Wooded Hill Nature Trail - Mt. Laguna, CA

We hiked to the top of the world yesterday - our world . . . another public trail through our forest we've haven't explored yet . . . crunchy oak leaves, dried pine needles - we climbed a couple of hundred feet to the top of a mountain lookout (about 6,200 ft).



We weren't totally sure where the mile and a half trail would take us. When we came to the ridge the view was stunning.


We sat and waited for the sun to start to set. We couldn't wait too long or we'd be caught in the forest after dark.



On our walk back down the mountain we found an old ammo box on a pole beside the trail. Inside was a Ziplock bag loaded with little scraps of paper - with messages scribbled from other hikers who made the trek (first time we've seen one of those up here - fun). ~N

Fall is Happening!

The wind is starting to howl at night and our temps are dropping into the 30's. Oak leaves are glowing like neon lights! ~N

Shattered and Entered

Our neighbors cabin was broken into last week.


The cabin right next to ours was also broken into last week.

We talked at length with the Border Patrol in front of our friends cabin. They've been broken into 4 times now since June! Since only food, water and clothing are taken, the Border Patrol feel illegals are targeting these cabins - desperate for supplies to get through our mountains. Our friends 2 frying pans were found in a 'camp' up on the hill behind our cabins.



The officers took the 2 frying pans off the mountain into their offices. Here's one of the officers hiking the 2 stolen pans back up the hill to replace them in the camp. They explained to us "We have our methods of catching these people!" I sure hope so. ~N

Big Hike to Big and Little Laguna Lakes

The trail to Big Laguna Lake stretched before us, following a fence that keeps hikers out of a endangered butterfly field.



Over some hills and through a forest we hiked down to Big Laguna Lake with a name nearly bigger than the water it now holds.

Cows graze on National Forest land - these were in the mud at the waters edge.


Hiking in that area called for a sharp eye --



We nearly stepped on the crispy corpse of half a toad. Perhaps they don't taste good enough for seconds.


And flattened into our trail was a small lizard that didn't move fast enough.

Our 3-1/2 hr hike yesterday finished at Little Laguna Lake - not a lake in August, but foot high soft rich meadow grass that blew in ripples with the afternoon wind. ~N

A Hike to Laguna Meadow

We hiked a new trail. Most of the major ones are well marked here in Mt. Laguna.


Tall stalks of wild plants grew thick throughout the oak and pine fields we first crossed.


Our hike continued to the far side of that distant meadow. An old cattle trough was filled by a dripping pipe from a spring up the hill.



Hiking up the other side of Laguna Meadow we turned towards the west and the setting sun.

Our 2 hr+ hike ended along a mountain ridge. We finished our walk after dark - I love this country so much! ~N

Upper, middle and lower Earth

We hiked for several miles Friday afternoon - across meadows, over a stream (mostly dried up now), up mountain sides until we reached this view. It's one of my favorites from a place we've named Cedar Ridge. This is our backyard looking west towards San Diego over a number of mountain ranges, sometimes more visible than at other times.


This is middle earth, knee level - what our woods look like (in places) as we followed some deer trails. There were no human trails where we hiked, but mostly we could follow animal paths. We carried a GPS too so we wouldn't get lost.



And this was our view from toe level. Lots of wildflowers still blooming this third week in June. ~N

An evening walk in the woods

Last night as the sun was setting I found some weeds.


Our oaks are finally getting their leaves. Lower elevations than our mountains at 6200 ft, have had green leaves for a month now. ~N

You Don't Look Like My Mama!!

Down Los Huecos, deep from the hollow of a dying Black Oak, 4 chicks (Stellar's Jays I believe) stared intently, but quietly, at me. They moved very little and were totally silent. We waited patiently about 20 yards away, but the parents never came to the nest. ~B

A broken bird

I raced outside this morning to check on the little bird who crashed into the window right beside my laptop while I was reading email. He was limp and totally unresponsive, I think his neck was broken. I feel bad that I just cleaned and hung our hummingbird feeder here at the cabin this week (the hummingbirds disappear from these mountains during the winter) - like inviting someone over and then they die. ~N

Evening Walk

One evening we lingered in the small mountain town of Julian to walk the back streets. As the light mellowed we came across a small, plain and empty shed for rent. The sun set; the light warmed. A few minutes early the building was only a rusty block of sheet metal. Now it took on beautiful colors and was transformed. I wondered "should I rent it? And what could I do with it?" ~B

Won Year!

