Time To Go Wine Tasting
Napa Valley (11/11/21) Gene Miller
It’s time to go wine tasting, as if you needed encouragement.
Napa Valley (11/11/21) Gene Miller
Napa Valley (11/11/21) Gene Miller
Gene Miller reports that Wine Country is back with Near Peak to Peak color being seen along SR29 and The Silverado Trail in the Napa Valley.
He notes, “In addition to the colors, the smells of the various vintages and cuisine that wafted over the Valley were incredible.”
Boeschen Vineyards, Napa Valley (11/11/21) Gene Miller
Boeschen Vineyards, Napa Valley (11/11/21) Gene Miller
- Napa Valley (253′) – Peak (75 – 100%), GO NOW!
Just Ducky
Hooded Merganser, Arroyo Simi, Simi Valley (11/7/21) Kathy Jonokuchi
Ventura County is just ducky, right now. Its waterways are filled with migrant ducks, that have returned to overwinter in Southern California.
Hooded Merganser, Arroyo Simi, Simi Valley (11/7/21) Kathy Jonokuchi
The mergansers favor secluded, sheltered or overgrown locations. They often opt for shady areas, so Kathy’s shots of them cruising in the sunlight across dappled waters are special. Male mergansers sport spectacular plumage which contrasts beautifully with irregular fall sunlight and makes the boys attractive to the girls who wear more demure and dusky dress, reports Lone Pine’s field guide, Birds of Northern California. “Mergansers are shallow divers, unlike dabbling ducks such as the mallard or wigeon,” Kathy writes.
American Wigeon, Arroyo Simi, Simi Valley (11/7/21) Kathy Jonokuchi
The male American wigeons have an irridescent green smear that runs from their eye arcing across their heads, with a cinnamon breast and black and white feathers. Their ladies have greyish heads and brown bodies.
- Wildlife viewing, Aroyo Simi, Simi Valley – Peak (75 – 100%), GO NOW!
San Ramon Sunrise
San Ramon (11/7/21) Anish Sidhan
San Ramon is one of the Bay Area cities with boulevards of color, found also in its sunrise and brilliance following a storm, as captured by Anish Sidhan on a mobile phone.
San Ramon (11/7/21) Anish Sidhan
San Ramon (11/7/21) Anish Sidhan
San Ramon (11/7/21) Anish Sidhan
San Ramon (11/7/21) Anish Sidhan
San Ramon (11/7/21) Anish Sidhan
- San Ramon (486′) – Peak (75 – 100%), GO NOW!
Thank You For Your Service
El Dorado County Veterans Monument, Placerville (11/5/21) John Poimiroo
On this Veterans Day, we remember those who served the cause of freedom and wish them and their families peace and comfort in this season of beauty and transformation.
Autumn Sunsets
Sunset, Blue oak, El Dorado Hills and Folsom Lake (11/10/21) John Poimiroo
Now that the wildfires are well behind us and there are breaks in the storms, autumn sunsets have returned.
PAN
Panorama of Yosemite Valley including Merced River, El Capitan, Three Brothers, Royal Arches and Sentinel Rock (11/8/21) Elliot McGucken
Pan was the Greek god of the wild, of fields, groves, wooded glens, the nature of mountain wilds and of … sex. Well, true to the Greek god, Elliot McGucken’s “PANoramic” photograph of Yosemite Valley is just plain sexy.
To make the panorama involved 13 shots with a wide angle 17mm lens on the Fuji GFX100 (17mm on medium format = 14mm on full frame field of view).Elliot was able to break out several individual images from the panorma, one of which follows. (click to enlarge)
Elliot said “Great light and high (yet, still) water made the glorious autumn reflections possible today.” That, of course, and a great photographer.
Elliot, you did Pan proud.
Merced River, The Three Brothers, Yosemite Valley (11/8/21) Elliot McGucken
- Yosemite Valley (4,000′) – Peak to Past Peak, GO NOW, You Almost Missed It.
Vintage Napa
Tubbs Lane, CA-29, Napa Valley (11/5/21) David Sharp
Hardly anyone agrees on Napa Valley wines, other than they are good. The same can be said for its fall color. David Sharp submitted these images, then remarked that the Napa Valley is a mixed bag of some great fall color, but also some things just developing.
Sounds like just the kind of remark made between friends the last time I was in a tasting room, there … “some great, some just developing.”
Beaulieu Vineyards, Rutherford (11/4/21) David Sharp
Chinese pistache and vines, Frogs Leap Winery, Rutherford (11/4/21) David Sharp
Napa Valley Wine Library Association, St. Helena (11/5/21) David Sharp
Petrified Forest Rd., Calistoga (11/5/21) David Sharp
Hwy 29, Napa Valley (11/5/21) David Sharp
To our taste, however, the Napa Valley is vintage and now’s the time to head there. Not only has the crush of traffic lightened, following harvest and crush, but the autumn color is vibrant.
Napa Valley Wine Library, St. Helena (11/5/21) David Sharp
- Napa Valley (253′) – Peak (75 – 100%), GO NOW!
Retro Sunnyvale
Ginkgo biloba, Sunnyvale (11/4/21) Lucas Yan
These photographs have a retro feel to them, and no wonder. Lucas Yan shot them on Fuji 400H and Portra 400 film. Even the retro Chevy truck seen below is pre-digital.
Chinese pistache, Sunnyvale (11/4/21) Lucas Yan
Ginkgo biloba, Sunnyvale (11/4/21) Lucas Yan
Retro Chevrolet, Ginkgo biloba, Sunnyvale (11/4/21) Lucas Yan
Lucas reports that most of the street trees in Sunnyvale (Ginkgo biloba and Chinese pistache) are patchy.
- Sunnyvale (125′) – Patchy (10 – 50%)
Secret Sedona
Oak Creek Canyon, Sedona, AZ (11/1/21) Mark Harding
A lot of the superlatives said about Sedona, Arizona begin with “S” … secret, spiritual, spicy, sacred, starry and that’s just for “starters.”
So, when color spotter Mark Harding said he’d just returned from there and wondered if we would post them, our reply was, “Send them.”
We’re glad he did.
Oak Creek Canyon, Sedona, AZ (11/1/21) Mark Harding
Oak Creek Canyon, Sedona, AZ (11/1/21) Mark Harding
Oak Creek Canyon, Sedona, AZ (11/1/21) Mark Harding
Sedona isn’t what you imagine when Arizona comes to mind. It’s high desert with pine forests, canyons, red rock, water and wonder.
- Oak Creek Canyon, Sedona, AZ (4,350′) – Peak to Past Peak, GO NOW, You Almost Missed It.
Preferred Seating
Indian grinding holes, American River (11/7/21) Steve Arita
Walk along the American River and on any rocky shelf, you’re likely to find preferred seating .., the grinding holes of native Maidu women who, for centuries, would sit, chat, sing and grind black oak acorns into flour.
The deepest of the grinding holes often had the best view, were most comfortable and were reserved for the most venerable women who’d earned this preferred seating through years of labor.
Sycamore, American River (11/7/21) Steve Arita
American River (11/7/21) Steve Arita
Black oak, American River (11/7/21) Steve Arita
Sacramento area color spotter Steve Arita hiked the American River this weekend, stopping to photograph fall color; he came upon grinding holes whose disuse has caused them to become filled with dirt and grasses.
American River below Nimbus Dam (11/7/21) Steve Arita
Steve noted that autumn color is almost gone, with sycamore Peak to Past Peak and Frèmont cottonwood from patchy to Near Peak.
- American River, Rancho Cordova (89′) – Peak to Past Peak, GO NOW, You Almost Missed It.