Two Fawns

At Lunch: paddled out to Ozone Beach, and sighted tourists sighting Mama Doe and Two Fawns, and another Doe, out at Cottonwood Bend...coffee in hand, paddled up along the Merced's Shore for pics up....sunny hothot blue....at work, during break, read story in paper, Mairposa Gazzette, about planned Tree cutting in the Valley...brb...here's one link:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/08/yosemite-trees-to-be-chopped-down-for-prettier-views.php

The prosepect is a curio, and one wonders if the 'restoring meadows, and restoring views' refrain is a canard....Cedars and Ponderosas about the Cabin, and Rooms, are from time to time tagged with blue paint, or ribbons--notice a tree is ready for the lumbermen, and I've seen these tags by the A Rooms too...being a bit protective of the Tree in the Door Cedar, I take notice...

Two Fawns

Shuttled to the Village after Breakfast, and sighted through the Window,Two Fawns, with tourists looking on, trotting about the Backyard...Fawns still about on return, resting with Mama Doe...pic up....sunny hothot blue...snoozed and watched tv most all day...paddled out to Creek's End at Last Light...Mallard, Phoebe, Robin calls, Ravens, likely. soaring high on the Rim....

Two Fawns

At Lunch: sat awhile at Ozone Beach (yesterday, Two Sandpipers about), and after awhile sighted Mama Doe and Two Fawns at Cottonwood Bend....set the coffee cup down and paddled over for pics....after Work: rolled up to Chinquapen on half chance a photo op sighting the fire, which could be seen, but farfar away strung along in patches along a Ridge....fire doesn't look to be moving along the River (print of topo map passed around at work), but..brb...on the map was yubante.com, and which is here:
http://yubanet.com/CAFires/Motor.php

Two Fawns

On the way to early Breakfast, sighted Mama Doe and Two Fawns under the Perfect Dogwood, just as yesterday Morning...pic...still too dark with little contrast...hmmph...sunny hot blue, last two days, there has been some tropical overcast, and humid, but  today dryer with breeze, which hasn't been good for the firefighters...late report that the NPS facilities and El Portal have been evacuated...manadatory, as they might say nowabout in NYC...brb...maybe can find link to pics...here's link to Modesto Bee take:
http://www.modbee.com/2011/08/27/1833750/wildfire-near-yosemite-grows.html

Two Fawns

At Lunch: sat awhile at Ozone Beach...sighted Mama Doe on the way...didn't sight Fawns (pic up from yesterday), Mallard about...and heard peeping call--Young Merganser...didn't have camera with, so no pic...Merganser paddled my way, diving and looking for Fish (which were hopping), and paddled by out toward Cotonwood Bend...Phoebe about...sunny hot blue, smokey....heared the Bird call again this early Morning...but didn't sight, this over by Lower Falls...try again tomorrow...might be Fledgeling Raven...well...the call repeats, and is one note, with kinda the tone of Acorn Woodpecker...hmmph...hope Bird will be about tomorrow!!...oh..forgot earthquake..small one wednesday morning...centered in Mammoth...about 4 am...

I've linked this blog before, and here again--well worth a looksee....bit jealous, and apparently blogger drives jeep too...hmmph..(scroll, at least, through posts: winter wren to bobcat, coyote, and elk)
http://jwallphoto.blogspot.com/

no pics today

Power's out again...posting from Last Chance, which is on generator, and, Snow certainly isn't the cause this time, but the more usual one for this time a year--a Fire down in the Merced Canyon...sunny hothot blue, smokey in the afternoon...in the Morning, was on way to Breakfast early, and heard Bird call I didn't recognize over by Lower Falls...diverted, and tried very hard to sight...Bird perched here and there on Snags aways up Rocky Slope...I followed aways up in my flip flops,,,but couldn't get clear view..one far away pic...for tomorrow, if I dont get better..will listen again...on return, under the Perfect Dogwood, Mama Doe and Two Fawns...pic for sometime...brb....well...I looked about for Fire news, and overheard family next to me saying they were from El Portal, and have evacuated, though it is only now voluntary...and they say a full on effort is underway to fight the Fire....Fire is in maybe in the most rugged terrain thereabout (Foresta Bridge about).....

no pics today

no time for post up either!...midnight has become wow (world of warcraft) time....ten minutes to rendezvous....sunny hothot blue hereabout today...

