Upper Beaver Bend

Well, I've left off 'At Lunch:' at Ozone Beach for the Season to the tourists, and Mosquitoes, and take to the Cabin for the half hour respite from Last Chance!...anyway, over an hour of Deer clips out in Two Top Pine Meadow last Monday...for sometime...want to check back tomorrowmorrow, One Doe is ready to have Fawn(s), and another Doe not far behind...Newborn Fawn pics have been difficult to get...and yesterday was the maiden paddle about in Merganser....have lots of clips that need editing...had to often put the camera down to paddle!...for sometime...work hours just long!...and wow hours too, but that's on me!...Cottonwood knawed on by Beaver is at the Big Beach Bend at Housekeeping, henceforth, Upper Beaver Bend...this is like almost two miles up River from Beaver Bend, which I need to check for knawings!...Merganser flyby during the paddle, Mallards, Ouzels....it was late afternoon, and I pulled out at the Creek by Azalea Bluff (Day before pics too for sometime) when almost Dark...wrong place for Rafts and such to pull out, but I needed to get close to the Cabin, as no way to return...as it was, I gave up trying to get all the Air out of Merganser, and just bear hugged everything, and paddled to the Cabin...a fine float!...but one needs to set aside time to inflate, and deflate!...and find someway to sit comfortably--it's like I'm trying to paddle while in the middle of a sit up!...very cool that one can feel the the ripples, almost rapids, through Merganser's floor...oh, paddle about began at Stoneman Bridge...didn't make it to Ozone, ersoision clff thereabout makes getting out of River problelmatic..tourists' feet are dangling over cliff....

link: Doc Watson, and friends, singing Down to the River to Pray...

Dawn Chorus

http://youtu.be/p4EIXzYjM38

Dog Town

Blogger messed up tonight...trying to post text....pics up from return from Bodie Last Tuesday...Dog Town Roadside Storysigns were on the Bluff Overlook North of Mono Lake...here's link to very cool backyard blog:
http://arizonabeetlesbugsbirdsandmore.blogspot.com/

Tanager

At a pull out, on the way down the hill on the East Side, Tanager pics...Nutcrackers and Yellow Rump about too, but no pics...thought for the Day was to maybemaybe paddle about on Mono Lake...but Visitor Center was closed, so couldn't enquire just how to paddle about Mono Lake (have since learned Islands are closed for Nesting), and Lake was all white capped from Wind, so, so, the Eastern Horizon just really beckons thereabout, and I continued on to Bodie...oh...had Fish Tacos in Lee Vining...a must...pics up from Bodie...this all last Tuesday...Seagull was greeting at the Parking Lot, and detaining on the Road out!...sighted one Hawk circling near Town...hope had been to sight Hawk perched on a Roof...expressed my disappointment to the year round ranger....'haven't seen Hawk perched like that...must happen...in the Winter, saw a vanishing Mouse track in the Snow, and Wing tip marks where Hawk had swooped down'....one Building is like a Museum, with souvenirs (patch and coffee cup), and the storekeep there explained the Painting of the Lake, by Lottie...'she took up painting, thinking to make it into high society'...photo portrait of her is on opposite wall....link: Lottie Johl

Bodie

http://youtu.be/j595jhfKZjI

and this, link to bit about Valley Cemetary...feeling a bit Poeish, I'd say!!
http://cemeterytravel.com/2012/05/16/cemetery-of-the-week-60-yosemite-pioneer-cemetery/

