Thursday, November 1, 2012

camping with foxes

we've been away, first on a camping trip, then home, but feeling kind of isolated without any internet service here for the last few days! luckily the problem was resolved this morning. chuck will be glad to know when he returns, though, at the moment he is on a mountain climbing expedition to ecuador, so i am happy for both of us! thank you so much for the letters and messages regarding my daughter and son who live in nyc. they fared well, staying indoors, thank goodness. we wish everyone to be safe and recover soon from this huge storm.

we had arrived home from our trip (where cell phones and internet don't go) to learn of hurricane sandy bearing down on the east coast. i also came home to spam here. too much to be reasonable, even though google filters do a good job of catching it. i'm sorry to have had to turn on comment moderator. if anyone knows of a better way, please do let me know. 

feeling a bit guilt while writing this camping post, while a large part of the country was being battered by weather, we were doing this...



 we arrived on santa cruz island via island packers boat. santa cruz is part of the channel islands national park. this line you see here is called a 'bucket brigade'. at the captain's request, everyone queues up and then passes all camping gear down the line to the last person, who then deposits all the stuff on the island. i was not part of the b.b. because of a small shoulder injury


 we were welcomed to santa cruz by a very loudly cawing raven


thank you regal raven!


and an island scrub jay


these lovely birds are endemic to the islands


here we are! since this was a working holiday, we are staying in the guides camp, my husbands home away from home, he works out here as a kayak guide...


our friends stayed at the upper camp and teased us about staying in this semi permanent set up, complete with shower (shown above) and outdoor oven!


as soon as the tent was up and our gear put away we were on the water, and kayaking in the caves these islands are famous for


 chuck paddled me again, i love having my own personal guide, and i can take photos without too much fear of losing my camera in the water


 our friend danny came with us, can you see his kayak peeking through a cave?


the day was stunning. there was very little swell once the winds died down and the tides were just right to allow entry into all the nooks and crannies and caves






 very low tide... hi sea stars!








 i think these rocks looked a little spooky, do you see faces?



back on the beach


and the hike back to camp





at camp, i watched and waited for the island fox to appear. chuck told me they often do, poking around, bold and playful...


 the island fox! just like that, two showed up!


 however, they don't sit still for even one second, so photos were really hard to get! these two were scavenging for figs in a nearby tree. the island fox is so small, in some cases, smaller than a house cat. and are found only here, in the channel islands


 at night we had dinner and a movie (white fang) and popcorn


 adam, another guide in camp joined us


 one day while chuck was working, i took a hike. here is a kestral


it was a couple miles to potato harbor


 and cavern point


  i waited to see


 my husband.... spending another day at the office.




 on the way back i saw


 another cute fox



 a type of tree fungus


a sweet black phoebe, love their song



 there was time for knitting and reading. i finished a project i've been working on for nearly two months and made another hat for chuck, to match his work shirt (i forgot to take a photo of!)



 the shirt is charcoal with an orange and blue stripe and green kelp, like in this sticker. maybe i could embroider the leaves?


with a twisted rib


he gave me gifts too


 it feels like we've been celebrating one day (our anniversary) all month long!


 our last morning, waking to blue skies, balmy breezes and wily foxes


 while waiting for the boat to come and carry us back to the mainland, there was time again to think and wonder and marvel

andy pulling a kayak train to the boat


 and there was time to

give thanks

 to be able to spend time


 in such an incredibly special place. thank you husband for taking us, and thank you for coming along, it is always a pleasure to share. now that internet is restored i'll be by to visit soon! xxx lori

p.s. kids, we missed you and wished you were there!

26 comments:

  1. your photographs are stunning. the raven was beautiful and i DID see some really creepy faces in those rocks. lol the foxes are so cute, pocket sized. :)

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  2. beautiful places!!!
    Sorry, I forgot you have your daughter in NY....I was so worried for my twin, who lives in Long Island!!! She is well, anyway!!!
    xxxx Alessandra

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  3. Dearest Lori, it is so nice to see you in this space again. Thank you for sharing another of your trips with you us, once again your pictures are inspiring, making this homebody me want to pack, and head to CA.
    I am so glad to hear your babies are okay, such a sad event to take place and I feel heartbroken for so many people devestated by Sandy.
    Did you finish the piece of Fair Isle you have been working on? I would love to see it! I have been looking at patterns trying to decide what to learn on in Janurary; it's hard to pick, they are all so beautiful.
    Have a beautiful day Lori.

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  4. What a beautiful place and you pictures are breathe taking, thanks.
    Glad all is well with family in NY.
    And I too have had too much spam and turned on commentator moderator, however now my email gets full of the span. Would love to know of a solution !

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  5. So glad to hear all is well with your daughter in NY. It was quite a storm here, so I can only imagine the strength along the coast. Beautiful pictures, Lori! Always a pleasure to travel with you. ;)) xox

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  6. I've noticed a lot of crazy spam here, too, but thankfully it is all filtered. I just don't get what purpose spamming serves. What do the spammers get out of trying to post stuff that makes absolutely no sense and is not even coming from a personal account. Just ridiculous!