Rim Sunset

Late Afternoon, picked up snack from Last Chance, vegy pizza, gator aid, and rolled up to the South Rim....walked out to the Meadows...snacked and swatted Mosquitoes...quiet..Nuthatch, Raven, Douglas Squirrel, not sighted, only heard...on return, took Meadow Flower pics...for sometime...and along the Road from BadgerBadger to Chinquapin, each pullout had a Sunset view...Smoke from control burn added to color...pics...a bit before the Tunnel, Bear full galloped across the Road down Slope...

Forest at Last Light
Bear galloping down the Slope
A sure footed Shade

Lizard

No pics today...sunny hot blue, few clouds in the afternoon...report of Bobcat by the Rooms, and A. Meadow....pic up is Spiny Lizard, I think, and local was nearing Tonopah on way to GBNP...new lizard, for me...

Mama Doe And Two Fawns

At Lunch: sat awhile on the Long Curved Log that floated from Creek's End, and is now wrapped around the Cottonwoods at Ozone Beach...quiet...Four Mallards, and several Phoebes, or maybe Pee Wees...tried for pic to id once and for all...but too far away...on return, sighted Mama Doe and Two Fawns...pics and shaky clip...very near to sending away for Canon's latest S series point and shoot..I can hold those steady to do clips, and newest has a really long reach...report, part of yesterday's report, of Mama Ringtail with Little Ringtails at Degnan's....sunny hot blueblue...it was breezy in the Merced Canyon yesterday...often early in the morning there is a breeze....oh!...a tourist kid was in Last Chance waving about a Falcon Feather...tried to ask dad where Feather was found...and after some pantomime across a language gulf, ''in the car we rented,'...hmmph....but it reminds me to check about web for Falcon reports on the Rims...

Deer

Well, after two late night efforts, the first night a struggle that nearly diverted the whole thing, I finally mounted four pics on mat board, which was supposed to be maybe a different board, but was white, and the pics are kinda out of line, two more than kinda, but they're clean and good prints, and, anyway, I rolled down to Mariposa early this morning, and delivered the pics for the Fair, at the wrong time.."I have to work tonight."..."Oh, okay, bring them in, and I'll deliver them..."...a kindly recpetionist!!!...just before Gates of the Valley, sighted Two Bucks and Two Does wading across the Merced...pulled over, and good opportunity for pics in the Morning Light, but just a few pics...time....on return sighted one ro Doe, and Big Wings, Redtail I think, almost flew into Silver's Windshielf...sunny blueblue hot, bit of smoke in the Canyon..friend report Redtail perched on captured Squirrel aside the Road in Oakhurst...'woouldn't move for anything!"..."Yes, Hawk is like that!"

no pics today

...sunny blueblue hot today....sat awhile at Ozone Beach at Lunch...quiet...Robins, Acorn Woodpecker....

Long Valley

On the rollabout, I've added the routine of stopping at the View Sites, Historical Sites, and such...and thereabout are the Pedestal Signs telling a Story...at the one overlooking Lake Crowley (famous for fishing), the White Mountains in the Far Distance, was one Sign telling the Story of a Giant Volcano...I mean giant!!....but a longlong time ago...though, in talk with geologist friend, geologists take a keen interest in the East Side, and the whole Basin and Range...it's kinda there Happy Place....anyway, all along 395 there are Jeffery Pines growing on stumpy crenelated Red Rock Bluffs....'Oh, yes, they stretch from Bridgeport to the Owens Valley. When the Volcano erupted, molten material lofted into the sky, and fell back to solidify into those bluffs." ....See pic of sign...... "Mt. Tom is a bit of a curio?"..."Yes.".....no pics today...sighted Mama Doe and Two Fawns on way to work...along with gaggle of tourists! 

