Our front yard

[GlueGuy]

Well, I've had the digital camera for a week or so now, and we had some neat fog the other morning. So I thought it might be nice for you all to see our "front yard".

This picture was taken from in front of our house facing roughly west.

The bottom of the canyon (deep shadow roughly center of the pic) is approximately 1500' below our yard level. If you look closely at the wooded ridge that extends from the right toward the center (and into the fog), you will notice a house (on of our "closer" neighbors, and a little tiny bit of Alpine road (that goes down into Pescadero).

The stranded ridge at the top left of the photo is just above Pescadero Beach.

The GlueGuy

 

[GlueGuy]

Re: Our side yard

This picture is looking roughly south from our side yard.

The ridge across the top of the photo is Butano Ridge (pronounced with the emphasis on the first syllabel and a long "U"). Butano is a little lower than our ridge (we're at 2400', and Butano is a 100 or so lower).

The ridge across the lower part of the photo is Diablo Ridge, and interestingly enough, the canyon between us and Diablo is called Devil's Canyon.

Outside the picture and to the left is Big Basin State Park.



The GlueGuy

 

[Harv]

Very nice pictures, GlueGuy! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Your "yards" look very familiar to me. Back in my abalone-diving days I cruised up and down Highway 1 on a regular basis. How far inland are you?

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

Boy, you ARE on top of a mountain! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

SHF

 

[RobS]

Re: Our side yard

It might take a while, but if we all bring our tractors over we could probably have that looking like our flat cornfields for you /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Very pretty Glueguy. Must make for some incredible cycling /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[jinman]

Re: Our side yard

Glueguy, you've been holding out on us! All we had to look at before was your "mug shot" and now you give us this spectacular view. THANKS! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif What a great view to wake up to. I hope you'll keep that digi-cam busy. We want more!

JimI

 

[GlueGuy]

<font color=blue>How far inland are you?</font color=blue>

As the crow flies, we are 13 miles from the beach at Pescadero. However, getting there takes at least 45-60 minutes because of the indirect route you have to take.

We essentially look over the Pescadero drainage and Portola State Park (under the fog in the west-looking picture). Portola Park has a few groves of ancient coastal redwoods (Sequoya Semperviron). The rich run-off from this old forest accumulates in the flatlands around Pescadero, resulting in some of the richest topsoil on the planet. Top soil in Pescadero is reputed to be over 30' deep.

The GlueGuy

 

[Wheeldog]

Re: Our side yard

GlueGuy,

Nice pictures. Seeing them made me wonder what sort of wild animals you've got running around up there - coyote?, mountain lion? I'm not too familiar with your part of the country but there looks to be quite a bit of open space for critters.

Rob

 

[GlueGuy]

Re: Our side yard

Rob,

The cycling around here is great. Keeps you in shape doing all the ups & downs. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif The trails around our house can get seriously tough; when I first started doing mountain biking, I wasn't sure I was going to be able to do it, but I have "adapted"...

The GlueGuy

 

[GlueGuy]

Re: Our side yard

<font color=blue>I hope you'll keep that digi-cam busy</font color=blue>

I'll do what I can Jim. Your flower shots are inspiration to us all.

BTW - Will be offline until next week. Am going up to Yosemite for 6 days to help my Sweetie out with the restoration project she runs for the NPS.

The GlueGuy

 

[GlueGuy]

Re: Our side yard

<font color=blue>what sort of wild animals you've got running around up there - coyote?, mountain lion</font color=blue>

We've got both of those, and bobcat, wild boar, wild turkey, gray fox, deer, and all the "usual suspects". Black bear have been reported about 7 miles south of here, but we haven't seen sign of them yet. The area was historically inhabited with grizzly bear (which kept the black bear away), but since the grizz's aren't around any more, the black bear are slowly moving in.

<font color=blue>quite a bit of open space for critters</font color=blue>

Yes, there is a lot of open space around here. MROSD (Mid-Peninsula Open Space District) land essentially surrounds our parcel, and they alone have 50,000 acres of open space. Then there are the state parks (Portola, Castle Rock, and Big Basin) that total many more thousands of acres, plus county and other parks. Much of the land is still ranch land, but a lot of it is converting to parkland, as farming is almost impossible on these hills (with the minor exception of a few vinyards), and the cattle ranching is tough too.

