That Touch of Mink

Bodie State Park at the end of the road

Sage Grouse I photographed in 2012

Saturday morning started near Bodie State Park. A few years back I got some incredible shots of Sage Grouse - considering who was behind the camera - along the 13 mile road in to the park.No such luck this time, for one thing because it is hunting season and all the orange vested hunters packing shotguns seem to make the grouse a tad shy.


We loitered along the rough pebbled road into the park, paying scant attention to the scenery as we stared in hope of spotting interesting birds. Don saw one Sage Grouse high up on a ridge, unseen by too-slow-to-look-up, moi.

Green-tailed Towhee on the road to Bodie

Can't evade me forever you rosy little treasure...

Afterwards we gave another look-see and the Virginia Lakes Resort and enjoyed a nice breakfast at its restaurant. After exploring the area and again, not seeing any Gray-crowned Rosy Finches *bite the fist in exasperation*



Following breakfast we visited the County Park. Don has scope & will travel, so he hiked it down to the lake. I stayed uphill, visiting - possibly pestering - some folks visiting from the Netherlands.

Black-billed Magpie, strutting around. At home there are only Yellow-billed Magpies, just as vane actually.

Still, Black-bills are a treat as I don't necessarily see the species every year.






After a trot around Lucy Lake for Don, we headed south of Mono Lake ending up near the town of Bishop in the afternoon. Don wanted to try for Nighthawks, Owls and other denizens of the strange back country. We took a drive through Volcano Tableland a BLM property with weird pock-marked volcanic and igneous rocks.                            

Quite a few profiles were everywhere you look

Don taking some close-ups of the hole strewn rocks

At twilight a couple of Great Horned Owls were out and about, seeking their prey for the evening. And over by the quarry, against all expectations, a Nighthawk floated by overhead, winging its way toward Mexico. Having 'scored' the owls and the Nighthawk, we congratulated ourselves and     thought that was it for the evening.But when I looked up from the steering wheel I saw a dark little weasel scamper, rather like a hunchback, across the road.  I shrieked and we stared at it. There was a brief pause as the creature haulted for a bit then dove off the road and into a riverlet that ran under the asphalt road. Of course it happened so quickly I had no time to dig out my camera and anyway it was dark.

Not my Photo as I got none, but this is in the
ballpark of what we saw scamper past

"Baby otter? Naw... too small"

"Long-tailed Weasel," I concluded, incorrectly.

No, too dark', said Don. Then inspiration hit, "It's a MINK!"

And of course, he was right. A Mink, in as dry as lizard farts, Inyo County! Who'd a thunk it?

That  was as amazing a sight as I've seen in a while. MINK!  I've seen them before but they're always exciting                                                                                     

Sunday was the last day at Mono. To get home, the fun way, you drive over Tioga Pass through Yosemite. Along the way there was much birding, though we didn't really see much birdie-wise but the scenery was grandiose.

Most of my Yosemite shots were 'drive by' views

We had lunch at a picnic table, alongside a small creek at the 'old entrance' of Yosemite.

After lunch there was a short hike up the trail, on the old Yosemite entrance way. It is considered a
wilderness area.

Don headed up the old road, which once hosted Model-Ts and the like

Fruit of the Western Dogwood

Some poly-pore fungi reclaiming a fallen tree

After the short hike, I took the wheel and we headed back to Fair Oaks. Along the way we passed through Angel's Camp where I found out later in the day, my friend Jeannie was hard at work for the California Department of Forestry. While we were touring the countryside, much of it was being consumed by flames. I hope the winter rains come this year, we really need them.

Chuffed for Chuckars

Scenic creek on the drive to Mono Lake

Every once in a bit I visit Mono Lake, most often with my birder buddy Don. We headed there today, swinging along Hwy 50 towards Lake Tahoe then through Markeleeville were we stopped at a favorite area good for Bald Eagles and occasionally American Dippers. Usually Don hurries off while I hem and haw back at the car, then when he races back with news of a Dipper, I race off in time to see the little wet footprints where the bird is no more...

Today was different, Don found a bird and when I finally arrived, darned if the bird was still flittering about.  The cove it bounced in was dark and far more than 500 yards away so my shots are not exactly National Geographic quality, but they're better than a poke in the eye.

Cheeping along the water's edge

Don't get to see Dippers too often

Am totally stoked, as these are the first ever photos I've taken of an American Dipper. They're famous for their ability to run and even 'fly' under fast running mountain streams in their search for insects.

Showing a little enthusiasm for water

The little dipper left me feeling ecstatic we drove off down the highway, my thoughts at least on Mono Lake. We briefly stopped at a camp ground along the way. Then we headed south through Monitor Pass.  Suddenly Don spotted something on the rocky cliff to the right, and to my astonishment, asked me to back up the car. He almost NEVER asks for such things (unlike me, who would back up on the damned LA freeway if a good bird were possible). I rather blindly backed up onto the shoulder, both of us sort of expecting to see Grouse or the like. But nope... big surprise... Chuckar!

Find Six Chukars...

Obviously an animatronic bird... I think...

Chukars! At the start of the trip, Don said he wanted to find Chukars and I thought he must be nuts. We've been to Mono Lake numerous times and have never seen a trace of the birds. So why this time, when he mentioned them for the first time ever, did he manage to spot a half dozen birds? He CHEATS! Obviously these lovely birds were stuffed specimens, secretly stashed there by Don. Yeah, OK, they walked and jumped and called out "CHU-KAR!" once in a bit, but surely they were Disney quality animatronics. Clever boy...

Masked Bandits with Red Bills

The birds were a lifer for Don, and only a second sighting for me. I haven't seen a Chukar since I saw my lifer birds in 1981 in a canyon outside Winnemucca Nevada. Never expected to be lucky enough to see any again.

