Walking Journal and Walking Stories

I've a semi bias towards Santa Rosa, m'father born there, and it's adjacent to much. But in my own experience, well located as it is, Santa Rosa is a plug. It's the reason the drive from SF north varies in hours because of 101 clog. On the other hand, if you're local, you know ways around that.

Well, I haven't been there for six years now, maybe they added some lanes.

My father (1906-68) was raised in what some friends now call Sacto (but I'm the one who hates hearing California called Cali, which I take as a tv phenom). Took me a bit to get used to the Sacto, when they kept calling it that. Anyway, I feel somewhat associated with it, some art shows, and a couple of people I knew as neighborhood friends who became capitol personages, and some old college friends. It's on my own 'possible' list.

Don't know Chico or Tahoe.

I'm not too wild about Sacramento, but there's a neighborhood there (Midtown) I can imagine living well in (and where my sister owns a duplex, which I could rent and manage while I decided if that's where I wanted to stay).

I'm not to wild about the Sacto appelation, either. Rings false to me. Folks I know who live there usually just call it "Sac," like "Sack of ****."

But it's sunny and well-located and actually has a bit of gritty character, if you stay in the city center and out of the burbs.

What I really fell in love with this last trip was the Russian River/Sonoma Coast area, but that's another world. I'd definitely have to own a practice there, probably would have to work on the odd barn animal, and might have to deal with the temptation of barter for services...

I can see russian river. Have an early photo of my father and bro on that.

On sacto (I've never heard sac, but my friends are older)...
I am sorry to tell you that I can see you making your way to the coast, and even bartering, a matter that intrigues me. I can see you doing that with an intermediate step or two.

Perhaps, eventually, but it ain't the next step.

On mid town sacramento, there was an area called land something. LandPark, perhaps.

My pal of the time, she in love with a capitol guy at the time, clued me in that that was the place.

The other people I talk about are those who have renovated slowly a lot of the old stuff that they purchased, and still live there in the midst. I remember stuff re their trying to help people own.
Not saying they are perfect.

Oh, that photograph!
I'm imagining that walking through masses of redwoods would be so awe inspiring, it would almost feel like a spiritual experience!
Thank you, patiodog.
Wow.

My view of the sky on my evening walk last night:

Those are a lovely set of shots Aidan! Thanks!

Wow. Beautiful country.

Great writing and reading, there, doggy!

Beautiful photographs, aidan.
Everything looks so still, so peaceful ..... & that sky!
I assume you were walking your dog. Did s/he howl at the full moon?

Sorry - missed these replies until just now when I was going to post some more walking pictures.
Thank you Patiodog, Tsarstepan and Margo.
Margo, yes, she was with me as always when I walk, but no she doesn't howl at the full moon, but for some reason she howls just LIKE a wolf whenever she hears a siren, which isn't very often around here. It's really uncanny - I mean I can hear her wolf ancestry coming out when she hears a siren. I think it hurts her ears or something.

Here's a walk I took Saturday with two of my littlest friends. It was a perfect day - one in a string of five perfect days.
Rainy today though - so no long walk today.

edited to say that I got margo mixed up with msolga - so thanks msolga, that reply should have been to you as you asked the question.

Here's a walk I took with my dog a few weeks ago:

I had planned to be out and about over the last long weekend. Even remembered the camera.

But the bloody weather was so filthy it was almost intolerable outside. Even when it wasn't raining there were fierce winds. Down near the beach you got sandblasted!

So - very little outside activity in 6 days - but we did start planning on next year's trip. May be some walking involved!

One fairly early morning I was out befoere the wind came up, just walked along the beach and was coming back, when I passed a lady with a quite large dog, black with a curly coat - no idea what breed. She was trying to encourage the dog to go on, but the dog was determined to stay put.

The owner explained that the dog was only 9 months old and quite timid. She didn't want to walk around the back of the surf club as the surf boat was out - and there were some club members about - and she didn't want to walk along the front or beach side, because there were a lot of doors there and someone might come out and frighten her.

I stood there talking to the lady and dog a bit - telling her she was a sooky Sooty (she had name tag) (dog, not owner!). ThenI said to the dog - I'll walk along the front of the surf club, to make sure it's all right, and you can follow me. Sooty wagged her tail, and took off after me. She got quite a run up, and passed me, on leash, about half way across the front of the building - much faster than I could go!

The owner said they would have had to go home if she hadn't followed me - that dog didn't want to go anywhere!

Funny experience!

You made a lifelong friend Margo.

What I saw on my walk up and down the gorge yesterday:

Thanks for waking up this thread Aidan.

Those silhouette shots are marvelous.

You're welcome and thank you tsarstepan.

great pics, Aidan!

OK - so I'm down at Kiama (beach town south of Sydney) again - for the break between Christmas and New Year.

Yesterday, while I was sleeping in, a fisherman was washed off the rocks in the pic below, and needed to be brought into the beach and then airlifted to hospital by the helicopter rescue service. Rock fishing must be the sport with the highest mortality around. Most of the people who die are migrants - you'd have to wonder why they go through all manner of difficulties to get here, and then treat their lives so carelessly.



I started my walk going around the bay, and then past the showground, now a camping area during the Christmas holidays, and I was confronted by this cute critter:

He belongs to the carnival people who are camped at the showground, although the carnival is over on the flat - on the other side of town.

I was heading towards the lighthouse and the Blowhole - but the wind was in the wrong direction for the Blowhole, so I didn't venture up that far.


Through the campers I noticed this:

Apparently there was a couple and a dog on it - I wonder where the dog sat when on the move?

I came down the hill past the Anglican church - it must have absolutely the best location in town, right on the point:


It was quite hazy as I headed for the harbour (still only 8am or so)


On the harbour side there were a couple of sea kayakers:

(note carnival - not yet awake - on the flat)
and the Gerringong (a beach about 8 miles south of here) surf lifesaving boat:

The boat had a male cox and a female crew (appears to be sponsored by Navy - big base a bit south of here). They must have come up to get some practice on calm water (seas are pretty rough at present) - I suspect they were new members - their rowing wasn't too polished.

Back down to the main street - still pretty much deserted at 8.30am on a Friday:


When I left the apartment - about 7am, there was almost no-one around - just the street cleaning machines and a couple of joggers. The camp ground was just starting to stir - and I could small bacon cooking somewhere.

As I wandered along, more people surfaced, walkers like me, some with dogs, still not many people.

It was interesting to note some differences. I was dressed in t-shirt and shorts, and runners. Walking through the town I saw an Asian couple, middle aged - wearing what appeared to be full winter gear - long pants, overcoats, hats (didn't notice gloves). Another Asian couple were having breakfast on a picnic table in the park - almost similarly dressed. It was a magnificent day, but with a slight breeze - but even early in the morning it was comfortable.

It's always interesting down here.

More tomorrow!