Birds of a Feather......and more.......

And speaking of 'Magic Feathers'........

last weekend.........we traveled to Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.....to see the Festival of the Cranes......celebrating the return of the migrating Sandhill Cranes

 and other fowl

to the Bosque:

Bosque [bos’-kay]

noun

1. Wood, tract of land planted with trees and brushwood: forest, grove; any woody place. (m)

......in November.....every year......

It was a beautiful fall day, a gift so late in the season.....a warm, sunny....didn't even 'need a coat' day. 

There were thousands of birds...best captured with a telephoto lens and a tripod...

and the whole thing was an awsome spectacle....

but I'm not so sure the most lasting memory of this day won't be.......

the green chili cheeseburger  Roy and I shared.... 

skinnined up to the bar at the Buckhorn.......

Magic Feathers..........

Lovingly Stitched for Jude's Project

and in honor of my dear friend Wendy.....

note: making magic isn't easy and requires practice!

Please go here and join in the fun!

Rock Art.........

and on that snowy day near the end of October,

our merry band braved a walk......

to see.....

these petroglyph treasures near Abo Mission....

and 

were treated to

strikingly sweet berries from a large Algerita bush

at the end of the trail....

Thank You to Ranger Billy Weinman, 

our most excellent guide for this adventure!

Astonishing beauty......Sausalito and Yosemite........

Fog....

Rolling over Sausalito

a giant wave of blinding mist

crashing

into the bay.....

.......cloaking the Golden Gate Bridge

The Half Dome at Yosemite National Park

and

ranges beyond...

viewed at Sunset from Glacier Point

The 'Tunnel View'

encompasing El Capitan and the Half Dome

Yosemite Falls

Bridal Veil Falls

El Capitan

Mariposa Grove 

of Giant Sequoias

note: the cabin is not a miniature!

Trying one on for scale!

Sunset over the bay from Oakland

Cathedral of Christ the Light

An astonishing piece of Architecture

With beautiful blue skies.......lovely sunsets.......and sparse crowds.....

my traveling companion and most excellent host

assured me it would be a trip of a lifetime.......

as it was.

Lucky for me I am living many lifetimes in one!

Postcards from California......catching up!

 A temporary 'lull' in the action here has allowed me a a few moments to reflect on my recent visit to the San Francisco Bay area, north of there and on to Yosemite........

after a ride to the waterfront to gather a bit of chocolate....

from here.....

we sipped an amazing Irish Coffee...or two... at the Buena Vista.....

and

then visited the warf....

and took a long cab ride back to our hotel where I succomed to a 'bad cold'....

no worries.....had a good night's sleep

 and 

 The next day, tissues in hand....

 we walked to 'Golden Gate Park'

and experienced....

the Conservatory of Flowers....

and....

the Japanese Tea Garden.....

and 

enjoyed....

some tea.....

and

more.....

then we wandered to....

the amazing

de Young museum......

and....

the next day....we wandered some more.....

and some more...

and then....

boarded a ferry

to the other side of the bay.....

and

were whisked.......

to

Muir Woods.....

and

an amazing sunset.....

at Muir Beach.

And now....

I must now pause.......

to write...

some more.....postcards.

whew.