The GlueGuy

 

[glennmac]

Re: Our side yard

Lived 3 years in Northern California (San Jose). Didnt want to leave. Now I remember why. I'm jealous.

 

[MReeter]

Wow,don't know how you spend soo much time on the puter.I'd be sittin on the front porch most of the time,just taken it all in.Absolutley,stunning view.

 

[scruffy]

GlueGuy, are you sure your puter ain't on the front porch? Sure makes me miss So. Oregon and NoCal!

 

[Kerry]

Re: Our side yard

Glueguy,great pics,very pretty country,looks very simikar to my bit of Oz.Have to get myself one of those digital cameras and post some pics .Kerry.

 

[GlueGuy]

Mike,

I guess the good news is that I work "down in the valley", and I leave this scene most mornings to go down and pound the keyboard.

Not quite so easy for my wife, who runs her organization out of her home office. She calls the view, both inspiration and distraction. She can look out her office door to relax, or she look out there to "go away".

The GlueGuy

 

[GlueGuy]

Scruffy, you could tell a story with all the places you have been. I grew up in Illinois, and finished high school & college in Minnesota. I liked Minnesota a lot better than Illinois (even with the winters), but I like California the best of all.

No, the 'puter ain't out there, and right now I'm glad it isn't (91 in the shade). Looking forward to the evening cool-down. /w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif

However, we talk about other places that we might live, and so far, nothing else comes close.

The GlueGuy

 

[GlueGuy]

Re: Our side yard

Please do! I have seen some pics of various peoples homes here, and it sure helps provide "context". I guess if I was thinking out loud, I would ask Muhamad if there was a way to provide "home pics" for everyone....

The GlueGuy

 

[scruffy]

Re: Our side yard

GlueGuy, no matter how many places we may have lived, home is where the heart is, and that mainly is where we grew up at. I grew up in a 350 mile block of Southern Oregon (at Coos Bay) and down to 90 miles south of Eureka in Northern California. Dad had a ranch outside of Coos Bay and lived there until he passed away a month ago. My parents were early for their times, and got divorced fifty years ago, so I traveled that strip of U.S. HWY 101 many a times. Dad also had a farm in N.D. that we used to spend part of the year at, for planting/harvesting, and then back to the coast.
Every state that we've lived in has its good points, but the one that raises the 'warm fuzzies' is still that block of coastline mentioned above.
Oaklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Wyoming, Montana, Georgia, Texas, Colorado, California, Oregon, Massachusetts, North Dakota, South Dakota all have there beauty, and scenic areas, but while nice to see, experience, get to know the locals, etc., where else can you find mountains, forests, wilderness, ocean beaches, rivers, great fishing (salt & freshwater), hunting, and the general enjoyment of the outdoors, as well as a whole lot less people!
Do not get me wrong, each area offered great beauty, friends, experiences, and plenty of opportunity for exploration, and we enjoyed each and every place very much, but each still lacked the accumilated comforts of 'home'.
Off the band wagon, and back to the current homestead...the 'Boss' wants me to finish her new rocking chair this evening...got the final coat of finish to put on it so that she can cure her 'itchy-buns' as she calls the anxiety to sit in it!

 

[GlueGuy]

Re: Our side yard

I agree with 95% of what you say there, except that I don't necessarily agree that it's "mainly where we grew up". It may be true for most people, but Illinois is near the last place I would want to live these days (which is where I grew up).

I've now spent more time in North California than anywhere (including Illinois). I visited Illinois again recently after Dad passed away, and it does not feel like "home" to me. This may be largely due to the time when I was uprooted from Illinois (16 years old). My sister has lived there all her life, I I can't imagine her living anywhere else.

I've had some short stints in Massachusetts, Washington, and Oregon, and this is where I feel the most comfortable.

Speaking of "itchy buns", when my sweetie talks about that, it's time for a road trip! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

The GlueGuy