The little resort Restaurant

We hadn't stopped slapping ourselves on the back before we arrived at our next stop, just past Bodie State Park: Virginia Lake Resort. I was hoping to get - uh... my umpteenth try since 2000, of Gray-crowned Rosy Finch. *sigh* No such luck, as it is too warm and the birds are still at higher elevations. Will have to return, perhaps in March. I'll get my Rosy Finches some day, damn it!







The glory of the Virginia Resort is you can eat your meal, while watching your lifer Gray-crowned Rosy Finch eating its meal. Alas! Nothing at the feeders today but cute little Pine Siskins.

Another critter enjoying a meal, under the bird feeders was a little Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel.

This healthy guy wandered around, looking like he was wanting a meal. 

This fellow seemed to be wanting a nice meal too.

Rather Chuffed for Chili at Virgina Lakes

Pinyons remain no easier to photograph - little pills!

The rest of the day was spent at various points around Mono Lake. Oh, and may I point out, at least 100 Pinyon Jays were spotted. The little buggers were every place we went, from Markleeville to Mono Lake, everywhere. You know, we spent several years hunting for Pinyons, with them nowhere noisy Pinyon Jays! I'm hoping Gray-crowned Rosy Finches will be unavoidable for me some day. I wish! We finally found some in 2012, and ever since, the things practically plague us. Really. No getting away from them now.

White-breasted Magoo.. I mean, White-breasted Nuthatch near Mono Mills

Nuthatch enjoying my car's... er... shine(?)

At the Mono Mill site,White-breasted Nuthatches bounced back and forth on my car.

Skitter! Skitter! Skitter!

As dirty as my car was, they loved its shine

Creek by Virginia Lake

Evening came and we drove up and down the road in the County Park by the lake looking for Common Poorwills. Managed to get a glimpse at two different birds, but I was bummed as didn't even come close to getting any photos of them; maybe next year.

Why I Adore My Hair Days

Once upon a time, getting my hair done was a horrid chore. For decades I dealt with hair braiders and stylists, men and women of varying skill who would do my hair one month, then disappear from the face of the earth the next. Several years ago the woman who installed my Sister Locks was driving me batty. She bragged to me she was a 'professional', though her behavior was anything but. Unfailingly I showed for my appointments smack on time. Inevitably appointments began from 10, 20 minutes, if not an hour late. Those hair sessions one time began with a drive to her bank and another with a stop at to pick up some lunch. Then, once begun, her hair sessions might halt a half hour or more for tea or even random visitors. If these had been rare I'd probably not even have noticed, but these incidents were the only thing that could be depended on. Wimpy me, I held my tongue. Then, one day after my appointment, out of the blue the so-called 'professional' lit into me, accused me of having underpaid her - for several visits. I pointed out she never told me she had raised her prices. "Oh," she said, when she realized she'd neglected to tell me she'd raised her fee. No, 'sorry I forgot to tell you' or 'sorry I accused you of underpayment'. Nope, all I got was an unrepentant, 'Oh'.

That was it, I never went back to her. Seriously - fed up with decades of crap service from sundry hair 'professionals', I contemplated shaving my head and the only thing that stopped me from shopping Amazon for a good electric razor was I didn't think my face pretty enough to carry off baldness. I never went back to the infuriating 'professional'. For months I didn't get my hair done. My locks threatened to fall from my head. Then a miracle: I found Adrian. The lady is the hair professional I have always prayed for. I've never been happier with either a hair care person or for that matter, my hair.

A dream come true - Adrian

Every visit with Adrian is a morning in paradise for me. I am at her door at 8 AM sharp, and as the gods are my witness, at 8:01 my appointment begins. Adrian might play a Ted Talk video for me while she works. Perhaps we just discuss our latest food plan tactics or some enlightening item in the news. Sometimes I bring her some little gift, hoping it lets her know how very much I appreciate her. My first thought whenever I ponder moving out of state is, "But how could I get on without Adrian?"

Today was a joyful day. Woke at 5 AM for a traffic-free drive to the Bay Area. There I was greeted promptly at 8 AM by Adrian and at 8:01 I was relaxed, happy & having my hair done: a miracle I will never have, nor never will take for granted.

Oh, and post appointment my fun continues.  As per usual, after my time with lovely - inside and out - Adrian, I head off to Berkley to meet up with fellow Hen, Robbie. She works at home a few days a week & on my hair appointment days she schedules a morning break so we can race out to a quick brunch.

It was my treat today, celebrating Robbie's birthday last month. Sam's log cabin is a fav.

Here is Robbie about to dig into her veggie scramble with poached eggs atop. The blueberry lemon zest scones - I got one too - were poofalicious. We both decided to take our scones home and I will have mine for breakfast tomorrow.

After brunch we were briefly back at Robbie's house. In the back garden she clipped and bagged loads of fresh cherry tomatoes, basil and even fresh figs. I rather balked at the basil, from guilt, as I took a lot of it on my last visit but never got around to doing anything with it. But Robbie has faith and gave me loads of the gently scented herb.

Photographed these figs a couple of months ago - they're now black and sweet

Robbie havin' at the overflow of Basil

Overflowing with lovely stuffs, I headed Home. That, my dears, is how I usually spend my hair days. What was once a horror, is now a joyful sort of day.

UPDATE:  The basil was indeed made into Pesto. Later in the week Hen Ingrid popped by to visit for a couple days. She was on her way back from - now get this - 3 months backpacking in Olympic National Park. Awesome, eh? We had a nice visit and I used Robbie's basil to make some banging Pesto. We ate it with angel hair pasta Ingrid had with her from her travels. We washed it all down with some white wine I got from Judy some months ago. That was quite the 'stone soup' meal.