Link of the Day: http://www.terrywrightgeology.com  

Whirling Phalaropes

Late start, but made a long rollabout, all the way to Owen's Valley Overlook, North of Bishop on 395..then back to the North Shore of Mono Lake to see what Birds are about...Wilson's Phalaropes this time....faraway digi pics and clip..took awhile...tourists kept coming to the Little View Platform...bouncebounce...two came with wine and fruit...and talked and visited quietly with one another while I was doing pics...and didn't invite me!...hmmph...a fine day though..sunny blueblue hot along 395...cool in Tuolumne...Flowers still blooming along Tioga...saw One Hawk...and lost sight right overhead..Hawk just disappeared during a blink..so no pic..had hoped to see Big Wings...but just Buzzards, and too many ro Deer aside the
Road....more to report, and pics, for sometime....oh...Phalaropes a new bird, for me...

no pics today

Towards evening, paddled back to Creek's End and sat awhile until Last Light...Two Mallards, about..too dark clips.....Phoebe, Robins, Mallard flybys, and One Bat...quiet....still some Logs about, so can sit when the River goes down a bit more...mosquitoes down too....a snoozy sleepy day...sunny hot smokey...kids back in school, so not so many tourists about....pic up is from wow...

"I was in the Den, pursuing Grelkin, and another character shows up...and I thought another player, and they fired off arrows and other things at the Grelkin....I tried to chat, being somewhat taken..."

"And you realized it was a computer character?..."

"Yes...dissappointed....butbut, after a bit, was taken again!...and sad to finish the quests, we having slain Rageclaw, and sad to click goodbye."


woops...Grelkin reside at Fel Rock...forget at moment the Denizens of the Den.....

Deer Tracks Beach Birds

On the way up the Slope from Deer Tracks Beach (by Westport), a few of the Little Birds I had heard in the Vegetation came into view...and I've yet to id them....soon as I do, I'll post names...no pics today...sunny hot smokey blue, and an orange full moon....Bird on right was being fed by Bird on left, and oddly,  left Bird looks smaller...Yellow Bird is American Goldfinch (may have seen before at Merced Wildlife Refuge)...oh...and at the Top of the Slope, a temptation!!

Yellow Headed Blackbird

Nearing Tonopah, on the way to GBNP, I paused at a Rest Stop for snack, lunch meat sandwich from Lee Vining Mobil!...Pigeons about...McDonald's Sparrows (the Sparrows that are always by MacDonald's, it seems!), and a new bird, for me, Yellow Headed Blackbird...several Blackbirds perched in Tamarask?...at Lunch: sat awhile at Ozone Beach (Sandpiper's looked to have left)...Four Mallards, Young Merganser, Robins, Blue Jay...quiet....sunny hot blue, some hazy clouds....it was Low Desert at the Stop...on the approach, landscape had the look of Death Valley...each Basin was unique, from high to low Desert flora...

no pics today

hmmph...the newest computer is a toshiba satellite L745-54210....the other night, while doing a post, ready to 'publish' in fact, the cursor froze, and I was really stuck...could turn the computer off with start button hold down..but when started up again, still screen with frozen cursor...and this is using the touch pad....plugged in the external mouse I got (just to play wow!), and cursor worked fine...after some web searches looking at post ups about this problem, I was mislead into thinking there was a problem..dont put all ones trust in web discussions!...anyway, I must have accidentally hit wrong key, and turned off the touch pad...if one has a computer like this, press fn (key next to ctrl) and f9--and that brings up the touch pad off and on...and the answers to all problems are probably in the online manual at toshiba site...but who reads manuals!!!....doing without the touch pad helped with playing wow...with the external mouse, I mouse about much faster...anywayanyway...at lunch: sat awhile in Owl Woods...Phoebe, Robin, Two Mallard flyby, Blue Jay...maybe Tanager or Grosbeak call....report of Bobcat with Squirrel near Merced by the A Rooms...tourist came into Last Chance with Owl feather in hat...hmmph...on reviewing the blog, all the small w's look like they haven't struck the ribbon hard enought to print!..they're a  bit indistinct and faded!!

