June 07, 2010

adventure on Sonoma Mountain


click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

On Friday I had the finest intentions of visiting the home of Luthur Burbank, a horticultural legend, in Santa Rosa about 30 miles north of here. Unfortunately the weather decided to not cooperate. I headed towards what looked like nicer weather -- over the ridge of Sonoma Mountain and into the Sonoma Valley. I found these beautiful old mossy oaks along the way.



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

In the late 1800's and early 1900's this area's Redwoods were extensively cut to fill San Francisco's insatiable hunger for lumber. Some of the groves, like this one I found on Sonoma Mountain have regenerated themselves but we might want to check back in 1000 years or so to see them as giants.



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

Well, at about 120 years old these Redwoods are pretty darned tall trees, but like I mentioned, lets check back in a thousand years.



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

On Sonoma Mountain you have two choices -- (1) you could change your religion and stay at the rustic and "oh-so-serious" Zen Center up the road a bit, or (2) you could stay at this little resort with the funny little man sitting out front in a chair. I think his fifteen minutes expired a few years ago.



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

I am assuming that this person was a motorcyclist, so one can only imagine the gruesome details of how he died; but he was undoubtedly loved and will be remembered.


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6 comments:

photowannabe said...

Wonderful Gentle Giants and that guy in the chair is a hoot.

Unknown said...

Love the first picture! Beautiful! That Guy was a little creepy though! haha!

AphotoAday said...

HI PHOTOWANNABE SUE AND MULLEH, Yep, I agree with both of you -- a hoot and a bit creepy at the same time. The person who runs the "dude ranch" (((or whatever it actually is))) came out to find out what I was doing -- I told him I was just taking a photo of his man in the chair and thanked him -- I didn't stick around to get the full story.

Serenity said...

I really love that top shot of the mossy oaks. Beautiful!

Chris said...

Love the shapes of the branches in the Oaks shot!

AphotoAday said...

THANKS SERENITY AND CHRIS!

 
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