Mini Road Trip
A toss of the coin took me east this morning rather than west. First stop was Pope Valley and the blacksmith shop.
Behind it were some old wheels with the wooden rims stacked in front and the remnant of a huge bellows.
I was able to find a chink in the doors and took a peek inside.
Pope Valley is also home to the Pope Valley Garage and accompanying home.
Then it was on to Lake Berryessa where I checked out the water level. Amazingly, a guy I talked to later said the lake was at 70% capacity, which is not too bad.
The lake has clams.
And boats. It also had lots of people, whom I elected not to photograph.
Then the day turned fowl. On the way to the lower end I spotted an osprey nest and pulled off to photograph it. Notice the pan that PG&E has supplied.
About a mile away, I spotted another nest that I thought was osprey also.
On closer inspection with the telephoto, however, they appear to be crows or ravens. So I had Ms osprey, over my right shoulder, chirping at me to go away and gobblers gobbling at me from farther down the road while i observed a family of crows in their crow's nest.
But wait, there's more. Closer to home, at Lake Hennesey, I caught a couple of grebes—grebe-ing one assumes.
At Rutherford Cross I encountered an interesting paint job. I don't know if the electric green is a primer or the finished product. But who cares when you have a wishing well in your front yard.
The End.
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The guy at Pope Valley Garage (Steve?) used to keep two or three rattlesnakes in a bathtub covered with screen inside the shop area. My dad used to take me in there when I was a kid, and watch the guy feed them mice.
When I was a teenager he gave me a really good deal on a hood for my 1949 Chevy truck, from the parts yard he had up behind the shop.
Also recognize The Rock at Berryessa. Jumped off of there more than a few times when I was younger.
Kim and I noticed that same house on a drive up the trail about a month ago, and we both commented on the trim color. I, too, wondered if it were some type of primer but its been on there long enough that I suspect it's probably a finish coat.
Nice photos. 
On the other hand, my laundry needs doing. With luck the laudramat will be closed. 
