Picket Pins Playing

Almost missed the Hikers Bus Monday morning...out the Cabin Door, .checked my Pocket Watch that hangs from my Camera Bag, and it was eight twenty--time for the Bus to leave....so I trotted with Pack and all along the Road, until I sorta wore out, and slowed to a walk... but Bus delayed by late ticket purchasers, so, good luck....slept some on the Bus....glimpsed Big Wings overhead when just past Lake Tenaya...had eaten Breakfast at Last Chance early, so, after a purchase at the Store, lunch bags to put croissants and such in, I paddled out to my favorite spot near Sept. 1915 Bridge, leaned the Pack against a Lodgepole Pine, and used it for a Pillow...before napping, sighted Picket Pins playing...pic and clip.....napped, then caught the Shuttle to Sunrise Trial Head, which is at the West end of Tenaya...it's about five miles to Sunrise from Tenaya, much of it up, andand, four hours later I arrived, sorta wore out!....quiet hike...Kinglet pic and clip for sometime....quiet at Sunrise too, but near Sunset, saw Very Big Wings soar overhead across the Meadow to the Trees and Rocks....Big Wings banked, and went into the Trees, or beyond , down the Canyon thereabout...being wore out, I thought to stay put at the Tent, but paddled out to the Rocks and Trees to looksee..no luck, but the Meadow has a small Stream that goes out to the Canyon....Stream wasn't flowing, too low to pass a Stone Barrier, and there were lots of Ponds...pics for sometime....sat awhile and looked out over the Canyon, a Dome to my left....thought to scramble up it, but Dome looked a little too steep....on returning to the Tent, sighted Mountain Blue Birds and Robins in the Meadow...tried for pics...and a Flower I hadn't seen before...pic for sometime.... back to the Tent at nearly Dark, and snacked...all I had along were bagles, and orange apple, banana, cream cheese, grapes, cheese, strawberries, and a gator aid....saved enough for the next morning, and stretched out in the Tent and watched the Half Moon and Stars through the Black Trees...oh....two Nuthatches and Juncos by the Tent...but no luck with pics...had the odd thought that maybe the ancient Egyptians used the dark silhouettes of Pyramids and Obelisks against the Night Sky and Stars for their Astronomy....had along Twelfth Night on ipod, and listened to one or two acts....fumbled getting it to work, with sound at full, the earphone plug unplugged...for a little device, the ipod has a big sound, and likely was a curio to the nearby campers....Sunrise is a crowded Campsite, a contrast to the solitude of Mono Pass the week before, which I didn't object too...to be continued....Today: after Breakfast, Shuttled through the Crowded Valley to the Village for errands, and then out to the Apple Tree Orchard in Siberia to the Campground Office to see if I could get Campground for my sister and her kids....Valley Camps filled through October with reservations....but was given phone number to call for possible cancellations...best I could do....walked over to the Shuttle Stop by the Tents, sighted tourists taking pics of White Headed Woodpecker Pair....farfar away pics...caught the Shuttle, and hopped off at Lower Falls....paddled back to the Creek and sat awhile...very quiet...time, and to work.....tropical cloud cover, clearing in the afternoon, sunny hot...at Lunch: paddled out through the Woods to Owl Log...this takes awhile, and only ten minutes to sit on the Log....quietquiet....one Blue Jay, one Song Sparrow, about...bit of a breeze maybe reason for quiet...report of Redtail Hawk, and Sooty Grouse with Two Chics on Mount Hoffman--this on Monday...