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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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- Skinny-Dipper Detained, Cuffed and Cited at Montecito Hot Springs
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- The Sisquoc Falls: A Little Known Region in California Explored (1884)
- The Intelligence of Coyote Tobacco (Nicotiana attenuata)
- Wallace Creek Offset at the San Andreas Fault, Carrizo Plain National Monument
- March is For Morels
- The Origin of the Name "California" and the Island Myth
- Ruminations on a Hart-Parr 18-36H Tractor (1930)
- Steelhead Fishing, Santa Ynez River (1948)
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Latest Dispatches
- Old Mission Sycamore Whacked Again
- Bald Eagle, Manzana Creek, San Rafael Wilderness
- When Rains Fall, Will USFS Close Our Forest? The Coming El Nino
- Language of Forest Closure; Assault on an Ancient Right
- March of the Mustard; The Spread of Noxious Weeds
- 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
Lunar Phase
Category Archives: Santa Barbara County
A Skillet Full of Fish
A calico bass might of been the first fish I shot as a kid while spearfishing. They seemed to be the most common, best tasting game in the water at that time. Which merely means that they were largely the … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara County
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Tagged Beach, Fishing, Halibut, Nature, Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Photos, Santa Barbara, Spearfishing, White Seabass, Writing
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3 Comments
Fight With a Condor: Experience of a Forest Ranger in Santa Barbara County (1902)
Although the forest ranger mentioned in the newspaper article below is Joseph Montgomery, I wonder if it may actually have been a brief about Josiah T. Montgomery, for whom Montgomery Potrero atop the Sierra Madre Mountains is named. I do … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara County
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Tagged Condors, History, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Newspapers, Santa Barbara, Sisquoc, Vultures, Wildlife
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1 Comment
Hericium Hunt: Days Late and Feet Short
A hericium or “Lion’s Mane” mushroom growing on an oak tree, circled in red. With the first rain of the season some weeks ago the countdown had begun until the opening harvest of mushroom season. One week passed. It may … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara County
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Tagged Foraging, Fungus, Hericium, Hiking, Lion's Mane, Los Padres National Forest, Mushrooms, Santa Ynez Mountains, Wild Edibles, Wildcrafting
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2 Comments
Wilder Than I Thought
I stood daydreaming with my back to the river when a loud slap broke from behind me, the sound of something smacking the surface of the water. It was pushing toward 100 degrees and I had just climbed out of … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara County
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Tagged Adventure, backcountry, Beaver, Hiking, Los Padres National Forest, Nature, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez River, Wilderness, Wildlife, Writing
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13 Comments
A Treasure Hunt For Chumash Pictographs and the Vicious Protector
A mural in Lompoc, Santa Barbara County depicting a seaside Chumash village scene. Little of what Bill said made reasonable sense. He stood on the other side of his termite infested, dry-rotted, wobbly fence, which was missing slats and had … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara County
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Tagged Adventure, Archaeology, Art, Blog, Chumash, Native Americans, People, Pictographs, Rock Art, Santa Barbara, Travel, Writing
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12 Comments
Jack Elliott's Santa Barbara Adventure 