Nature Notes: Upper Bidwell Park in the Spring

Today I've got another Nature Notes blog entry. Nature Notes is the creation of Michelle from Rambling Woods.

Yesterday, I took a short hike in Upper Bidwell Park. I love this hike. It's a fairly steady uphill climb, not uncomfortable, but good exercise. This time of year, it's very green, lots of wildflowers.

In the Summer, it's much warmer and gold in every direction. The first weekend that Steve visited, we did this hike. He called it a "Death March," but he laughed when he said it.
As we hiked up the hill, I found myself growing comfortable with him again. It was the beginning of falling in love with him, after more than 20 years apart.

I'd say that 9 times out of 10 I've hiked this alone. I've run it many times and I always feel a mountain goat scrambling up and then I fly back down. One time, I ran by these woman who were my age and one called out, "You go, girl!"

The below shot is looking to the West. That ridge of rock you see is right around where the basalt rock starts. The creek lies below the line. I'll take some photos of that area soon.

More wildflowers. I wanted to lay on my belly to get a different view of these, but it was so busy up there and it's not like the front lawn when I'm trying to get shots of the clover.

I love the wildflowers, but oh man is my head a mess from my allergies. Not as bad as poor Max, though. He's very uncomfortable and he takes allergy medicine all year.

The shot below was shot near the bottom of the trail. You can see the fields of flowers. I start the trail with a worry. Some issue that has bothered me all day. With every step I examine the problem, try to work out the knot. By the time I get back to the bottom, I always feel better. I can leave it on the hill.

Nature Notes - Bidwell Park and My Patio

Rambling Woods started something she's calling Nature Notes. I just woke up, so please excuse me if I don't get it completely correct. She is inviting people to take photos of their local nature and share them with the blogging world. Please click her name above, if you'd like to a take a look and participate.

Here are some flowers on my patio. I call them pansies, but I think that they are actually called something else. The something else currently escapes me, I'm sorry to say. I want to say violas, but that's probably wrong. I need some coffee.
Bay had a minimum day last week and we took the cameras down to Sycamore Pool, at One Mile, in Bidwell Park. I was messing around with the Through the Viewfinder here. My new Canon works much more effectively for this, because I can set the automatic focus. No leaves on the Sycamores yet.

Here's a longer shot of yesterday's Wordless Wednesday photo. That's a Valley Oak over head and I'm looking toward the dam and the bridge.

Bay leaned over and caught her focus on the side of the water with the Nikon. I wanted to try it and then she started taking shots of me taking shots. I don't know how many shots she made of me from my feet up - I was laying on the sidewalk - but I hate to think of the view of my big butt floating around somewhere out there. The park was pretty full for a weekday, but that's what it's like in a college town - the weather turns pretty, everyone heads for the water.

If you'd like to take part in Nature Notes. Then, you can click Rambling Woods name above or the picture, because I tried to make it clickable. :D More nature to come. Have a nice day.