Category Archives: Nature
Vocal Peacock in Vallejo
Shea took this footage of the bird during a Sustainable Solano event. I never knew this sound emanated from them, because all the peacocks I’ve ever seen were always silent!
Kelly and Richard Visit from Oregon
February 2026 Benicia State Park Hike
Greg Steve joined Shea and me and five dogs.
Blue Jay Visit
20260222 Rowing with Sophia the Seal
Sophia the Seal on the rocks of Glen Cove Waterfront Park from SRC whaleboat.
Benicia Art Galleries
We did a quick stop in Benicia on our way back from Martinez. Shea has worked in Benicia for years, but never went down to the area where the art studios are. There was a thrift store of sorts within it, which we saw on the map, so we bought some clothes and a few odds and ends.
I always love the gardens here, but in a month or two, they will be even more brilliant when everything is in full bloom. We were tripping over this repurposed planter, which obviously came from the shipping area nearby.
Rowing and Dog Sculptures
On Facebook marketplace I found two fabulous sculptures from a woman in Clayton. I had never been to Clayton and didn’t realize how gorgeous that area was at the foot of Mount Diablo. I had to stop the car and take pictures.
In any event, she had two pieces that were really calling out to me on two subjects that I love so much – dogs and rowing, so when I had a chance to pop by after running errands in the East Bay, I was glad they were still available for me to swing by and pick up on my way back to Vallejo.
Winged Migration 2026
Shea and I visited the Winged Migration Expo yesterday on Mare Island. There were lots of things to see and do, including live bats and a disabled woodpecker who is in human captivity because she cannot be released with much chance of survival. It was nice to run into several activists that I’ve met over the years I’ve been here in Vallejo. There are so many good people trying to improve the world, while so much chaos is unfolding in other parts of the country that need to be addressed. What a dark time it is. I needed to be around people who are looking forward to a normal world where we will try to make life better for each other, animals, and our environment.
I went up to the booth and said that I had ordered tickets a while back and started looking for my name on a list, but then they told me that it was free, so I must have gotten it confused with another reservation I made. 🙂
Rowing with at least Two Seals
BEST SEAL FOOTAGE EVER! This is probably a mating couple, but we couldn’t determine if there are more than two. I believe there may have only been two, based on the magnified footage. In any event, it’s glorious to get two video clips of the seals just this past month, when I’ve been rowing for over four years, and they’ve never been swimming near us while we were resting before. It was always while we were in the middle of rallying that they would be seen in the past. The last footage I took a few weeks ago was only one seal, so this was really wonderful to capture more than one and have them even closer to the marina than we were at the time.
The water was like a lake today, so much less choppy than yesterday. We ventured over close to the C&H Sugar Factory.
Chris took this great photo:
