

-
Join 950 other subscribers
-
“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

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

Search Jack’s Blog


Recently Read
- Eating Poison Oak
- Matías Reyes, Santa Barbara Mission (1887)
- Indian Creek Waterfalls and Narrows
- Bedrock Mortar On Munson Creek, Pine Mountain
- Mono Narrows Camp
- Condor Petroglyphs, Death Valley National Park
- Fire Poppy (Papaver californicum)
- Carrizo Plain Wildflowers: Temblor Range, San Luis Obispo County
- Western Fence Lizard (blue-belly)
- Initials of J.D. Reyes (1907)
Photos from the blog
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
-
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

Tag Archives: Photos
Western Fence Lizard (blue-belly)
A blue-belly lizard on a fallen log atop Pine Mountain in the Sespe Wilderness. Blue-belly lizards always interested me as a boy. Sort of like a cat attracted to movement, they naturally captured my attention when they scurried around on … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara County
|
Tagged Backpacking, Blue Belly Lizard, Camping, Hiking, Lizards, Nature, Photography, Photos, Pics, Science, Western Fence Lizard
|
6 Comments
Rain Beetle
A drop of rainwater suspended in a spider web stuck to the underside of a boulder. Prior to the recent few downpours last month in late February and early this March, it hadn’t rained in a long time. Just a … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara County
|
Tagged Beetles, Bugs, Drought, Hiking, Insects, Nature, Non-fiction, Photos, Rain, Wildlife
|
3 Comments
Swordfish Cave, Earliest Chumash Rock Art On California’s Central Coast
“The people venerated the swordfish because they sometimes chased whales ashore and thus the people had a lot of meat.” —Luisa Ygnacio (c. 1835-1922) “All, whatever there is in the ocean is just like everything that is here on this … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara County
|
Tagged Archaeology, Chumash, History, Indians, Native Americans, Petroglyphs, Photos, Pictographs, Rock Art, Swordfish, Writing
|
9 Comments
8@20 WNW 286°
A lesser set wave on Friday, January 24, 2014. As an observer it’s interesting to me, the big(ger) wave event along this stretch of coastline. I surf and I surf, and I surf, through the months or even years, and … Continue reading →
Posted in Santa Barbara County
|
Tagged Beach, Nature, Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Photos, Sunsets, Surf, Surfboards, Surfing, Writing
|
7 Comments
Montecito Peak, Santa Ynez Mountains
Montecito Peak, Santa Ynez Mountains Numerous parked cars line the road at the trailhead when I arrive one September morning. Several people in different small groups linger about getting ready for a walk or returning therefrom. A few voices resonate … Continue reading →













