Vacation in California

It has been a while since I posted any news.  Since July 17th I have been vacationing in California at the house where I used to live before moving to Guam.  Here is a glimpse of my home away from home.   I have been very comfortable.

One thing I have done a couple of times is take a ride on the American River bike trail in the Sacramento area.  Here are a few pictures.

Canoes on the river

American River - the water is very cold.

The river is shared with Canada Geese at the Negro Bar park.

This morning I went for a walk up the hill behind the house where everything is wild and untouched.  I found the trails I had made all blocked by branches and finally ended up following quad tracks through the grass.  I saw a family of turkeys that kept an eye on me but certainly did not run for cover.  I evidently was not seen as a threat.

I found a Digger Pine cone that was from this years crop and still green and tightly closed.  I picked it up to bring back for pictures but it was so sticky that I dropped it.  After 2 washings, my hands are still sticky.  Later I found a cone that was drier and cone open still hanging on a tree where it was low enough to knock it down with the hoe I was using as a walking stick.  I brought it back to the house for pictures.

Digger Pines are very interesting.  The wood is good for nothing because it is too soft and the trees have a tendency to fall over without warning when there is no breeze.  They are interesting because of the cone. Only one other tree has a bigger or heavier cone.  That comes from the Sugar Pine which also grows in this area but at a higher elevation.  Not that these cones compete with coconuts for size and weight but look at the spines.  They are deadly!

I looked up the tree on the internet and the cones are oval and 6 to 10 inches long the cone scales are triangular and bearing a stout, triangular, curved, point great for sticking anyone picking it up.  Sugar Pines are amazing with cones well over a foot long.

The pictures below are of the cone I knocked out of a tree.  My guess is the cone is 9 or 10 inches long.  But, look at how big around it is!  Look how much damage those spines could do if dropped on your head from 50 feet above!

One mean cone next to my hand so you can see the size.

Mean looking spears sticking out of the cone ready to stab.

Now I have to go outside and remove all the stickers from my sneakers so that I do not bring them to Guam!

Vacation is almost over!  I will be returning to Guam in a few days.  I have enjoyed my vacation but now it is time to go home.  My next post will be much greener.