Coast Starlight

All aboard! I'm taking you on a ride from Los Angeles to Seattle on Amtrak's Coast Starlight.

We're departing from Los Angeles' Union Station at 10:10 AM on Saturday, March 9th.

Like all trains, the Coast Starlight brings us face-to-face with life along the rails. In the cities, life tends to be hidden from the public view and rough around the edges.

Oxnard, CA

Outside of cities, we see a lot more nature, wide-open skies, and on this ride, much of the coastline between LA and Goleta.

Seaside Wilderness Park, Ventura, CA

The recent rains have turned many of the waterways into rivers of mud and debris, that wash into the sea.

The rain also has made the ocean unusually turquoise.

Santa Barbara train Xing

Homeless encampment in Goleta, CA

Green hillsides in Goleta 

Ocean view, Goleta

Grass is growing everywhere, coloring normally brown cliffs a bright green...

... And making the hills come alive with spring blooms.

Pedestrians and bike-riders after the rain.

San Luis Obispo vineyard

Brown cows in green field

Fallow fields and road, King City, CA

Waiting for spring

The sun has gone down before we arrive in the Bay area, and we keep chugging along all night long, waking in the early morning in a snowy wonderland near Mount Shasta, CA

Photos don't begin to show how beautiful it was at 6:30 AM, with snow falling all around me. The snow continued all morning, from northern California into Oregon, from high in the mountains to the flat land below.

Dorris, CA

Chilquin, OR

While the weather changes, one constant along the north-south route is the rumble of freight trains. In northern California, Oregon and Washington, the timber industry predominates.

Klamath Falls, OR

Willamette National Forest, OR

Westfir, OR

Dexter Reservoir, Lowell, OR

Sheep grazing in Halsey, OR 

Fall Creek, OR

I promised you the Coast Starlight. I delivered much of its scenery, but as I headed toward Portland and into Washington, I started reading a really great novel and stopped taking photos...

 And now I'm in Seattle, then off to Bellingham in the morning. Happy rails, everyone!

Busting Out

March 8 update: Babies are busting out of the nest. I expect we'll have flight pretty soon.

I'll miss these guys when they're gone.

Hummingbird Update

It's been about 10 days or so since the babies hatched, and every day brings new developments. Their eyes are open, downy fluff has appeared on their heads, their wings are getting feathers, and their beaks are growing longer. Mama bird leaves them alone in the nest most of the day, while they sleep.

Sometimes they get restless and flap around a bit, eager to fly. It's been such a joy to watch them grow!

Hatchlings!

Our dedicated little scarlet-breasted hummingbird, who has braved severe winter storms, rain and extremely cold nights, became a new mother this weekend when her two tiny eggs hatched successfully. 

She's been busy feeding her chicks by foraging for nectar and tiny bugs several times an hour, then returning to the nest to feed them to her hungry babies.

The hatchlings are still blind and featherless and can barely lift their heads up. But when Mama comes home with food, they eagerly crane their necks and beg to be fed.

We're hoping for more sun and warmer weather to make these little guys more comfy for the next few weeks until they fluff up and learn to fly. Until then, they're completely reliant on Mom to feed them and keep them warm. 

Ah, Nature!

San Mateo Canyon Wilderness Hike

After many weeks of welcome rain here in SoCal, we finally had a sunny Saturday, so we decided to hike the San Mateo Wilderness park. This is the walk about a mile in from the Morgan Trailhead. Everything is green and lush and wet! Yay!

On the drive back on the Ortega Highway, we stopped an overlook to see a canyon that has become a giant waterfall because of the rain runoff. If you zoom in, you can also see that someone (wearing orange) is highlining across the gorge on a tightrope!

Here's a close up:

In other news, a hummingbird has built a next in the tree outside my office, and she appears to be sitting on some eggs. More news soon?

Santa Barbara overnight

John and I drove up the coast for a short visit and walked to the Santa Barbara pier this afternoon to do some people watching, and it turns out, some birdwatching, as well. A storm had just passed through town, making the sky and the light spectacular.

A pelican about to alight.

The giant palms are very Seussian.

View from the beach looking north to the pier.

 The requisite selfie at the end of the pier and...

... a rainbow. A good omen for 2019?