Finch And Marmot

Clip up from last Tuesday in Tuolumne...Cassin's Finch and Marmot...no pics today...sunny hot smokey....fire is a control burn that started as a lightning strike on one Old Snag...WOW has become part of the routine...and I'm finding that sleeing right up to work time is just as well...makes a kinda normal schedule...so...nitynight now is like four am!!...hmmph...

quote
Through the years and increasing sickness, Cassin remained a bird fanatic, in his own words: "Did you say anything about California birds? …I am gone in that direction—totally gone—the Ornithological incubus or monomania—or old man of the sea—or goitre—or whatever it may be under which I have labored now for twenty years …took the direction of California birds…."
http://www.towhee.net/history/cassin.html
endquote

Owl Pellets

When at Great Basin National Park, I hurried back from the Bristlecone Pine Trail and Alpine Lake Trail (pics for sometime), to try and reach the Lehman Cave afternoon cave tour....just before Three, I started up the Visitor Center steps thereabout, and sighted ranger out front calling for stragglers for the Tour..."am I in time to take the tour?" NO was the answer, and the Ranger abruptly turned about to  begin the tour...somewhat dissappointed,  I went into the Visitor Center, and while looking at the Books, overheard conversations at the Desk...apparently the Cave Tour is very popular, with a kinda make a reservation ahead of time..though I'm not so sure how that works...and as GGNP is kinda out in the middle of nowhere....I mean, the Basin and Range countryside may define 'nowhere'!....it is vast....and someone, like myself, that finds a place like the Carizzo Plain charming, is just overwhelmed!....but being in the middle of nowhere, when people arrive, they are not quite sure how to get about...a headsup: make a reservation for the Cave Tour...and for Campgrounds too--didn't seem to be too many with facilities...oh....it is a difficult place to visit!....but no crowds, 'cept for the  Cave Tour, I think...anyway, I continued looking at the Books...Book looking is a kinda conjuring effort for me....and I lighted on: The Great Basin, People and Place in Ancient Times....Book is a history of the ancient people and ancient Fauna and Flora of the Basin and Range....part of the Blog effort has been to get a sense of the present day Fauna and Flora in the Valley, and how it compares with previous times......I have a post in the works called '24 Species'...one of the old accounts lists 24 Park Species of Birds that can be said to be the Valley Resident Species....manymany Species just pass through, or are seasonal visitors, but I want to scope out how many of these 24  I've recorded in the Blog...anywayanyway, what I'm working on is a Now and Then, or Then and Now!....Anderson Cooper just did one in Somalia coverage....he was in Mogadishu 19 years ago, and made much the same comments he's making in the recent broadcasts....while watching the tv, a comment I made in a thread on the net, or what passed for the net, about twenty years ago (1988 about)  was, 'The Planet is Drying Out!'. came to mind....what ever ones view of the global warming notion is, there is one irrefutable fact, things are getting dryer...which doesn't make much sense, considering how big the Oceans are, but my thought is that for Rain to be made, the Sun needs to heat the Ocean...the Sun is getting cooler....or is sometimes blocked by dust or something...anyway anyway...consider:

Owl Pellets

quote

These pellets accumulate beneath the roost and over time and generations of owls build up into a deposits that contain millions of bones and other faunal remains. Holmstead Cave, a small shelter near Great Salt Lake, holds an 11,000-year record of faunal changes in the form of accumulated owl pellets.
p21

end quote

no pics today...sunny hot blue smokey..

there are observations in the Book that apply to the Sierra..in fact, the Sierra is very much part of the Basin and Range...and I'll grab a few now and then for sometime here....


