Through the crack in the bottom of the metal gate at the front door, it just walked right in! I had to take out the screens of the large window upstairs and wait a few hours for it to find its own way out.
Category Archives: Nature
Beach Down the Hill
Everyone should have one of these.
Dog Walk behind Wardlaw Park
Backyard Squirrel Repeatedly Eats out of my Hands
This squirrel is hesitant at first, but then takes tiny pieces of bread right out of my hand numerous times this morning. I feel blessed to connect with animals like this. Years ago I was called an Alpaca Whisperer and many of you followed the doves nesting my front porch wreath last year.
Glen Cove, Vallejo – Eucalytpus Grove
Front yard of rental:
Eclipse
Fearless Male Mallard
Somebody must have been feeding this duck, because he basically walked up to me, and if I had more time on my way to rowing I would have reached out, but I didn’t have anything to offer him (and we’re probably not supposed to feed them). What a beautiful bird and a nice interaction…
Dog Walks in Westpointe
Westpointe is the area of the Glen Cove neighborhood my rental is in. Glen Cove is a neighborhood in Vallejo, California, of course. My house under renovation is also in Glen Cove.
What would I have done without Snoopy?
Disoriented Doves…Maybe
Some of you may remember from last year that a dove couple nested in the plastic wreath on my front porch and successfully raised two gorgeous chicks there until one day they were gone. That was all documented on my blog. I wonder if they’re the same dove couple that I regularly saw at the back of the house who were wandering on the little sidewalk in my backyard with the absence of dogs as it is scorched.
I wondered recently where they will nest, since the wreath burned in the fire. I wonder if they will have the wherewithal to return in the spring of 2026 if I am able to construct something similar, or will they be so disoriented from the interruption of the fire to be able to resume the one-year tradition?
Two Seal Friends on Xmas Eve
This one gave me some side-eye, but I moved very slowly hoping she knew I was no threat.
For my maiden voyage with my own kayak I ventured into the Carquinez Strait, which I’m very familiar with since I’ve been whaleboat rowing there for a good two years. Shando helped me get the kayak onto our car and into the water. Right away I saw a “rock” in the distance, but I suspected it was one of the seals I saw a few days ago. Soon enough I saw the second bopping around. The one that is suspended here is lying on a mostly submerged rock. When I saw them from the trail with my scooter, the tide was lower a few days ago. I kept floating into the rock area without trying, but the seal barely paid me any mind. This is amazing footage and I felt closer to them physically than it appears on camera.
Video from Shando’s perspective:
Here’s what the car looks like with the kayak mounted:
