wild refuge

'located in california's most secluded region, the carrizo plain national monument has remained relatively untouched by human development for well over three centuries. featuring over 250,000 acres of protected terrain, providing an array of rare plants and animals with miles of natural habitat and unspoiled environmental splendor.'

this refuge lies only ninety miles away from us, yet when we cross over into the carrizo there is a feeling of traveling hundreds of years back in time. the immaculate landscape comprised of (sometimes) blossoming flowers and awe-inspiring views, the migratory birds, and the wildlife, these are the things that draw us back again and again. this california 'serengeti' is the perfect place to 'hear the quiet'

please join us as we experience...

 lark sparrows

eschscholzia californica ~ the lovely california poppy

pronghorn antelope! one day in the far, far distance we spotted them. a herd of eight was moving from the south to the north across the plains. oh how we wanted to drive closer to see them, but just like in the serengeti, you must stay on the road (even if it is a narrow dirt one). so we turned around and headed north too, maybe a mile ahead of the antelopes, until we found a road that led out into what we hoped would be closer to their path in passing...

and so we waited. and on the horizon we saw them approach. moving, it seemed, right towards us.
yes! they were! they walked and ran in the exact direction of our truck, where we sat motionless except for the click of a camera.

they ran right to us before bolting off. i've never seen a herd before, and so close! and gorgeous, such beautiful eyes

the next day we found three tule elk. a newborn calf was just outside this photo

breakfast on the plains and time for a little knitting. i am working on my elizabeth zimmerman pi shawl. i have just found out i'm about to run out of wool, with only eight more inches of sideways knitted on border left. poo

unfinished and unblocked and oh so many stitches that i love. i think, when it's done, i'll call it my plains shawl

from the borage family, the forked fiddleneck

selby camp

lesser goldfinch, we counted fifteen on this little tree, at one time! one youngster fell, to the ground, in a pile of disheveled feathers

we picked it up. chuck held him, while i ran for the camera and a bit of peanut butter. i offered it to this young bird and he took one peck of the treat and then flew away!

this photo is from the year 2010, an epic year for california wildflowers in the carrizo

i am standing in the same spot now. the beauty of a good wildflower season is it's unpredictability and so it's all the more special when it does occur

a curious western kingbird

in place of wildflowers we found tumbleweed bouquets. lovely, but sometimes needing relocating out of the road

knitting alert (hee hee): chucks hat can be found on purl soho and ravelry here.

then one night, out on a crescent moon walk, this western toad hopped in front of us.

i wanted to hold him too

chuck caught him as he leaped! back to the meadow little one.

party of house finch, your table is ready

your big table.

hee hee

an undetermined bird of prey on a large tumble weed

one tidy tip and an experiment with photo editing.

san joaquin antelope squirrel pretending to be invisible  :)

long-billed curlew a long way from home

us, giving thanks. thanking you too for coming along.

xo lori

~

what we saw:

diablo loco

tiny amount goldfields, tidy tips, poppies, phacelia

coyote melon

forked fiddleneck

silver bush lupine

desert cottontail

black-tailed jackrabbit

san joaquin antelope squirrel

california ground squirrel

(we heard) coyotes

tule elk

pronghorn antelope

turkey vulture

red-tailed hawk

california quail

long-billed curlew

mourning dove

burrowing owl!

say's phoebe

western kingbird

horned lark

common raven

mountain bluebird

loggerhead shrike

lark sparrow

western meadowlark

brewer's blackbird

western toad