`

Visit

My sister showed up with kid and grand kids, and we all went on a walkabout...first over to Lower Falls, and then back to Last Chance Pool Snack Stand for hot dogs and nachos...next, a walk out along the Path past Sandpiper Beach and Two Top Pine Meadow to Swinging Bridge Beach--kids wanted to play in the Merced...and return along the River to the Cabin for souvenir pic....too short a visit!....but the logistics of family visits are such what with days off together, and they live aways away...anyway, a fine afternoon!....sunny hot blue, very smokey....fire alongside Road near Glacier Point turn off...that could be the control burn, but not sure...Mama Doe about the Cabin this morning...slept in the Afternoon, and all the way to Midnight with just a brief foray out for dinner!....all out of sync...latelate now, and will try to recalibrate snoozing!!

Ten Mile River Dunes

Beside the Road. just before Ten Mile Bridge, at the Turn Out where I sighted Osprey with Fish, there were some interpretive Trail Signs (which are all over at Refuges and Parks and such, and make a kinda narrative on rollabouts--walkabouts hereabout too!), and when I left off with Ospreys, I went back to see what the Signs were about...now, by the Signs was a high and long Dune, and the Trail going over it, and when I reached the top of the Dune, well, it was like first seeing the Carizzo Plain!!...'here be critters', my thought...and indeed, all over the Sand, lots off Sand!, were lots of Small Critter Tracks, and in the distance, I sighted Hawk, Harrier, patrolling the Dunes near the Ocean...fafar away pics and clips....dont know when I'll get a close up pic of Harrier!...anyway, the Dunes are a wonder, a must stop and see on a roll along the Coast!...no pics today...sunny hot blue, little smokey...I was up all night playing WOW!....day off today, so no matter...and too wound up from work week for out and about...Summer Tme is exhausting!...tomorrowmorrow I'll gather the gear...

Link (Flower report from Tioga Road): http://naturalhistorywanderings.com/2011/08/08/yosemite-wildflower-update-8811/

Prarie Creek Elk

Pics up from Prarie Creek...walk I took thereabout was on a restored Logging Road...story goes that the Logging Roads altered the way Rain Water ran down Slopes (Trails hereabout do same, and trail design takes this into account)....so, to restore the Road, the selfsame equipment that was used to make the Road was used....Bulldozers pushed Soil back, and then Vegetaion replanted...Elk clip for sometime....no pics today...but Mama Doe walking past Cabin clip...very short...battery out...lost charger on trip...but new one came in mail yesterday...should have charged battery right away!...Fawns were in the Backyard...sunny hot smokey blue...control burn above Big Meadow (saw the very start of this on return from Tuolumne Tuesday--lightning strike, started it, one report has it, but I didn't see Clouds that day...)

Hawks

Going over Pinto Summit I sighted Hawk, first pic...second pic was someways along the Road in one of the Basins, and Hawk farfar away...I'd pulled over to move ro Raven to the Roadside...and bottom pic taken at Petroglyph Exhibit, pics for sometome...I'd found a perch atop a Knoll thereabout, and sighted Hawk riding the Wind...faraway pics...these pics all out in the Nevada Basin and Range...no pics today...sunny blueblue hot but not so hot as yesterday...Hawks, Redtails, I think...

Hawks

Top pic, Redshoulder, north part of Ft. Bragg, I think, second pic same Hawk is on Power Pole, next three pics, Redtail Hawk Family on Pine south of Ft. Ross, and clip is Kestrel at Westport...all along Coast of course...Redtail with landing gear down was maybe trying to mate....no pics today..sunny hothot blue....Mama Doe and Two Fawns about in the Backyard...report of Bear in the mini Meadow at Lower Falls...time...time for WOW training...hmmph...