Earlier, I posted part one of our day at Mile Rock Beach. This is part two, more or less. While we were out, we saw lots of birds and a rodent or two.
Here are the critters we saw along the trail to Mile Rock Beach at Lands End.
Our hike left us hungry, so we went off to Stow Lake at Golden Gate Park for a bite to eat.
Given the construction, we avoid leaving the kitties alone when the workers are doing their thing. Instead, we left very early and went to the park at sunrise. The last time we were there, we got to watch ducks, geese and robins. This time, it was very quiet.
Since a couple of ducks were the only wildlife we found at Stow Lake, we wandered off to another lake for a walk.
It had been a very quiet morning, all things considered. While slighty disappointed that we didn’t see more wildlife, we were very happy with the sunrise and eucalyptus and lack of other humans. In other words, it was peaceful. It didn’t last. Our peace and quiet was abruptly shattered.
We headed off around the next curve in the trail and came face to face with the rare and elusive Golden Gate Bawk-Bawk.
Our very quiet morning turned into a rare event and will be much remembered. As we left, the Bawk-Bawks were safely roosting in the nearby shrubbery.
My last post was from Stow Lake at dawn. This time we went in the late afternoon, before the fog rolled back in. The geese posed nicely and the water was reflections were pretty.
We paused to sit at a table and enjoy a cup of coffee. We had a visitor who sat at the other end of the table watching.
After our coffee we went for a walk around the lake.
And here is my ultimate goal. In my last post I had a pic of a young girl ducky who was molting. I had taken pics of her and her siblings, but that was the only one that came out clear. I got lucky and got a cute pic of all three together.
We went to Stow Lake at dawn to see what critters were lurking in the fog. It’s very peaceful, but not exactly quiet. The birds were noisy.
And now for the bonus pic from Lastech. This was also taken at dawn, so it fits the theme. 🙂
Here are just a few ducks and geese I’ve found at Golden Gate Park. 🙂
Summer has arrived in San Francisco and with it comes Karl The Fog. I got all the sunshine I needed after spending more than half my life in the desert. Now I just relax and enjoy the fog. Karl hangs around on Twitter and to quote him:
Summer has officially arrived in San Francisco. Don't leave home without your pea coat, scarf, and memories of sunshine.
— karl the fog (@KarlTheFog) July 15, 2013
Here are some photos from a recent trip to Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park.
Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park is home to a vast number of turtles. Most are red-eared sliders. My love for them is mixed. They are not native to the area and quite invasive.
If you have turtles or frogs or any other animal as a pet, do NOT release them into the wild! Non native species can be very destructive.
Now that I’ve said that, enjoy. 🙂
In the Netherlands, Koninginnedag is a national celebration to honor the birthday of the Queen. Although Queen Beatrix was born on Jan. 31, she kept the April date in honor of her mother, Juliana. In January, Queen Beatrix announced her abdication on April 30, 2013 in favor of her son. Willem-Alexander will become King of the Netherlands on April 30, 2013. As a result, the celebration in 2014 will be called King’s day.
Why do I write this? Well, our Dutch Windmill was built in 1902 and had fallen into disrepair. In 1980 a campaign to save the windmill began and the Wilhelmina  Tulip Gardens were created next to it. The top of our windmill was sent to the Netherlands for restoration. The windmill and the gardens are now a beautiful place to visit in Golden Gate Park. A celebration at the Windmill is held in honor of Koninginnedag. I got lucky to be at the gardens at the right time this year and got to see the tulips before it was too late.
Lastech works graveyard and last night was his Friday. Â Following his suggestion, we made a quick trip to the park hoping for cool, frosty pictures. Quiet it was, for a short time.
We started off at the Japanese Tea Garden…
It was nice while it lasted…which was less than 15 minutes. We  heard the obnoxious and icky sound of horking (Lastech: she means puking) coming from the other side of the garden. Jeebus! It’s really not a good idea for a girl to party all night and then go out to the park while NOT dressed for the cold and still inebriated.
We made our escape before I found myself wanting to join in with a sympathy hork. Ugh!
We crossed the street to the arboretum in order to restore our moment of zen. Ceiling Cat be praised, we found it.
The last photo is a rare sight in San Francisco. Frost is rare here and frozen water more so.
A couple of weeks ago we went to the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. As we exited the Conservatory, a splash of color caught our eye. It turned out to be a large planter brimming with dahlias. It was stunning. Here is a bit of color for everyone headed into winter. Enjoy 
Continue reading “Dahlias!”
