Monday Musings

We ventured out to the Yolo Bypass last evening for some long shadows and bird song.  The red wing blackbirds were plentiful, with a few egrets, ducks and sparrows.  Oh, and some curlews.  I don't know my birds particularly well, but I sure enjoy them.

The bypass was used well this winter to catch a torrent of run off from the rains.  The place was flooded like we've never seen before.  Now, however, most of the water is gone from the fields and the wet marshes are now more grassland than marsh.  A completely transformed landscape.  Beautiful, and yet I miss the abundance of water. 

I think this area is at its best when there are big puffers in the sky.  Not so last evening.  The land is so vast and flat, it needs some drama in the sky to make a good photograph.  This is a favorite haunt of several local photographers, and I always expect to see them out there, but I never do.  A ranger came by to remind us the gates lock at 8:10 and we agreed we'd be out of there.  And then we began to wonder: how many people actually get locked in here at night?  And what the heck would you do if you did?  I don't expect the rangers to go looking for you -- they don't get paid enough to babysit.  So, I guess you'd just hunker down and keep the engine running to stay warm.  Maybe we should bring provisions and a couple of sleeping bags when we make our trips here.  The dogs will wonder where the hell we are, and probably howl their concern all night.

Maybe this is a "Google this" situation, but somehow I just don't care that much.