June Haps

 The biggest news over the past two weeks was Gail's birthday on June 3.  The big Six O!  We shall be celebrating over the next few weeks with dinners out, little trips, and whatever catches Gail's fancy. She certainly deserves all this for all she does to make our home look artistic and cared for, inside and out.  Her pet project of keeping 8 miles of our road litter free also merits praise and some good take-out food!

Per Gail's request, on June 3, we picked up gourmet sandwiches at Le Maison in Newport and then drove the climb to Horse Creek Trailhead in the Drift Creek Wilderness.  It was a gorgeous day for a hike, being cool, but sunny.  

The Girls resting at the base of a capsized tree.

We descended about 1,100 feet to Drift Creek for our picnic.  There were crayfish by the dozens!

Three days earlier, we were walking down the 5300 when Gail spotted this Barred Owl.  I'm not sure if this owl is keeping his right eye closed or if it is injured.  We saw one in the same area 2 years ago with his right eye closed and we thought it was injured at the time.  I'm not sure now.

                                    He blends in very well with the trunk of this Douglas Fir.

                          The next day it was 85 degrees and time for our first float on the river.

The day after that we did a beach walk at Ocean Beach.  It was a crackup trying to get the 3 of us in a selfie!

Two years ago, Nick collected seeds from a columbine plant on our backpack trip outside of Durango.  He started a few plants and gave us a little one last September which I planted in our front garden.  It flowered a few days ago!  Thanks, Nick!

This week I took Daisy for a run at Ocean Beach and saw these tracks.  I was baffled and thought maybe sea turtle, even though I knew that would be a rare occurrence.  Upon checking my tracking books at home it proved to be a harbor seal.  They have claws on their front flippers.