to the North West. Just beyond the left edge you would barely see Mount Lassen. The thing that caused me to take this shot on that day was seeing how the clouds were forming just on the leading edge of the eastern mountain range. I am guessing that if the winds were blowing faster that day the air currents would have been more laminar and the clouds would have been lenticular in form.


Photography Posts
Let's Try a Little Winter
Apr 18, 2021
Now that April is here, I guess it is safe to talk about Winter. it was a mild winter up here in the hills & I have discovered the joys of getting lost in the woods on snowshoes.
  Yes, Summer is Over
Wandering Around the Hills Nearby
Oct 11, 2020
Been spending a little time wandering about the local hills seeing what they have to offer... on days when the air is clear enough... Which lately has been more often than not, couldn't say that a few weeks ago, and really, there isn't much I can say about the wildfires that hasn't been said better already. I've only been inconvenienced by the smoke & fires... others have had it infinitely worse.
A Bit Above Sea Level
Aug 04, 2020
I decided the ocean air was too thick so I headed up to the Sierras. Walking around a little bit. You might think that camera gear might become lighter the closer you get to outer space, but that ain't so. I am beginning to suspect that the weight of camera gear increases in direct ratio to the number of miles one carries it multiplied by altitude.
A Bit by the Coast
Jul 01, 2020
Buzzed down from Redding to Monterey... This is not the train I rode in on, but you can find it parked along highway 273 in Redding.
Mid-Coast Meandering
Mar 27, 2020
From Gilroy to Carmel and a bit of bobbling about inland
Running Down The Coast
Mar 19, 2020
So I decided to take Highway One South from Mendocino to San Francisco It turned out to be a lovely day...
Northern California Drive Abouts
Dec 29, 2019
Not a whole lot to report. Been wandering about on the West Coast some more, resulting in a few more snapshots. These are from Northern & Central California.
Oh My Ears and Whiskers!
Oct 18, 2019
Yikes, more pictures from the past few months. A little Random with no story line.
Mister Choo Choo
Sep 18, 2019
I stumbled into the Train Museum in Portola, Ca. Pictures ensued,
Random Phoughts
Sep 05, 2019
Some random shots from the past year. The Hayfield is a nice, tidy, decently maintained motel to look at.
Wildlands of San Francisco
May 26, 2016
It is all around us and it is relentless. Right now it is working at destroying our homes and cities. While we sleep at night it is tirelessly toiling away. Overcoming everything we know. Everything we have made. Everything we will ever do. There is no escape. We are in a symbiotic relationship with it. We love it deeply and without it we will die. Yet in the long run, our species will be gone and it will overrun this world until all life is gone and there is nothing left but a burnt ember orbiting the Sun.
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