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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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- Mark of Conquest II: Benchmark and Mortar
- Calochortus Fimbriatus, Rare Wildflower
- Eating Poison Oak
- Mark of Conquest: Benchmark and Mortar
- Cathedral Peak Cave
- Mugwort: A Natural Poison Oak Preventive
- Laguna Blanca Lake
- Last California Grizzlies Seen In Santa Barbara National Forest? (1926)
- Initials of J.D. Reyes (1907)
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Latest Dispatches
- Mark of Conquest II: Benchmark and Mortar
- Save Old Mission Sycamore … __ __ __ …
- 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)
Lunar Phase
Category Archives: Santa Barbara
Gaviota Coast Gallivants: Then Came the Fox
June 2016 I take the kids to the zoo. It’s not a place I can appreciate any longer, but granny bought us a family membership. So we go. The kids scamper through the prison camp, er, zoological garden with great delight. … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged Foxes, Gaviota Coast, Hiking, Landscapes, Los Padres National Forest, Mammals, Nature, Santa Ynez Mountains, Wildfire, Wildlife, Writing
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13 Comments
Tarantula Mating Season, Santa Barbara County
No photos on this blog have ever been staged, but in the interest of honesty I’d like to note that this tarantula, found walking a few yards away, was placed atop this branch in order to allow a better snapshot. … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged Hiking, Hiking (2), iPhoneography, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Outdoors, Santa Ynez Valley, Spiders, Tarantulas, Wildlife
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5 Comments
Chumash Rock Art, Santa Barbara County
These Chumash paintings show little wear from the elements over the last several decades. They are presented here without alteration, but for a slight intensification of the existing natural color. They measure roughly about twelve inches in length. The pictographs … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara County
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Tagged Archaeology, Art, Chumash, History, Indians, Los Padres National Forest, Native Americans, Pictographs, Rock Art, Travel
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6 Comments
Matías Reyes, Santa Barbara Mission (1887)
“Old Matías Reyes lived in Mission Cañon. He used to bring wood to town and sell it.” —Santa Barbara: Tierra Adorada, A Community History (1930) In her book, “Canyon Voices: The Nature of Rattlesnake Canyon (2006),” Santa Barbara resident Karen Telleen-Lawton … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged Backpacking, Camping, Hiking, History, Old Mission, Photography, Rattlesnake Canyon, Santa Barbara Mission, Steelhead, Travel
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4 Comments
Mastodon & Mammoth Sign: Reading Trees in the Santa Ynez Mountains
Santa Ynez Mountains “Elephants’ habit of snapping or uprooting trees could explain why species such as oak, ash, beech, lime, sycamore, field maple, sweet chestnut, hazel, alder and willow can regrow from the point at which the stem is broken. … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara
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Tagged Hiking, Hiking (2), History, Los Padres National Forest, Mammoths, Nature, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez Mountains, Wilderness, Writing
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4 Comments
Jack Elliott's Santa Barbara Adventure 