Photo taken November 27th, 2012 Shorebird Park, Berkeley Continue reading »
Monthly Archives: November 2012
Building Forts! Adventure Playground, Berkeley
The Adventure Playground in Berkeley… the only place I know in the San Francisco Bay Area where kids are encouraged to get creative with saws, hammers & nails, and paints to build forts. And play on their creations! Photos from our school field trip to the playground yesterday… For more information, check out this post … Continue reading »
Deer on the Hill
It’s been a while since I’ve taken any photos of the deer that graze on the hill behind our home. You may also enjoy: The Baby Deer Another Favorite… The Coyote Continue reading »
Seymour Marine Discovery Center, Santa Cruz
The Seymour Marine Discovery Center, located in Santa Cruz on the bluffs above the Monterey Bay, is a true gem. Don’t expect the grandeur of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, but be prepared for a smaller, quieter, more intimate experience here. The location is phenomenal. On a clear day, the views can’t be beat. Inside the … Continue reading »
Explore the Tide Pools, Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz
When the tide is low, head out to the rocky, north end of Natural Bridges State Beach to explore the tide pools. Look for sea stars, hermit crabs, sea anemones, sea urchins, and more. So fun! For more information about Natural Bridges State Beach, visit the California State Parks website… http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=541 If you’re here between … Continue reading »
Monarch Butterfly Nature Preserve, Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz
Within Natural Bridges State Beach, in Santa Cruz, you’ll find the Monarch Butterfly Nature Preserve, a grove of eucalyptus trees where thousands of Monarch Butterflies spend the winter each year. The butterflies may be viewed by taking a short 0.75 mile Monarch Trail loop through the Preserve, or by simply taking the short, wheel-chair accessible … Continue reading »
Silent Saturday: Swan, Heron
A pond in Santa Cruz, California November 23rd, 2012 Continue reading »
Special Photo Challenge: Inspiration
What inspires me to blog? Sharing the natural beauty I see, hoping to inspire others to head outdoors, too. Sentinel Dome, Yosemite Photo taken by my husband, June, 2012 *** Special Photo Challenge: Inspiration Continue reading »
Happy Thanksgiving!
My little Wanpanoag is ready for the feast! For those of you in the U.S., enjoy your time with family and friends today. Continue reading »
Crissy Field, San Francisco
On Monday morning, my husband and I went for a run out at Crissy Field in San Francisco (while our so rode his bike). This is my absolute favorite spot to run in the Bay Area. Luckily, it’s also an awesome trail for kids to ride bikes! I took a couple photos from the East … Continue reading »
Botanic Garden, Tilden Regional Park, Berkeley
Another place we love to visit in Tilden Regional Park is the Botanic Garden. I enjoy experiencing the seasonal changes of this garden throughout the year. These images are from our visit on Sunday, November 18th, 2012, on a quiet morning after two days of rain. Interested in going? The Regional Parks Botanic Garden is … Continue reading »
Jewel Lake Trail, Tilden Nature Area, Berkeley
The Jewel Lake Trail in Tilden Regional Park is a great hike to do with little kids. The loop is about a mile, is mostly flat, and has a fun variety of things to see and do. I like to take my son on this walk whenever we’re in the Tilden Nature Area, usually to … Continue reading »
Weekly Photo Challenge: Green
Photos taken November 18th, 2012 Tilden Regional Park, Berkeley *** Weekly Photo Challenge: Green Continue reading »
Feed the Animals! Tilden Little Farm, Berkeley
The Tilden Little Farm, located within Tilden Regional Park in Berkeley, is a favorite destination for just about every little kid I know. For over a week now, my five-year-old has been begging me to take him there to feed the animals, so we headed over today. Here’s a little history of the Farm, from … Continue reading »
BMX Fun, Memorial Park, San Ramon
A favorite after school activity… playing with friends at the local BMX park! Memorial Park, San Ramon, CA Continue reading »
Backyard Birds: Sparrows
We now have both juvenile White-crowned Sparrows and juvenile Golden-crowned Sparrows visiting our yard. Now that I can see both, frequently side-by-side, I can clearly see the difference. The one I thought last week was a Golden-crowned Sparrow is definitely a White-crowned one. Here are a few photos of the fist-year Golden-crowned Sparrows who visited … Continue reading »
Weekly Photo Challenge: Renewal
Renewal, to me, is when the hills begin to turn green after our first few rains. We typically go for five-six months without rain here in the San Francisco East Bay, so the grasses are pretty brown and thirsty by this time of year. It’s lovely to see the hills “renewing” already! The hill behind … Continue reading »
Acorn Woodpecker, Sunol Regional Wilderness
Wow, I can really see how this bird got its name!! There were four Acorn Woodpeckers busy pecking holes in this tree and filling them with their stash. From the Cornell Lab of Ornithology All About Birds site… “Their social lives are endlessly fascinating: they store thousands of acorns each year by jamming them into … Continue reading »
Silent Saturday: Little Yosemite, Sunol Regional Wilderness
Images from my hike this morning on the trail to Little Yosemite in Sunol Regional Wilderness… You may also enjoy: Silent Saturday: Sunol Regional Wilderness Continue reading »
Neighborhood: Flowers
Photos taken on our neighborhood walk, November 6th, 2012 Continue reading »
Neighborhood: Leaves on the Ground
More photos from our November 6th “Signs of Fall Walk”. Related post: Neighborhood: Leaves in Transition Continue reading »
Neighborhood: Lizard
We enjoyed a walk around our neighborhood yesterday, to look for some “signs of fall” and to collect leaves. It was another hot day here in the San Francisco East Bay… in the 80′s! This does not feel like November, but we can’t complain. The lizards are loving it, too! Also from this walk: Neighborhood: … Continue reading »
Neighborhood: Leaves in Transition
Yesterday, I took a “Signs of Fall Walk” with my 5-year-old son. This is what we found… leaves in transition. Photos taken November 6th, 2012 Continue reading »
Backyard Birds: Steller’s Jay
For months, I’ve been trying to capture a photo of the jay that visits the feeder in our backyard. Finally! Continue reading »
Weekly Photo Challenge: Geometry
Boardwalk over LaRiviere Marsh Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Newark, California Photos taken November 3rd, 2012 For more photos from this walk, see Silent Saturday: LaRiviere Marsh Trail, Don Edwards S.F. Bay National Wildlife Refuge *** Weekly Photo Challenge: Geometry Continue reading »
Backyard Birds: Golden-Crowned Sparrow?
I need help identifying this bird. It’s been visiting our yard in the San Francisco East Bay for about a month now. At first, I thought it was an immature White-crowned Sparrow, but now I’m thinking it’s an immature Golden-crowned Sparrow. With Project FeederWatch coming up, I want to make sure I have the right … Continue reading »
Silent Saturday: LaRiviere Marsh Trail, Don Edwards S.F. Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Photos from a hike I took this morning with my son at Don Edwards S.F. Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Newark, California . We walked the the short 0.7 mile walk around the LaRiviere Marsh Trail, beginning at the Visitor Center. Continue reading »
Backyard Birds: California Towhee
Now that the weather is cooling down, the bird activity in our backyard seems to be picking up. Continue reading »
The Ninja
Hope you all had a great Halloween! Continue reading »
