Random Pics

The past several weeks have been busy for Gail and me, with much time spent helping her mom, Gwen, transition to her new assisted living home, and also prepping the Buteau home for sale.  Below are a few pictures I clicked off with my new phone.  There have been some lighter moments, too.

 Yummy Delicious and Penelope have been enjoying the catnip I bought at Nick's garden center awhile back - Yummy here.

Penelope getting high, too.

A few evenings ago, Gail and I were watching the birds at our feeders.  Apparently this Cooper's Hawk was watching, also, as he came swooping in to pick off one of "our" birds.  No luck this time!

 I still have managed to spend time with Susanna while Andria gets out to do some writing or shopping.  We built this "princess castle" together...

 ...and took some selfies to celebrate.

Gail is standing under the wisteria trellis at her mom's home.  Gail has planted and tended most of the plants in this half acre yard.  Understandably, these are emotional times for Gail and her family.  Her parents moved into the home in 1980 when Gail was still in college.

We are hoping the new owners will love the natural beauty of the property and lavish as much love on it as the Buteaus have.

Archer Taylor Preserve

Sunday, Nick, Cassidy, and I hiked the trail to the Devil's Well in the Archer Taylor Preserve.  One must phone ahead in advance to get the gate code and then drive up into the mountain west of  Napa past the Hess Winery.  It was a beautiful sunny Sunday, and no one else was there the whole day.  Wow!

 Nick rings the dinner bell at The Grove.

 Looking up through the redwood trees.

 We crossed Redwood Creek and headed up the ravine.

 Nick keyed in on the fungi.

California Dutchman's Pipe looks carnivorous but isn't.  It emits an unpleasant odor which attracts carrion-eating insects that wander around inside getting stuck, pollinating the flower, and usually finding their way out.

 Nick opened a dried flower that had dead gnats in it.  This vine is the only food source for the Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly.

 Mission Bells or Checker Lily.

 Yellow Monkey Flower.

 A deep pool in the creek below.

 There were immense wild grape vines that went high into the tree tops.

 Cassidy is videoing a trail of ants marching on this wild grape vine.

 We finally came to the waterfall.

 Nick saw a Giant Salamander in this pool in 2008.

 I like to carve my name on prominent trees...

 ...but learned that this was a no-no.

 This is the lower of three falls that make up the entire waterfall.

 To get to the Devil's Well one must climb the slope about 50 feet and then cross a narrow ledge.

 You then cut through a gap to a ledge between the middle fall and the upper fall.

 This pool is the Devil's Well and is about 25 feet deep.

 Nick looks down the middle fall.

 Lunchtime at the Devil's Well.

 Ahhh...

 Red Larkspur.

 As soon as you climb out of the canyon things change.

 Blue Dicks.

 Indian Warrior.

 Toadstool.

 We hiked about a six mile loop that brought us to a peak overlooking San Francisco Bay.

 Bush Poppy.

 Selfie time!

 That's Napa way off in the distance.

 Sasquatch?

Back down in the ravine we explored the remains of Tin Cabin.

I'm not sure what flower this is, but it is a pretty one to end this post on.