Valley View

It was still rainy out early this morning, and I thought no chance for Tioga Road to be open, so slept in...on the way to Last Chance for Breakfast, checked the Road Conditions Board in the Lobby, and Tioga indeed closed....not sure just how closed, and wondering if I had Tire Chains I could maybe be able to get to Tuolumne, I hopped in Silver and rolled over to the Village...asked mechanic at Breakfast if the Garage carried Chains, they do, and after ferreting out a place to park, enquired about chains...'cables, 170'..,,'oh, thanks anyway'....rolled back to the Cabin and ferreted out Tire Chains on line...ordered up some, 84 plus shipping...if they work okay, I'll order another pair for all four tires--Silver being a 4x4...oh, but before returning, I checked in the Wilderness Center about the Road, and learned Road was only closed at the Pass...'you can go as far as Tuolumne'....this about one, and on hearing this, I went back over to the Garage, but all gone to Lunch...so by maybe some out of synchness, I didn't buy the Cable Chains, and didn't go to Tuolumne, which was all probably just as well!...as after doing laundry, having lunch, and watching some TV, it was still rainy out.....I haven't been following the weather forecasts too close, and I'm a bit mystified where all the Rainy Clouds are coming from!...anywayanyway, around four, I pursued an old wish to get a Storm Clearing pic from Tunnel View...in all seven years I've been here, I have only one such pic, taken on a diverted return from Hite Cove Flower expedition, when friends drove to the Tunnel on a Spring Rainy Day....pic is still in the little film can, waiting for development, somewhere hereabout...so I arrived at the View, and tried for a pic with the new camera and a 50 mm lens--dont know what I was thinking....newer camera with the zoom was out of the question...and so took a couple pics with the waterproof and it's tiny wide angle lens, and only time for a couple, as CloudFog rolled in, and obscured everything, much to the consternation of the gathered photogs!!...with not much to see, and not much daylight left, I rolled out through the Tunnel and up to Glacier, parked, and made a Rim Hike for an hour...quiet...Juncos, and one Flicker, and lots of Chirckarees piping, but hidden...nice hike, and cool to be cold...there was just a bit of Snow beside the Road...the rollabout thereabout and back was kinda treacherous because of the CloudFog, and the Road all wet...rolled slow, but dont think I held up traffic...think everyone preferred slow!....cloudy grey rainy, all day...returning from Lunch, I sighted a Flock of Robbins busy eating the Seeds on the Perfect Dogwood, and I noted all were nearly eaten....concerned, I checked the Dogwoods in the Backyard, and Robins had been busy there too!...Dogwoods have a good crop of Seeds this Fall, and I've been waiting for the Leaves to turn color, and for Flickers, and Robins, and DownyOrHairy Woodpeckers, and Pileated Woodpeckers, to be all there together for pics!...hooey!...Leaves are still green...and now no Seeds...