You can't know if you don't try

 

Inside a Redwood tree with granddaughters Sophia and Naomi

    I think I posted a picture of this tree previously with no people inside. I had tried to go inside before, but didn't think I'd fit. When granddaughters Sophia and Naomi came to visit between Christmas and New Years they went inside and so did their parents, but I was still pretty sure I wouldn't fit, but 4 year old Naomi said, "You can't know if you don't try." How right she was! Probably a good slogan for us all to adopt!

    

Here is looking out from the inside of the tree and son Shawn and Rob.

Tow girls on an adventure

    We have now completed half of the "Retirement Sabbatical Year of Discernment," so it seems a good time to reflect on what we are discerning so far in answer to the question, "How shall we spend retirement?" Before my retirement I knew I wanted to spend time in nature, traveling and camp hosting, but Rob wasn't so sure about it, so that is how I came up with the idea that this first year following my retirement would be a "sabbatical" from the world of work, learning and growing into what we want to do with "the rest of our lives." We both knew we wanted to travel in LesThora, our RV, and wanted to give campground hosting a try, but Rob was a little nervous about not having a house to call home. He expressed the concern that staying in one place for a long time as a campground host might get boring, and I was a little afraid I'd miss the world of work as a pastor. I'm not missing working full time, Rob and I are both enjoying being here at Samuel P Taylor State Park for what will be six months, twice as long as we'd anticipated, and we're looking forward to another campground host gig at Lake Tahoe this summer. We also want to do more traveling around the country to see more National Parks and going to Europe in the fall to see our oldest daughter Sheila and her family. We weren't sure how we'd like this nomadic lifestyle, but as Naomi so wisely said, "You can't know if you don't try." So far I guess we're discerning that what we're doing is just exactly what we want to be doing and there is no rush to decide where our final "nesting" spot will be or exactly what we want to be when we grow up.

    

    On the Monday after Christmas we drove to Point Reyes National Seashore to hike the Tomales Point Trail. It was a glorious day of sunshine, blue sky and beautiful wide open scenery - quite a contrast to the Redwood forest we currently live in and love.

The trail head begins at the historic Pierce Point Ranch

We began our hike by walking around the old ranch buildings and learning the early history of this ranch that produced butter for San Francisco and beyond.

Beginning the hike toward Tomales Point

One of the many beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean to our left

A view of Tomales Bay to our right

Another view over Tomales Bay looking to a mountain in the east that I think is the area around Lake Berryessa. Does anybody recognize this distinctive uprising land on the horizon?

A couple of Elk Bucks near our lunch spot

Looking toward Tomales Point.

We didn't hike all the way there, opting for turning back when the trail started to rapidly descend - what goes down must come back up. We hiked a little over 6 miles round trip.

A hawk and a Raven in the blue sky above

Nearing the end of our hike with the trees and buildings of Pierce Ranch visible 

    On New Years Day we decided to take a long hike to begin the new year by going up the Sweet Pea Trail to Bolinas Ridge. Sweet Pea is variously referred to by park staff as an unauthorized or illegal trail. It is a very steep trail that is unmarked and takes off from the Pioneer Tree Trail. We understand it is used primarily by mountain bike riders descending from Bolinas Ridge. The first 100 yards or so of the trail were quite steep and I commented that there was no way I wanted to come back down that way. It is definitely easier to climb up steep than to walk down steep, especially if the trail is at all wet and slippery which Sweet Pea Trail definitely was on January 1, 2021.  The whole trail was steep, but not bad after the severe beginning. We were surprised to meet 3 hiking "units" coming down the trail on our way up and one hiker going up who passed us when we stopped for a break. We didn't see any bicycles, but we did see bicycle tracks. I can't begin to imagine riding a bicycle down that trail.

Trying to capture a picture of the steep climb at the beginning of Sweet Pea Trail

Rob resting on a log across the trail

Rob and I both resting on the log across the trail

This sign was at the top of the trail, but clearly it is ignored and the gate is not secured.

Hiking back to camp on the Bolinas Ridge Trail with its wide open vistas.

Our round trip from our campsite was just about 9 miles all together - Sweet Pea was about 1 1/2 miles.

    This week on our day off we headed to Colfax for a medical appointment, time with family and more hiking near our Colfax home base. Tuesday morning Rob and I hiked up to the "Weimar Water Company" which is at the top of a hill above the Boardman irrigation canal and a little over 4 miles round trip from the house. I love this walk/hike which includes plenty of climbing, but also a leisurely stroll along the canal, beautiful scenery and a variety of birds and vegetation and sometimes deer and other wildlife.

The path along the canal

The view east at the top of the trail looking to the Sierra Crest.

Along another part of the trail when it is clear you can see all the way to the coast range, but the day we hiked this week we could only see as far as the lower foothills - I think there was fog in the valley.

    Every "work" day we walk or hike around Samuel P Taylor State Park, enjoying the Redwood forest, looking for Salmon, talking to the day visitors and feeling grateful for the beauty of the natural world that surrounds us.

A few salmon swimming in a Redd (the area where the Salmon deposit their eggs)

Can you see the new growth already visible on the tips of the sequoia branches?

I am delighting in seeing the glimmers of spring in the midst of winter!

A gnarly tree viewed from my morning bench in the forest

"My" forest glade where I walk to each morning

Mushrooms

More mushrooms

And more mushrooms

Notice how these fungi are growing in a circle around a ring in the tree?

It's hard to get very good pictures of birds with my phone camera, but here is a Hermit Thrush (At least I think that's what it is) that sat still enough for me to capture it.

We hiked back to the previously dry Stair Step Falls last week after some new rain and found some water going over the rocks. Can you see it?

A jigsaw puzzle we completed in our new outdoor room

Elsie posing on the chair

Straus posing on the chair

Elsie getting scratched on the table.

Neither cat is much of a "lap" cat. They do get affectionate some, but generally won't sit still in our laps.

Straus saying, "I'm in charge," after Rob's aborted attempt to make the bed. Straus definitely thinks it's play time when Rob makes the bed, but he immediately let me complete the task after I took this picture.

Both cats looking cute!

Perhaps you've wondered where their tails are in their pictures?

Elsie and Staus are "bob tailed" litter mates.