SAN DIEGO BIRDING IN JANUARY - II

Now I am somewhat in limbo with using glasses for some things, and now driving without my glasses. Time will bring it all back into focus.

A week ago I went with friends to Hawk Watch in Ramona. It is a demonstration showing different hawks found in the area, and showing several of them flying. They also talked about the open space needed for these birds to survive.On display this time were 

two Red-tailed Hawks --

 a Harris Hawk -

 A Gyrfalcon-

and a Perigrine Falcon, the fastest falcon that hunts other birds and take them on the wing. It was almost extinct due to pesticide poisoning, but has made a remarkable comeback

It is a challenge to photograph the birds in a rather crowded area, but always fun. Some were only out to display the variety of hawks in the area,

while others did some flying for us.

SAN DIEGO BIRDING IN JANUARY I

My how time flies. It has already been two months plus since Phoebe joined the family. She has adjusted well and we are now getting help to   get her over her aggression toward other dogs. It is a slow process with first getting training in the usual obedience lessons.

December was full of family fun with both girls coming here to San Diego for Christmas. Then right after the first of the year I had cataract surgery on one eye. It is going well, and hopefully I can get the other eye done soon.

Before the surgery I went to La Jolla one morning to photograph the brown pelicans and other shore birds. Had a great time learning how good the upgrade in my equipment is. 

There were Sea Lions were right on the shore close to the wall,   

A Royal Tern

High Surf -

Pelicans flying high and low -

Heermann's Gulls were also about as well as Cormorants flying by with a purpose.

There were also pelicans in formations -

 

PHOEBE JOINS OUR FAMILY

A week ago, on Saturday, we adopted a dog from the Humane Society. Her name is PHOEBE.  She is four years old and a mix-breed of ChowChow and who knows what else. As you can see from the photos she is colored brown/black, has stubby ears, and expressive eyes. She weighs about 40 pounds and is just a little larger than our previous dog, Reba.

Phoebe in her new yard

Phoebe

She appears to be house trained and walks well on leash. She likes people, but is not friendly toward other dogs at the present time. I will be getting help in getting her over her aggressiveness. We will enroll in some classes as soon as she recovers from kennel cough. 

On Thanksgiving Day she was subjected to a bath in our tub. That was quite the experience for her and me. I almost got as wet as Phoebe. She took it all pretty well though I had nothing to keep the bathtub bottom from being so slippery. The bath did wonders to her coat as well.

Bath Time

This is not fun

Drying Off

 We are looking forward to Phoebe being with us. She appears to be settling into her new home, and likes what she is experiencing.

Checking out the Yard.

 

SIERRA FALL SHOW

This morning we headed up Big Pine Canyon to find some autumn color. We were successful and had a good time wandering around with our cameras. 

Fall Leaves

A FALLEN LEAF

Tree Detail

Big Pine Canyon Color

After about an hour we broke off and headed for Bishop Creek and North Lake. I had been able to research the area, and was hopeful that we would be close to the peak time for color. We stopped at several places along Rte. 168 and found some great opportunities. 

ASPEN TALL

SIERRA COLOR

GREEN AND GOLD

NEAR NORTH LAKE

We then pushed on to North Lake. As I was getting my gear out of the car, another Subaru Forrester drove up and the driver jumped out and haled me. It was a member of one of my camera clubs, The PhotoNaturalists C.C. 

NORTH LAKE AND REFLECTION

EASTERN SIERRA COLOR

YELLOW, GREEN & MTNS.

ASPEN QUILT

ASPEN COVERED ROAD

 We spent several hours up Bishop Creek and in the North Lake area. On the way back down we had to stop at a small grove of aspen that was directly in our view. It was a fun day with a number of photo opportunities. This ended our trip to Yosemite and the Eastern Sierras.

YOSEMITE - ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION - 6

FAREWELL TO YOSEMITE AND HELLO EASTERN SIERRAS

After breakfast we went our separate ways, Klara back to Idaho, and Tina and Justin back to Ohio. It was wonderful to all be together for the past four days.

  

LEMBERT DOME

DOG LAKE

George and I headed for the Tioga Pass Road and onto the Eastern Sierras. Along the way we took in the hike to Dog Lake and the view of Lembert Dome. Just after leaving the Park we turned off to the North to visit Saddlebag Lake where we had hiked and camped almost thirty years ago. 

SADDLEBAG LAKE

OLD MINING CAR

Then there was plenty of snow pack in the Sierras and the Lake was quite large. Today the lake is quite low with the shoreline being quite a distance from the boat launch area.

After walking around the area we were off to Bishop for a stop at the famous Schat’s Bakkery. Here we picked up a couple of loaves of bread for ourselves and friends, and deli sandwiches for dinner. We then headed for Big Pine, 13 miles down Rte. 395 to our motel. The Big Pine Motel is where we stay every year for Bishop Mule Days.

YOSEMITE - ANNIVERSARY CELBRATION - 5

 

SUNDAY – A GOOD DAY FOR A HIKE

Today we planned on a major hike. George wanted to hike up the Yosemite Falls Trail; and Klara and I joined him for this. We had hiked the trail together in 1967 with Klara in a primitive, by today’s standards, backpack

carrier, and I carrying a backpack with all the essential needs when hiking with an 11 month old, along with food and water for the day.

The trail started at Camp 4 and immediately started its ascent. First we hiked to Columbia Rock. Here we enjoyed a commanding view into the Canyon and East to Half Dome. 

NEEDLE TO RIGHT OF YOSEMITE FALLS

HALF DOME FROM COLUMBIA ROCK

TRAIL CAIRN TO ???

We proceeded another half mile up the trail and enjoyed the up-close view of what would normally be a powerful Upper Yosemite Falls. On this day it was dry and silent. 

A DRY FALLS

YOSEMITE FALLS, MARCH 2010

As we were enjoying our snack/lunch a young man was coming down the trail very slowly and deliberately. I was the first to comment and I was correct that he needed to be “PSAR’d”. (P-Preventative, S-Search, A-And. R-Rescue which is used to assess and assist a person who is having trouble on the trail that can lead to injury. (This is a term we learned and as George did patrols for this purpose at the North Rim, Grand Canyon.) After inquiry we learned that the man, Tony, had spent the night out on the Rim of the Canyon near the top of Yosemite Falls with no food, very little water, and only a poncho to keep him warm.

CANYON WALL

A CLOSER LOOK

We gave him all the water we could spare, and shared our food as well. While we talked you could see him begin to feel better, and his demeanor improved. Shortly he headed on down the trail and soon we followed. Later we passed him, and then I asked a group coming up the trail to give him some water when they met him, and they agreed to do that. Back down at Camp 4 we headed for the bathroom, and then the water spigot to get some water. As we were leaving there here came Tony. We were quite glad that he had made it down safe and sound. He still had to drive home, around the Fresno area, but after a rest and some food I am sure he did fine.

UNDER THE CANOPY

George and I are really happy that we did this hike even though this time we did not go it the top of the Falls. It would have been a challenge with the afternoon heat, and relentless sunshine above where we had stopped. There was no spray from a falls to help cool us off either.

WE DID IT!

GEORGE AND "BABY KLARA"

GEORGE AND KLARA

Tonight was our celebratory dinner at the Ahwanhee Hotel. The Ahwanhee is one of the premier lodges within the National Parks. It was designed by Gilbert Stanley Underwood.  Due to its remote location, the construction of The Ahwahnee was the most complex trucking endeavor of its day. Over 5,000 tons of stone, 1,000 tons of steel, and 30,000 feet of timber were hauled over the challenging mountain roads. To protect The Ahwahnee from fire, a fate of many of the Park's earlier hotels, its wood-like facade is actually concrete, poured into rough-hewn wooden forms and stained to look like redwood. It is a very majestic setting and the dinner and staff were delightful. There was no rushing and of course the setting is beautiful. We all enjoyed our meals and the ambiance.

AHWAHNEE HOTEL

AHWAHNEE DINING ROOM