Buck

Buck pics on return from Village...Oak Leaves too...actually, Buck was In Village...Dogwood Flowers yesterday at Lunch by Road, and At Lunch Yesterday: sat awhile on the New Log at Ozone Beach....Phoebe, Pileated, Blue Jay, Raven, Sandpiper, Robin, Starling Pair, Male Mallard, Black Headed Grosbeak, Violet Green Swallows, and Does and Yearling Fawns...far away pics...for sometime...some late Lunch reports:...Male and Female Merganser, one day after another...hand held clips for sometime...Deer clips too...Swallows about now every Evening, but hard to get pics and clips...oh...clip of Big Fish that swam right by at the Shore...maybe Rainbow Trout...I haven't seen Carp for awhile...and sighted Tanager at the Village...sunny blueblue warm...report of Bear near Chapel after Dark...Bobcat in Bobcat Meadow...friend's report with pics on facebook...Blue Bird report from MidPines...and Pizza place, and Art Gallery, burned down in Mariposa!...hmmph...often visited both...oh...and new web cam of Falls, from vantage of Last Chance's Roof, I think...same view I have from Cabin...see NP site for Valley...Kayak fits just perfect in Duffel Bag in back of Silver...tormorrowmorrow, up the Road to Tioga!...oh...by Stoneman Bridge, 5/8, found RK Bird, Pigeon I think, with band, and studied out Bird Banding on web...places to report such...Band begins, AU 2011, then broken off...then five digit number...looks to be Racing Pigeon band..emailed site, and will waitsee!....will keep in mind to look at RK Critters for bands and such...made another walk, day I found Pigeon, along Pony Path...sighted One Ouzel, but no Nests...and....couple Days back, Robin in Backyard trying to pull Worm out of Ground--a real tug of war!...and Worm won when Robin left off...didn't have camera with, so no pic or clip, but memory clip reminds me of first post up...been awhile I'd say, and a tussle at times too!

The ImpossiblePossible Nest

http://youtu.be/s7Tcp2z1aZQ

Fallen Cedar

http://youtu.be/qVKy7pVb_k4 At Lunch: There's a New Log at Ozone Beach, Fir, I think, just downriver from the Tall Cottonwood, and it's perched near the Bank's steep edge, and will likely be taken away by a higher high water than what put it there, but meanwhile, a fine perch!.. The stranded kayaker in the Fallen Cedar, his friends on the Far Bank told me, after I called out, was okay.... I drank my coffee and wondered how he got there, and at first I thought he was standing in his Kayak, but when I sighted through the 30x, I saw he was hanging on to the Cedar, Paddles still in hand, knee deep in the River, and his Kayak gone...While the Cedar is close to the Bank, the River is swift around it...I left my coffee behind, and paddled over to looksee, and told him, 'you're in a dangerous place, hang on tight, I'll get help', and was kicking myself for not having the cell phone with...I started to the Rooms, but along just then came the Rangers, the other kayakers had a cell phone, I gather!, and with things in good hands, I returned to my coffee, and took a clip or two...I took a more than passing interest in all, as in Silver, still in the box, is my new Kayak!...I've delayed trying it out, Lfe Vest hasn't come yet, and I'd like to see the River lower...first real paddle about in my Kayak, which I have to think up a name for, has to be in the Merced from Stoneman to Ozone...anyway...stranded kayaker didn't have a Life Vest, and will likely get a lecture!...sunny blue puff clouds warm...Bear reports...report of Mallard waterup...and Bobcat gift pics from friend...oh...my Kayak's name will be Merganser...I saw my first Female Merganser from where the Fallen Cedar is, and the Cedar was still standing then, and Coop, Hawk Redshoulder, was in the Cedar sighting  Merganser too!

Dogwood Flowers

Paddled out to the Pony Path in the afternoon...sighted One Ouzel. and no Nests...must be Ouzel Nests somewhere, and thought now is to find Ouzels, and follow Ouzels' flights to Nests...Old Nest Sites dont have New Nests...I only know of two...I'll have to lookabout the Delta also...clips of Merced, for sometime, and in Bobcat Meadow..a quiet walk!..web reports of Tanager and Blackheaded Grosbeak, but I haven't sighted...need to get outandabout more!...anyway, a fine afternoon...sunny blue some clouds warm...Rafts on the River now, and maybe Tioga open this weekend...when I reached Siberia, photog friend therabout, and we took pics of Dogwoods being backlit, which just happens thereabout for a little while...Dogwoods in Siberia are in bloom, but near Cabin still sorta small and green....oh...tourists at Ozone Beach watching Deer...and pic from Silver while I sat awhile listening to cd (Allison Kraus) in the Backyard...one needs to zoom in somehow on these pics for the details!