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“He may be just a tramp, a guy that likes to roam about this great country without any special aim, just to thank the Lord for these beautiful mountains.”
-B. Traven, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

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“. . .here, where there are still the silences and the loneliness of the earth before man, . . .”

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- Eating Poison Oak
- Farewell To The Rock, Gibraltar Party Place
- Indian Head Test Pattern (1939)
- Knapp's Castle Then and Now
- Ice Cans To Rockets, A New Stove For A New Century
- About
- Sulfur Mountain Oil Seeps, Ventura County
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- A Treasure Hunt For Chumash Pictographs and the Vicious Protector
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Latest Dispatches
- Raking the Forest: Anderson, Trump, Kuyper
- Initials of J.D. Reyes (1907)
- Last California Grizzlies Seen In Santa Barbara National Forest? (1926)
- Eccentric Artifact, San Marcos Foothills Preserve
- Fog Drip Morels
- Naming Santa Barbara’s Modoc Road
- Mark of Conquest; Benchmark and Mortar
- Hat Tip to the Selfless Samaritans In Service to Others
- The Intelligence of Coyote Tobacco (Nicotiana attenuata)
- The Journey of a Root (1907) and Plant Intelligence
- Santa Barbara County Morels
- Hollyleaf Cherries Golden Morph
- Barefoot Prints In Volcanic Ash, Hawaii (1790)
- Skinny-Dipper Detained, Cuffed and Cited at Montecito Hot Springs
- Red Horny Toad
Lunar Phase

Monthly Archives: February 2012
Cuyama Viticulture
“Unlike raisin or fresh grape production, where greater cluster size and quantity were preferred, wine grapes often produced superior vintages on rocky, sandy (e.g., Virg. Georg. 2.346; Colum. Arbor3.6), or even infertile soils, which tended to check productivity and overall … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara County
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Tagged Agriculture, Cuyama Badlands, Grapes, History, Landscape, Photos, Pics, Vineyards, Viticulture, Wine, Writing
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6 Comments
Turkeys, Bobcats and the Caves of Castle Rock
Along lower Manzana Creek in the Santa Barbara backcountry, a rib of sandstone known to some as Castle Rock (Jack’s Map) juts into the air along the west end of the wind swept ridge officially dubbed Hurricane Deck. This is … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara County
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Tagged Adventure, Animals, backcountry, Birds, Bobcats, Caves, Hikes, Hiking, Landscape, Mountains, Nature, Photos, Pics, San Rafael Wilderness, Turkeys, Wilderness, Wildlife, Writing
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11 Comments
Gaviota Peak
I hiked up to Gaviota Peak (Jack’s Map) and back via a circuit route, as noted above by the red dots. I began in Gaviota State Park and, following the Gaviota Peak fire road, entered into the Los Padres National … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara County
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Tagged Adventure, Animals, Caves, Gaviota Peak, Hikes, Hiking, Hiking (2), Landscape, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Ocean, Photos, Pics, State Parks, wildflowers
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14 Comments
Impressionist Reflections on Kelly Creek
Kelly Creek, in the Los Padres National Forest, seen here reflecting the forest canopy and sky overhead.
Posted in Santa Barbara County
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Tagged Hiking, Hiking (2), Kelly Creek, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Outdoors, Photos, Pics, Wilderness
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3 Comments
Chain of Events and the Golden Sunset
I had spent the day trampin’ around the Santa Ynez Mountains on and off trail. It was late afternoon and heading quickly toward night, as I sat on a rock outcrop looking over the blue Pacific Ocean far below. I … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara County
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Tagged Hike, Hikes, Hiking, Hiking (2), Inspiration, Landscape, Nature, Photos, Pics, Sunsets, Wandering, Wilderness, Writing
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5 Comments













