Little Wooden Bridge

This is the little wooden bridge along the Allen Trail I wrote about in my previous entry.There was the smallest of creeks in this mini gorge and it made the sweetest music. We stopped here, Glenna the Australian Shepherd & I, to have a sip of water and a few doggie treats - Glenna, not me in this case - while I had some crackers. This was about half way up as far as we went on this sweet little trail.

Tunnel Under 101

Last week I packed dog and camera and headed out for the woods. I decided I needed some real exercise, so opted for the Allen Trail just south of High Rock (Main Stem, Eel River) and just north of the con flux (South Fork Eel w/ Main Stem Eel). This trail goes up ... and up ... and keeps going up some more! From the Avenue of the Giants, I park just south of the High Rock Conservation sign. There is a smaller sign for the trail - it's easy to miss. After the first 10 or 15 minutes, the trail brings you here - its a tunnel that goes under the freeway - under 101 - for pedestrians only, of course. From the other side, we progressed up and up some more - at least you know it will be an easy trip back to your car. We passed a small stem with a wonderful little wooden bridge going across, where the trail continues on.....
When I 'googled' Allen Trail, I got a wonderful map complete with elevation information. The total trail ascends some 800 feet! I went perhaps half way so far. Maybe next time I will go all the way to the campground.

Monday's Walk in the Woods

Another day in paradise, here in the coastal redwoods. This photo was taken while hiking near Weott - about a 20 minute drive from my front door. In LA I would have to drive over 2 hours to get out of civilization and its not nearly as beautiful. This trail was up, up all the way - but easy getting back to the car. I drove for a spell, got out for a half mile hike; drove further south on the Avenue of the Giants before stopping for another stroll - and today I made it three stops. My Glenna-girl (dog) lives for these excursions. The last few months she would stop beside the basket where we keep all our leashes and look at me - then the basket and back to me. I feel a lot safer with her as my protector when I'm out by myself in the forest. We do have wild cats and even bears - but its humans I'm more concerned about. Glenna doesn't like strangers and won't take food from a stranger (she's no labrador), which makes her a good hiking buddy.

My usual Monday Walk in the Woods

This is, I believe, a Northern Maidenhair Fern - Adiantum Pedatum - if I spelled it incorrectly, it's because I didn't feel like putting on my reading glasses. This is my favorite of all the ferns growing up here - I like their architecture.

There is an amazing diversity of life in the forests - we are, after all, a temperate rain forest. Mushroom season is done for this year - I didn't see any fresh ones today, just some old and shriveled up 'shrooms. This is the first time in months I've been out in the woods, so it was extra enjoyable for me. Glenna (my Australian Shepherd) has sorely missed our weekly walks - but when things get busy at home and at the store, I have less time for hiking about in the redwoods.

Bonfire - I mean campfire

Last month my husband and I were invited to a birthday party on a 160 acre ranch near Ben Bow. There was a BBQ - remember that we eat well in Humboldt - and after dark live music. I was told that the artist - a reggae singer - was rated #4 worldwide. He had bumped into one of the birthday-boys' buddies in Eureka and offered himself (for FREE) to entertain and delight the ranch owner. There is quite a convoluted story - too involved and lengthy for this blog - about Reggae on the River. It involves the Mateel Community Center (originators of the festival almost 20 years ago) vs. People Productions. The divide just about tore the community of Garberville apart. One was either on the side of the Mateel or with People Prod. My husband was asked to try and mediate a compromise between the two so that the festival (world renowned by now) could go on as expected. The birthday party was for the fellow who bought out People Prod and his event is called Reggae Rising - the Mateel kept the name Reggae on the River. Now - to get to my point - we not only know how to eat well in Humboldt Co (lots of organic & vegetarian dishes) but - WE KNOW HOW TO BUILD A CAMPFIRE!! Boy do we ever...

Glenna Girl

This is my "puppy girl". She is an Australian Shepherd and the coloration is called blue merle. She does not have any blue in either eye - which means she is a few points off perfect - whatever that means. I love her enthusiasm and her smarts - although the later can be frustrating because she thinks for her self.

I was running errands in Eureka a few years ago and saw a couple walking with their 'Aussie' down the street. I could not help but comment and compliment what a fine-looking dog they had. Both humans gave me the 'I don't know you-why are you speaking to me look'. I felt brushed off and deduced that they were not from the area. I went on about my errands and ended up in need of a cappuccino so I stopped and went in the nearest coffee house. When I came out - there were the same threesome - the Aussie and it's two owners. They sat at the table next to me and being a total Aussie-lover, I apologized for disturbing their peace earlier but that I love the breed so much I could not help myself. This time they were not so nervous and we started up a conversion. They told me a tale about another fine-looking and VERY smart Aussie they had seen in the redwoods a few days earlier. They went on to tell me that the dog was not just with it's female owner, but with a whole school bus full of children. I asked them if the bus had the name Orleans on it. It turns out I bought my Glenna-girl from a woman who lives in and drives a school bus for Orleans and that their description matched Luke (the school bus dog) perfectly! That couple was a little freaked out that by pure happenstance, the dog they had seen in the forest was the sire of MY dog!!! I could tell that they were from a large city and didn't expect such connections. Its a small world sometimes.

Burst Pipe

Somewhere under all that mess is my salmon fish sculpture (clay) - Yikes !! We had a pipe burst and flood the basement. Bill, JK, Ryland and I all worked (feverishly, as they say) to get everything up and out of the water - which was 1 inch deep.

The good news is - homeowners insurance covers most of the damage; and ... it's forcing us to re-carpet the floor. That means we have to replace that orange shag carpet - so sad. The pool table should make this job interesting .....