We celebrated our first year owning the cabin (May 21st). For breakfast we toasted with some Bailey's Irish Creme and a chickadee who loves to perch on our glasses.


For lunch we toasted with some sparkling white wine. A Steller's Jay hopped around eyeing our fresh strawberries and cheese.

After dinner we toasted for the third time with mugs of Keoki coffee and a piece of Julian pie. ~N

Lights of the woods

I walked into our meadow this evening to take this photo of the cabin lights (and a photograher at the corner of the deck) -


--- who took this photo and caught my red focus light with his long exposure.

~N

Patrolling the Meadow

This morning a Red-Tailed Hawk landed atop a tall Jeffrey Pine overlooking the meadow. For about 15 minutes he/she sat quietly watching. Finally responding to some hidden signal (or just out of boredom?) and with a singled strong beat of wing, our hawk was gone. ~B

Critters

Each day we never know what 'critters' we will find around the cabin. One day - a Garter Snake. Another - a Coyote wanders through the meadow. Then - a Mule Deer sneaks past a neighbor's cabin. And there are always the Acorn Woodpeckers flying in the Jeffrey Pines. ~B

The Early Bird

Our newest best friend is a chickadee who waits at our door each morning. He will hop all over inside toolboxes left out, looking for seeds. If we don't get sunflower seeds out of the bottle fast enough, he just helps himself.

~N

Wesley the Owl

We both read the book 'Wesley the Owl' by Stacey O'Brien. When she was scheduled to speak at the Julian library we were anxious to hear her.

Stacey was a CalTech student 30 yrs ago and had the opportunity to adopt a day old (injured/not releasable) barn owl from the research lab where she worked. She had Wesley for 19 years and her book read like raising a demanding infant all those years . . . with the exception, when Wesley was full grown - as male barn owls he became very protective of her (trying to feed her dead mice). He also mated with her arm almost daily.

Her story is fascinating and it was wonderful to see slides and movie clips of their years together.


I don't know how clearly you can see this, but they would cuddle every night. He would fall asleep on her chest. She said the publisher insisted on seeing these because they almost didn't believe her story. Barn owls aren't supposed to do these things with humans. Stacey discovered otherwise. ~N

BIG FOOT!

Our smiling wind chime with bells (see post below) looked like BIG FOOT with icicle claws in the deck light last night. It's been snowing for 2 days now! ~N

This is April in Southern California??

The past few days have been sunny and getting warmer - we began to paw through the piles of clothes on the bed looking for our shorts. BUT this morning we woke to "white". The flowers, green grasses and meadow were covered with a couple of inches of snow. Throughout the day winds gusted and snows flurried. And the rusty old windchime we jokingly call our 'yak bells' was rimed with snow. ~B

Wings on our Window

We didn't hear the bang but woke up to this image left over from the collision with our window - one of the Stellar's Jays that begs for peanuts every morning (we're pretty sure).

And just as we were checking the grass below for any injuries - BANG!


A robin with a huge worm dangling from its beak, flew into the window and mashed the worm that seemed to pop and explode on the glass. The robin was just fine. It flew to a nearby tree, fluffed itself on a branch, still holding on to its breakfast - a little more tenderized perhaps? ~N

Desert Sunset

On the edge of Clark Dry Lake in the Anza Borrego Desert we stopped to photograph the few flowers we could find. With above average rain this winter the expectation was that the flowers would be spectacular. However, only a few were there. But the mountains to the north of the lake were lit by the setting sun as we packed our gear and left. ~B

Feels like Spring

Driving through Japatul Valley (near Alpine, CA) this afternoon - the grass is spring green, the air is warm and the setting sun hung over this field like it had no where to go. ~N

A Class Act

I'm not sure if he has dishpan hands after these photos or not. ~N

The Snowflakes were this Big!!!

Some people don't know when to come in out of a blizzard. ~ B