Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

Oak tree

A lone oak tree seen from the train.

California Zephyr

The tracks through the foothills are often quite curved and once in a while out the window one can see about half the train on one of those curves.  Here are two engines, a mail car and two sleepers.  After the sleepers are the dining car, the lounge car, 2 coaches (our domain) and some special car, private I think.

Donner Lake

Most people see Donner Lake from the north side as they drive to Reno, so here's a different view - the south side from the train.

Boxcar

I will never again say anything about South American cities having a lot of graffiti; we have plenty right here!  Most fences and buildings along the railroad right-of-way are covered as are many railcars.  Did I mention something about trespassers yesterday? . . . .

Attention

On the weekend, Dick and I took a short rip to Reno, going and returning on the California Zephyr; isn't that a wonderful name for a train!  In Roseville's big switching yard, we saw this cautionary sign.  You'd think that anyone working for the railroad (and who else would/should be there?) would know this.  But then I guess there may be trespassers.

Hay bales

Hay bales in Toby's Feed Barn in Point Reyes Station.  This feed barn feeds lots of cows and other animals in West Marin.  But Toby's isn't just a feed barn: there is a gourmet coffee stand, a big gallery with rotating art shows, a gift shop, a vegetable stand, and once a week, a farmer's market.  It's an important institution in West Marin.

My next photo will be Tuesday morning.

Bear Valley Trail

This is Bear Valley Trail last Tuesday.  No fallen trees here except the small one on the left - but watch out for that big one next to it!

Blade of grass

Raindrops on a blade of Bear Valley grass - by special request (Hans).

Falling tree

I'm here to report exciting times on Bear Valley Trail Tuesday morning.  We have had quite a bit of rain this last week.  Hans, Bob and I had walked out three-quarters of a mile or so on the trail when I turned back and they went on.  About halfway back I heard a crack up the hill, then more cracking and a crash and I could see debris and rocks coming down the hill.  The falling tree was obscured by other trees until I walked on farther.  I think this is the tree that fell. 

Then after a bit I heard a big crack behind me and out of sight; I waited and there was no more sound.  Well!  When the others returned they told of a big 4-inch limb that lay across the road - where I had been walking!  And shortly before they got there!  We were all lucky.

Bird on a tree

Oh, to fly like a bird and sit in the very top of the tallest tree!

Sunrise

Sunday morning sunrise . . . .

Dogwood fruit

Did you know that dogwood trees bear fruit?  Doubtless the gardeners among you know this, but I didn't until I observed the little red fruits on our tree.  Research tells me that all dogwoods bear fruit of various sizes and degrees of flavor.  Ours is a pink dogwood, in case you are curious.

Tree

We saw this tree in Crockett last week.  Does anyone know what it is?  The little blue berries look edible but I wasn't about to try one to find out!

Raindrops

Tuesday it rained buckets here; we got over 6 inches in one day and it was our first rain for months.  For those who don't live in California: it doesn't rain here in the summer (generally).  Heavy rain isn't conducive to photography, but today, it drizzled and that can provide many opportunities.  All I have to do is go into the back yard and look for the raindrops!

Dahlia

You may recall a rose bud in a yard in Point Reyes Station awhile back. Now the fall weather must be just right for dahlias because the gardener has quite a few in pots and in the ground. This one hangs over the fence.

Horse mural

At the junction of San Pablo Avenue and Cummings Skyway, between Crockett and Rodeo, is this striking horse mural. The Crockett Chamber of Commerce rep says she thinks it was done by the owner of the property and she didn't know who that was. It seems to be taken for granted in the area - no big thing. Me - I think it's a wonder! That's a cow in the right of the picture.

A sign of our times

This warning sign may not be new to you but it is to me, even though it has probably been on this building and others like it since the Loma Prieta earthquake in the Bay Area in 1989. This building (not in Crockett!) is for rent and I don't think much of their chances of ever renting it.

Crockett pier

The Nantucket (seafood restaurant) is in the Crockett marina and this is the view from their deck. The pier looks like it could use a little repair but then I think it's probably not used much if this boat is the only thing that's ever tied up there.

Have you ever seen . . . .

Have you ever seen a trained motorcycle?

-sign for a restaurant on the marina in Crockett, California.

Orange window

Imagination creates a clever way to cover a window that would let passersby peek into a classroom. Nothing to see on the outside and beauty to see on the inside!

Graffiti

The water tank on the hill very near our house is covered with graffiti. What I want to know is - how? It is surrounded by a fence topped with barbed wire. And it appears that this is not an isolated incident, with designs on top of designs. I even suspect that the gray area happened when previous graffiti was painted over, just giving the 'artists' a new blank area to paint.

Young buck

A few days ago, we had a mature buck with a large rack right in our San Rafael yard, and today it's a much younger buck running across the Bear Valley Trail last Tuesday. His rack is just beginning!

Toxic spill

Thursday morning in Point Reyes Station we were warned of a toxic spill. The handmade sign was in the middle of the street and all we could see were the two puddles near the sign. When we returned about an hour later the sign was gone and the puddles were still there though considerably shrunken. A mystery!

Hmmmmm?

Hmmmmm? What is this? Unless I tell you I'll bet you will never guess that this is a decorated wall in a building. It's bamboo stapled on in a random pattern in the main dining room of Jason's Restaurant.

Good advice

Must be a stock broker's car . . . .

Grass and Black Mountain

At Bear Valley Trail the grass is tall and golden at this time of year. Black Mountain makes a nice backdrop.

New visitor

We had a new visitor in our yard yesterday. Here we see him lying near the orange tree - pretty relaxed - with his eyes half-closed. What a rack!

Sweet face

Yesterday at Corte Madera Creek, we had trouble getting any walking done because we were amused by 4 or 5 river otters, playing in the creek. It was hard to get a good shot at them because of plants along the shore, but here's one of a sweet face.

Clouds again

The Bear Valley clouds were so intriguing that another image is called for.