2025 Calendar
cover: V6 Ranch, Parkfield, CA
January
Shamrock and Thistle Ranch, near Placerville
We spent a few days in February at Jody Moran’s ranch near Placerville where Chris and Claire Ellsworth are caretakers. We helped out by feeding the horses. It rained a lot, but we appreciated the quiet time away from home. One morning after a night of heavy rain, as we were at the barn getting ready to feed, I noticed the view of the distant misty hills.
February
Sunny was a little feral kitten at Eagle’s Nest Ranch where our horses were boarded. Maureen made friends with her, and we brought her home with us 16 years ago. Our granddaughter, Marisol, likes the cat a lot, and we wanted to give her a photo of Sunny. I got down on the floor close to her and snapped a shot with my phone. She was a bit startled and gave me a wide-eyed look.
March
Our horse, Zim, loves to work with cattle, and he got to do plenty of it at the V6 Ranch where we went to a clinic with Chris Ellsworth in early November, 2023. While Maureen was riding out on the range helping to gather the herd, I walked along and watched some of the action. It was hot, dusty work.
April
In October, 2023, we did a two-week trip across Utah, Colorado and New Mexico and saw a lot of beautiful places. We started by going from Salt Lake to Capitol Reef and spent a couple of days hiking there. One of our hikes was in Grand Wash, a canyon that cuts through the rock formations with some spectacular views. At the narrows, the vertical canyon walls rose high above us.
May
I often walk the mile-long trail from the barn to a water tower, usually accompanied by Maureen riding Zim and our friend, Judy riding Mumu. It’s a pretty trail in shady woods, and I get some good exercise going up and down hills. There was one spot on the trail that I thought the riders in the distance would make a nice scene for a painting, and one day I went ahead and did it.
June
For about 30 years, we have been going to a friend’s cabin near Big Sur and staying for a few days. We went there again last year and enjoyed the quiet of the redwoods a couple of miles from the coast. As we often do, we drove south to Nepenthe, where we had lunch at the cafe. It’s a beautiful spot with a great view of the ocean and the rugged coastline.
July
I have memories of many special places in the High Sierra, but one that especially stands out in my mind is Pioneer Basin. In 1967, my dad and I spent several days backpacking in over 12,000 ft. Mono Pass to get there. We wandered around and came across this view of a little tarn and the rugged Mono Divide, and I shot a black and white photo with my old Rolleiflex camera. In 2008, I went back there with my friend, Gerald and found it just as beautiful.
August
One of the places that we wanted to see on our 2023 trip was Bears Ears National Monument. It is a large area of southeast Utah that has great importance to native Americans. The park is not yet very well developed, and after wandering around on bad dirt roads, we found a trail to a ruin called House on Fire. We hiked up a beautiful little canyon, but didn’t go all the way. The rocks and meadows, birds and flowers were enough for us.
September
Cafe Pasqual, Santa Fe, NM
One of the places that we wanted to see on our 2023 trip was Bears Ears National Monument. It is a large area of southeast Utah that has great importance to native Americans. The park is not yet very well developed, and after wandering around on bad dirt roads, we found a trail to a ruin called House on Fire. We hiked up a beautiful little canyon, but didn’t go all the way. The rocks and meadows, birds and flowers were enough for us.
October
While staying in Santa Fe, we drove through Los Alamos to see the Valles Caldera National Monument. Years ago we had driven through the area and remembered it as being very beautiful. It still is, but a big fire a few years ago has burnt much of the forest. We went hiking in one corner of the valley that was not burnt and really enjoyed it. We found this large ponderosa pine standing out near the edge of the valley grassland.
November
In 2019 we made a two-week trip to western British Columbia. After several days on Salt Spring Island, we were headed for Vancouver Island. We arrived at Vesuvius just as the ferry was leaving and had to wait an hour or so for the next one. It was another rainy day like it was for much of our trip, but we always enjoy just being in Canada. This was the view of some little boats from the ferry docks.
December
Tamarack Lodge, Mammoth Lakes
In early June, Maureen fell while riding Zim and broke seven ribs. It took all summer and a couple of hospital stays for her to recover. We had reservations for a cabin in Mammoth Lakes but were not sure that we could go because of the high elevation. Our friends, Larry and Cheryl, helped us out by lending us a portable oxygen machine which made it possible. We had some cold weather but it was a beautiful few days. One evening I looked out of the cabin window and saw pink sky, so I dashed outside and shot a photo of this scene.
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