elainegrey

Spent the morning editing down the eighty some digital photos to twenty some, and going through and getting the scientific names of as many of the critters and green things as possible. Our burrowing friend in the camp was a pocket gopher, not a mole[1]. Some disappointments from the trip including forgetting the tripod mount. After the comedic search and discovery of the light tripod, the final scatterbrained event tempted a sense of tragedy. Another was not getting to the river mouth for birdwatching and telephoto photography in the early morning. (But without the tripod mount, there was no way i could hold the telephoto steady.)

I finished shooting a mystery roll of black and white, and one 24 shot antique roll of color. I'll pick the color up when i'm done here; black and white is two weeks.

Here's the link to the trip tag slideshow: http://www.flickr.com/photos/elainegreycats/tags/201108manresaescape/show/

I saw my first California thrasher, a robin sized bird with a striking down-curved beak. Its coloration in the morning grey reminded me of a California towhee.

Also saw: several coveys of California quail, a bat in the dusk, a spider weaving a web against the twilit sky, orb webs wet with the mist, some small predatory critter trotting up the trail (fox?), industrial farming of strawberries, fields with artichokes, lots of pink ladies (tall foliage-free lily blossoms), Martinelli's cider factory, a quick drive through Watsonville, lines of pelicans, frolicking dolphins, raccoon tracks, scrub jays, California towhees, a rufus-sided towhee, a tiny wren, bunnies.

I kept feeling like i was spilling tea on my new-dyed clothes (some of which were dyed to cover tea stains).

Our first two night trip was a success, and we're definitely returning to the Manresa campground.

This vacation has had an odd amount of ... frustration and disappointment. I'm pleased with how frequently i'm able to shake it off, but events have accumulated. I can't seem to get the cuff on my mother's sock-slippers to end up the same length (and i'm tired of frogging -- ripping out -- the delicate llama-bamboo yarn). I "lost" the rolls of film for developing. The service was awful at the place we went for brunch in Watsonville and i was about to dissolve in tears as i reached a very hungry state waiting. Monday's antibiotic reaction was severe (but, fortunately, limited).

It seems like an odd amount, but maybe it's a normal amount of frustration and disappointment. It was certainly balanced with plenty of rest, delight, and joy.



[1] My first instinct was "ground squirrel" as that's the burrowing mammal i see most frequently in California. I'm not really familiar with gophers.

Yesterday was (i hope) the sickening fall of a roller coaster ride, and i'm now on the clicka-clicka-click of the lift up another hill.

My current skin flare is taking spoons.

As i sit here, i wonder, what can i write about (think about) that's not going to be the same dwelling on distress? Before the training last week, i was planning outings and had two guides in my Amazon cart. Are they available at the public library?

* Moon Northern California Camping: The Complete Guide to Tent and RV Camping (Moon Outdoors) - Tom Stienstra; Paperback
* Merced and Tuolumne Rivers / Stanislaus National Forest, CA - Trails Illustrated Map # 808 (National Geographic Maps: Trails Illustrated) - National Geographic Maps; Map

No, they're not. The library's camping guide is five years out of date; this one is ... three. I'll spring, anyhow, and hope the reason the book isn't available for a few days is that a new edition is coming out (although it could be everyone else is already planning their summer trips).

Christine's bought an air mattress, so i believe she really has car camping in mind. To be honest, that's what i grew up doing. I fantasize about more rugged camping, but if we're testing the concept, car camping with the big new tent and an air mattress is a first step.

Another recent purchase was some essential oils. I put some in a small glass cup on my desk yesterday, hoping the tangerine/clove/ginger blend would be a pleasant undercurrent to my work day. Oh my, was that potent! I'll need to be much more careful when i try again. Maybe one oil at at time, to start?


And then there's Edward. Edward has been staying out all night for the past few warm days. Christine saw the raccoon Sunday or Monday night, and that was our last sighting of the bandit. There's roof repairs going on in the complex. Plenty of things to disrupt his pattern, but he comes home midmorning and curls up in his bed just inside the cat door. I don't know if he's "our" cat, but it's nice he keeps coming back.