Into the Woods and Wilds

green thumb, this season !

2010-05-03T14:00:00.000-07:00

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This season, in mid Spring, I thought suddenly to green my thumb !
Search begins for the plants which I wish to bring home.
What works best for this part of the world ?

Ah ! Wikipedia !!! gives me some thousand names of plants for my zone. Many of which I hear for the first time.

I subscribe for gardening newsletters ;
visit library and bring loads of garden related books.
My partner goes crazy, as I drive myself in to a frenzy !!!

Annuals or Perennials ; Ground covers or Shrubs ; Foliage or Flowers ...

Confused or Disoriented !!!???!!!

One round to a nearby nursery ...
My partner follows me faithfully !
I fall in love with every single plant, flower I see ...

Another week of research is on and then a Spring sale !
Finally ... we bring 'Sweet broom' Lilac Time
and another flower plant, not knowing its name.

I transfer the plants to big ceramic pots.
Challenge to face !!!
worms in the soil. Now what are these ... Good ones or Bad ???

We go to a garden supply shop and learn, they are centipedes.
Americana centipede !!!
Heh hey ! we were not able to recognize them !!!
No remedy required ... I am relived !

Another hurdle !
The flower plant with no name, How am I to take care of it ?
How much water ? needs full sun or shade ? ...

I leave a Question in some web forum, someone quickly replies.
It is ... ... a Weigela shrub ... !!!
Googled and yes, they are those hardy shrubs with burgundy foliage and crimson-pink flowers.

Now, 4 pots sit in our balcony !
a Sweet broom,
a Weigela,
a Fleurette mums plant
which we have since this February, will bloom in Autumn,
and a Ficus (Fig) patio tree, a package gift along with the house !

This weekend, a guest arrives for a short stroll !
a white winged Dove !!!

It is now over a week, and suddenly the sweet broom has started to wilt.
I understand it is over-watered.

I give it some time.
Hope it makes a comeback.

Daisy ridge to Sweeney ridge

2009-07-07T13:30:00.000-07:00

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This can count as our first moderate hiking. Though we have had been to hiking twice earlier, they were of the even levels and less strenuous ones.

But Sweeney Ridge trail was both fascinating and challenging. The elevation starts from around 655 ft to 1213 ft.

[ entrance : from Sneath lane ]

Information about fog, wind and the 3 different trails from the blogs - Bay Area Hiker and Trailspotting were handy, though it is for oneself to explore the real hiking experience.
We ventured out to Sweeney Ridge on last Friday afternoon. Weather was pretty clear, and temperature was 70 - 80 degree F.

The trail starts from Sneath Lane end. There were many cars already parked in the lot which gave us some confidence that we were not alone. Though a board saying - private zone confused us a little. Inquired a fellow hiker who was just returning from the other end, he said Go Ahead !

Just as you enter in to the trail head within few minutes of walk there is a locked gate to the left side which heads to San Andreas lake reservoir.
The trail will soon give in to a curve from where the beautiful views of San Andreas lake reservoir mesmerized us. This Lake reservoir looked so pristine and clear like a paint stroke.

[ view of San Andreas Lake reservoir ]

It started to be windy from that point and I had to change into a sweater. We could hear the wind blowing heavily. It was a new experience for us as the wind was hitting directly on us and we were trying to go against it balancing ourselves !
By then, almost gasping we stopped for a while to catch some breath and few counts of water. It was here I lost my favourite hair clip while trying to tie up my flying hair :)

Then came the mid point. There is a wooden bench. Seated there one will be able to see far towards East for a view of San Bruno Mountains and San Francisco Airport.

[ mid point ]

We could also see far South East all the way up to San Mateo-Hayward bridge and Dumbarton bridge. The bay towards North East side was covered in fog. So, the mountain range was hardly visible. But we did manage to get the glimpse of Mt Diablo for a few minutes.

We then headed towards the ridge crest, where the Sneath lane trail meets Sweeney ridge trail. Trail to the North will lead to Nike missile base. To the South, we find the Discovery site.

It was in 1769, the Portolà Expedition team headed by Gaspar de Portolà discovered the San Francisco bay area here. This site is now maintained under Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

[ San Francisco bay area Discovery site ]

Awesome 360 degree panoramic views of the Bay, Pacific ocean, Montara mountains and the city of Pacifica could be visible on a clear day. As we ascended the ridge heavy fog was setting in to the West. So we got to see nothing else other than a little of the Montara mountains.

Another monument mounted here is the Mountain finder. The pictures are carved into the rock indicates the major mountains of the Bay area showing the actual location of that mountain.

[ Mountain finder ]

The fog had almost covered the ridge and before we could get stuck we decided to head back.
In total we took 1 hour and 10 minutes ( out and back - around 3 miles) to the Discovery site.
Certainly we will catch up with the missile base on our next trail :)

Trail info can be found in > bay area hiker link

Google map :

View Larger Map

: >

Summer Time Ventures

2009-06-25T14:00:00.000-07:00

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It is Summer again and a pretty time to venture out.

So here I am forgathering all the knowledge and information of places we could visit around.

Greenery allures me and my partner alike. So we enjoy being in the company of woods and wilds.

More than anything, Nature provides the ultimate shelter and recreation to the mind and body; Solitude to one's soul.
Nature has always been a best Retreat mode for many.

When quickly researched (thanks to Google and Wikipedia) I learnt that there are 58 National Parks in USA, 278 State Park units (Regional Parks) in the State of California.

Apart from these there are umpteen number of trails, open spaces, wilderness where one can hike and camp. My counting would be lost if I started any.

Within just 50 miles (50mph/50 mi is equal to 80.4672 kms) of our home city, I found 400 something places to visit.
I was stuck with astonishment and was perplexed at the same time !

Such a surreal feeling !
Like Knowledge, one would never boast of knowing everything, one would never accomplish seeing all the beauties and wonders Nature has bestowed upon humankind.

Last year when I landed here in April, it was almost like the start of Summer. This year we had to wait till the mid-June to flag off the real Summer season.
I guess many have their list ready for the season.
We are ready with ours too.

One can find many books, travel guides providing the info and map details to the points of interest. And there are numerous websites and web blogs to refer from.

Hiking and Trails :>

Bay Area Hiker : this is the one-stop-link for hiking and trails

Trail Center : this gives the list and links to various websites and blogs related to hiking and trails

Cyber Hikes

Transit and Trails

Trailspotting

Two Heel drive

California Travels

Hiking in Heels

Parks :>

US National Park Service

California State Parks

Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy

East Bay Regional Parks

: > Happy Summer Time < :

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