One of the interesting things about living on a farm is that farm operations can briefly change environmental conditions. Wildlife reacts immediately to these changes. When we cut our grass hay, the ground is suddenly available and various predators from eagles to owls to coyotes arrive to feast on the newly available mice. When we […]

In 1851, William Nobles founded a new route to California through lands of the Northern Paiute Tribe. The new trail left the Applegate Trail at Black Rock Springs in Nevada, crossed the Black Rock Playa, passed near what is now Susanville, California and ended at Shasta City, California. It was generally considered the easiest route […]

There is a fourth lesson of the trail. It is one which John Muir taught me .  There are always some people in the mountains who are known as “hikers.” They rush over the trail at high speed and take great delight in being the first to reach camp and in covering the greatest number […]

National Park Shutdown National Parks in the U.S.A. are usually open 365 days a year.  When legislators and the President fail to fund the operations of government, the Park Service furloughs non-essential workers.   Usually these periods are short and the parks are open after a few days.  This year’s long shutdown left the parks […]

Sometimes I answer questions posed by members of Quora.  Here is one question and my answer:
What are the most common, likely dangers facing hikers in North America?

The history of the Lava Beds National Monument is rough, with a bloody history of the Modoc Indian War.  Many people died there during the war under horrible circumstances.  Do their spirits live on? Frank Bagges was quite certain they do.  He related his first person report to the The Morning Call, a San Francisco newspaper.  The story was […]

A map created German cartographer Henricus Martellus (aka Heinrich Hammer) in 1491 depicts the world as known to Europeans at that time. Recent studies reveal more details than ever seen before.

Great Horned Owls are Great!

The Rainbow by Charles Lamb
After the tempest in the sky
How sweet yon rainbow to the eye!

Watching is a great thing to do and goslings are a great addition to our world.  Anders Tomlinson was watching goslings at Harriman Springs Resort and Marina on Oregon’s Klamath Lake and made this video.  It’s amazing what you can see if you take the time to watch.