    So glad to hear your son and daughter fared well through the storm. Much cleanup and rebuilding to be done by many. Your camping trip sounds so lovely and relaxing. Gorgeous photos of beautiful surroundings. Wishing you a fabulous weekend. Tammy

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  7. Beautiful! I love the kayak train...and the chubby foxes..and month-long anniversary celebrations.

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  8. Your trips and the photos always take my breath away. Just gorgeous! I'm glad to hear your kiddos made it through the storm ok.

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  9. Lori, Stunning photos as usual. I love the foxes! I have been thinking of your daughter, did not know that your son lived in NYC too. So happy to hear they are okay.
    I was just thinking how weird it is to be in a place that is having unseasonably wonderful weather while it is so bad on the East coast. I don't feel guilty, I feel lucky and grateful. Sending prayers to all those that have been hit. xoxo

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    1. he recently moved there annie, just this past august. my kids are only a few blocks from each other. :)

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  10. glad your family is okay! Celebrating an anniversary all month long seems like a really good idea :) I might have to suggest it next year! Lovely excursions that you two end up going on and love how you freeze moments with photos to share with us!

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  11. Such a beautiful month long Celebration ♥
    Fabulous photos as always Lori!
    Have a wonderful weekend.

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  12. So glad that you are all safe. I get concerned for all my blogger friends in all parts of the world when there are major events like hurricanes, floods and fire etc. but not really knowing which of you are in the firing line, so to speak. Lovely photos of a gorgeous part of the world. What a wonderful month you have had.

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  13. Thank goodness your kids are safe!

    Beautiful photos. Mind blowing, sometimes, to see how water can be so calming and gorgeous and at the same time so destructive.

    xoxo

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  14. Lori, your camping trip photos are marvelous, allowing me as a dedicated non-camper to see beautiful nature that I'd otherwise have denied myself.

    I am so glad that your children in NYC are also safe and sound. Sandy has been a very strange giant of a storm. I've just heard on the news that the NYC Marathon has been cancelled, after our Mayor had earlier declared that it would go on.

    I do think that the latter ruling is much more sensitive in its approach to so many folks who are now in the dark, cold, and some without their homes.

    How I hope that there is a giant voter turn out next Tuesday, and that every voter's choices are recorded and counted.

    xo

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  15. Stunning photos Lori, thanks for sharing another beautiful place with us. Glad to hear your family is okay in NYC, so hard to see all the devastation there.

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  16. Wow, what a wonderful trip. I love the boulder in the camp site!
    Your photos are stunning. What a treat to see the foxes!

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  17. lovely lovely pics Lori- of what looks like an excellent few days.
    glad the kids are safe and well. My cousins are without power and their homes have been seriously damaged but they are all OK, so that's what counts. one friend on Breezy point completely lost his home....gone. unreal.

    love the foxes, so cunning they are!

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  18. Lori, you and Chuck SHOULD celebrate your anniversary all YEAR long.

    This was fabulous. I would love to do this trip with Island Packers.

    So glad your family is fine in NYC. This is all too hard to digest. I feel for those people, but especially for the young mother who had her children ripped from her arms. I don't know how you get through something like that. Heartbreaking.

    Sending love,

    S

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  19. So so glad the kids are fine! It's nice to know they have each other there as well :)

    The Channel island shots (above water) remind me so much of Point Lobos. I used to go there often for respite. Gorgeous shots Lori!

    Those foxes are adorable! So much more chubbier than red foxes. Very sweet.

    I'm glad your internet is back so I can continue traveling with you!

    xo
    Lo♥

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  20. what a gorgeous trip, thank you for sharing your blessings Lori! Your photography is excellent and those faces in the cliffs gave me the shivers!
    Glad to hear your kids are OK X

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  21. what awesome work for chuck and wonderful for you to be able to go along. it looks so beautiful and peaceful there. how amazing it must feel to hike along (i'm assuming all by yourself) those hills by yourself in quiet reverie. just you, my favorite snow white mama, and all the animals coming out to greet you. i love those little fox faces. and the scrub jay was particularly cute. would love to hear that little black one's tune you love.

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    Replies
    1. yes alone anushka :)

      go here to hear the black phoebe:

      http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black_Phoebe/sounds

      it sings tee hee, tee hoo!

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  22. so glad to hear the family back east is OK; those mama worries never end.

    I love going on trips with you and Chuck!!! Thanks so much for taking me along.

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  23. Lori~ after a particularly difficult week, your post brought joy to my heart and a smile to my face. I can not even begin to tell you how grateful I am that you share your world with us here in Blogland.
    Happy Anniversary month!
    xoxo janis

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  24. Oh my, words fail me! Just so, so beautiful. What a photographer you are, my goodness. :)

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xoxo lori