A WALK AT BISHOP'S RANCH IN THE FALL

YESTERDAY I WENT TO BISHOP'S RANCH TO CELEBRATE COLUMBUS DAY WHICH IS ALSO CANADA'S THANKSGIVING DAY. I WALKED ABOUT FIVE MILE IN HOT TEMPERATURES WEARING A HAT AND BRINGING PLENTY OF WATER AND A WALKING STICK. NO ONE ELSE WAS HIKING. IT WAS A VERY PEACEFUL TIME AS I WAS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE TRAIL. HOWEVER THE RANCH HAS CHANGED SOMEWHAT SINCE I WAS THEIR IN THE SUMMER. THEY HAVE SEVERAL NEW PEOPLE ON STAFF AND THEY HAVE PUT SOME NEW UMBRELLAS AROUND THE POOL AND HAVE PUT SOME OUTDOOR PLANTS AROUND THEIR PAVILION. THEY ALSO HAVE BUILT A NUMBER OF NEW BENCHES ALONG THEIR TRAIL WHICH IS HELPFUL TO FOLKS SO THEY CAN SIT AND LISTEN TO NATURE IN A PEACEFUL SURROUNDING. THIS RANCH IS MORE LIKE A PRIVATE STATE PARK WITH TRAILS KEPT MOWED. FEW PEOPLE EXCEPT THE MORE AMBITIOUS FOLKS WHO STAY HERE FOR RETREATS WALK THE TRAILS. ALSO THE LARGE TREE HOUSE THAT WAS BUILT BY THE FRANCISCAN'S IN THE
1970'S HAS BEEN REMOVED SINCE THE 150 PLUS YEAR OLD OAK TREE HAS DETERIORATED DUE TO BARK BEETLES AND THE 2009 DROUGHT. SO THEY ARE PLANNING TO PLACE A NEW TREE HOUSE IN A NEARBY TREE. APPARENTLY THERE IS A PAIR OF GREAT HORNED OWLS NEARBY THE CHAPEL

I SPENT SOME TIME REFLECTING HOW EACH SEASON ALONG THE TRAIL BRINGS ME NEW INSIGHT AS TO HOW THE DIFFERENT WILDFLOWERS AND NATIVE PLANTS BLOOM AND CHANGE THE LOOK OF THE LANDSCAPE. SURROUNDING THIS 400 ACRE RANCH ARE VINEYARDS AND A DAIRY FARMER. ONCE YOU ARE ABOUT A MILE INTO THE TRAIL YOU CAN ONLY HEAR NATURE AND IT IS QUITE PEACEFUL. I ALWAYS BRING A PLASTIC BAG TO SIT UPON SO I CAN ENJOY A SNACK OR JUST REST IN THE SHADE. ABOUT 1/2 OF THE TRAIL IS IN THE SHADE WHICH IS GREAT SINCE DURING THE SUMMER THE TEMPERATURES HERE CAN BE OVER 100 DEGREES.

YESTERDAY I SAW A COVEY OF QUAILS AS THEY HEARD ME ALONG THE PATH. A FEW MALE ROBINS AND A FLICKER WOODPECKER WERE FLYING AMONG THE WILLOWS NEARBY KEEPO CREEK. ONLY SEVERAL PLANTS WERE IN BLOOM - ONE WAS PENNYROYAL. IN ANCIENT EUROPE WHERE IT CAME FROM IT WAS USED TO HEAL HEADACHES AND MANY OTHER ILLS AS WELL AS HYSTERIA. THERE WAS AN ABUNDANCE OF TARWEEDS SEEDS WHICH THE POMO'S USED TO CATCH BY USING A BASKET LIKE BATON AND A LARGE OTHER BASKET TO HOLD THE SEED HEADS. THE WOMEN WORKED THE FIELD ALL DAY LONG CATCHING DIFFERENT TYPES OF TARWEED SEEDS. THEY WERE THEN PARCHED BY PLACING HOT ROCKS INTO THE BASKET - AND THEN THEY MADE A FLOUR OR THE COULD BE USED IN A GRANOLA LIKE FOOD CALLED PINOLE. I SAW THE DROPPINGS OF COYOTE AND RACCOON. I TASTED SOME RIPE BLACKBERRIES (EUROPEAN VARIETY) AND SAW NO WILD BOARS THIS TRIP, BUT DID SEE THEIR HOLE WHERE THEY HAD DUG FOR ROOTS. THERE WERE MANY DRIED STALKS OF NATIVE FOODS - YAMPA, SOAPROOT, HARVEST LILIES, MULES EARS AND OTHERS. THE CEONOTHUS FLOWERS WERE IN BLOOM WHICH WERE USED AS A SOAP TO WASH HAIR DURING POMO WEDDINGS!

LOWER LAKE WAS FULL AND THEIR WERE MANY TULES WHICH WERE USED FOR RAIN CLOTHING, FOR BOATS, AND FOR BUILDING THE POMO WIKIUPS. THERE ALSO WERE A FEW JUNKOS AND SMALL SPARROWS FLYING ABOUT KEEPO CREEK WHICH WAS DRY.


IT WAS A VERY CLEAR AND HOT DAY AS I FINISHED THE TRAIL AND CHANGED MY CLOTHES AND WASHED DOWN MY HOT FACE AND BODY IN THEIR FACILITIES.

I STOPPED TO GET SOME COLD WATER AND ICE CREAM IN TOWN AND SAY HI TO SOME OLD FRIENDS WHO WERE WORKING IN THEIR SHOP.