East Side

Well...it was a rideabout day....an excerpt:

"Look, a Redtail Hawk!"
"Oh, it's flown to that pine with it's prey!"
"Should I pull over?"
"Oh, heck...it's too late...no...go on."

"Oh, look a Coyote....it's by the skeleton of the road killed Deer!"
"Should I stop?"
"Oh, no....it's okay...continue on."

"Look!"
"Oh!...what is that...it's big!??
"Should I back up?"
"Oh...best not...there's a drop off...I think I got a pic...I think it was an Eagle!"

I certainly didn't expect that during the day I would be trying to photograph a Golden Eagle's flight from above!....We were coming back from a quick look at Magee Creek Canyon...and the Eagle lifted off a boulder on our left...crossed in front...and floated above the world below...I almost was quick enough to get a focused pic...and almost fell out the window!...the Redtail and the Coyote were on the freeway ride on the High Desert...couldn't possibly stop...and...oh...I could have gotten very close to them for pics!!

It was a fine day....when we arrived and parked at Convict Lake, Hawk...Redtail I think... was perched in a Pine right above the bridge over the outlet....the day did have a walkabout...a clockwise loop around the Lake...lots of fishermen...and day hikers with their pooches...I shouldn't say a lot...I imagine in the Summer it is packed!...clip of huge trout...and a clip of Nutcracker....on the Lake's North side I looked up and saw the two Golden Eagles above the Ridge...then when I got back to the Outlet Bridge I saw another scanning the sky to see if Hawk was still about!....from the books I gather they are young Eagles....

Took some scenics...and it is very scenic over there!....for sometime....took a brief tour of Mammoth..it's all condos!...and paused in the Meadows...took late afternoon pics....things are all boarded up...the store and grill canvas roof removed....no people at all in the morning pass through...and a few out in the Meadow in the afternoon...and a few cars at trail head parking...I napped a bit on the ride home...it was a long ride...but made good time and back in time for dinner at Last Chance...and talkabouts again!...sunny morning cool to warm and afternoon cool...a little breeze...didn't get out to the Creek...tried when I got back...but was waylaid for dinner!...missed stopping at the Mobil station...really like their food!!

Exploring the Canyons of the Eastern Sierra...I think that's the title of the guide book...has the story of the Old West dust up at Convict Lake...and discription of twenty five canyons between Bishop and Sonora.

The Walls make the Valley kinda cozy...feel a bit out of place with the long distances, horizons, and such!....and it's tough over there to get close to the critters...hence the blurry pics!!....a couple Chipmunk pics too...for sometime...