2022 Comes to the End

The first raccoon of our 2022-2023 Camp Host Season at Samuel P Taylor State Park

Last year we rescued these little guys daily from the dumpsters, but so far we haven't seen many.

This one was in the dumpster close to us and we heard him pounding on the walls as we walked by.

Our campsite ready for Christmas.

Notice the garland on the tent?

There are also some lights on the RV and behind the tent and car.

The day after (December 8) saying goodbye to granddaughters Katie and Helen at the airport I headed north to Eureka to say goodbye to four dear ones from the Eureka First UMC Church where I was the pastor for the eight years prior to my retirement 2 1/2 years ago. All of them were in their 90s, and all close to the end of their journey on this earth. One died the night before I headed north, but I got to see the other three, two of whom died less than 24 hours after my visits. Though it was a sad mission, it was also a journey of blessings, including spending the night with Rob's sister Dolores and brother-in-law Jerome who live in Cutten (next to Eureka).

A double rainbow I saw as I approached Eureka.

It was of course more spectacular in person.

On the trail at Founders Grove where I stopped on the way back south.

The pretty creek at the Highway 101 rest stop near Willits.

Monday and Tuesday, December 12 and 13 we headed up to Colfax to talk to an arborist about removing some trees from behind the house that have been killed by bark beetles due to weakening conditions in the long drought. It was a pretty leisurely trip, with time of course for me to take a long morning walk up to the Weimar Water Company - about 4 1/2 miles round trip.

Five deer that were in front of me along the canal trail.

Some snow on the leaves from two nights before.

View of the "Range of Light" in the Sierras from the top of my walk.

"Old Man Mountain" from the same view point.

Back down along the canal this was a rare, clear view of the Sutter Buttes with the Coast Range behind.

Note the snow on the Coast Range from the night of December 11.

A lone deer on my way back down.

Each time it rains more mushrooms seems to pop out here at Camp Taylor. Following are several pictures of the various ones I've noticed, and I have lots more pictures than these. I'm not sure why I want to take their pictures, but it delights me when others do too.

Walking morning and noon camp check rounds is five miles and when we lock the day use bathrooms at night that is another mile, so most days I walk a minimum of 6 miles. I haven't been walking a lot in between lately because its been raining, but before the heavy rains came and clouded the creek I explored regularly nearby and had seen lots of Salmon.

Part of the beautiful South Creek Trail that begins very close to our campsite.

One Salmon along the South Creek Trail.

And now joined by another.

A beautiful old growth Redwood in Wild Cat Canyon on the Pioneer Tree Trail.

A Great Blue Heron I saw on an outing to the Point Reyes Visitor Center about 5 miles from SPT.

Another rescued raccoon.

We have had visitors in the park over the holidays, and we headed to Colfax Christmas afternoon to celebrate with family there. Our grandson Jacob had two friends visiting from England for two weeks and they managed to tour a good deal of California, and even spent a night in Tijuana. After visiting Death Valley and Yosemite they headed our way for Christmas Eve, and then joined the family that gathered in the foothills to open presents on Boxing Day. This past week son Shawn and granddaughters Sophia and Naomi joined us for two nights in the park. We were able to get a cabin here at Samuel P Taylor for Jacob and his friends to stay in on Christmas Eve, and since it was raining, we again were able to get it for Shawn and the girls. The cabin is pretty sparse, but has bunk beds and electric heat, so a pretty good place to sleep when the weather is wet and cold.

Jacob in the "You Don't Know if You Don't Try" tree.

Jacob and friends in another tree.

Lindsey and granddaughters Naomi, Avi and Sophia in front of India Oven in Roseville.

We had originally planned to meet with a total of six of us for dinner in Roseville before driving to see a pretty spectacular light show at a house near by. The six grew to 12, and we had a wonderful meal at a truly outstanding Indian restaurant before most of us headed to Colfax for Christmas night.

Colfax Christmas Tree on "Boxing Day."

Avi distributing presents to all those gathered (11 of us now)

Naomi and Sophia making themselves at home in the cabin.

I wondered what we would do with the girls all day Thursday in the rain, but they happily accompanied me on noon camp check and then we spent the whole afternoon playing games in the dry RV.

Each morning on my way to do morning camp check I walk to Pioneer Tree Trail and go up into Wild Cat Canyon about a quarter mile to a bench next to the little seasonal creek that feeds into Lagunitas Creek. When we first arrived here on November 1, 2020 that creek was dry and during that season when the rains came it started flowing. Last year when we arrived it was a torrent following a major "Atmospheric River" event, and this year there was a moderate amount of water flowing in it on December 1. It had declined to just a trickle until this past week and on this last day of December, 2022, it is a rushing stream.

On December 18 you can barely see a trickle in the creek.

December 31, 2022 following our latest "Atmospheric River" event.

Looking upstream at the same spot, December 28.

December 30.

And December 31, 2022.

And there is more rain coming!

Looking upstream at Lagunitas Creek, December 31, 2022.

You can see the water coming out of the pipe from Wild Cat Canyon Creek.

The same view the day we arrived, November 30, 2022.

Looking downstream on December 31.

Looking Downstream November 30, 2022.

The prettiest waterfall in the park, but it only flows like this after very heavy rain.

This is right behind our campsite today, December 31, 2022.

A sign at a Kaiser Doctor's office - how true is all of that!

I especially resonate with "Movement is Medicine."

As I said to Ruth after a very sedentary morning, "I'm going for a walk, walking makes me a better person." Her reply: "Walking makes everyone a better person!."

And some pictures of the kitties on Angel Island: