Travels
Grotto Geyser at Sunset
On September 18, 1870 members of the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition entered the Upper Geyser Basin where in a day and a half of exploration, they named seven geysers of which Grotto was one. Nathaniel P. Langford described the Grotto in his 1871 Scribner’s account:
“The Grotto” was so named from its singular crater of vitrified sinter, full of large, sinuous apertures. Through one of these, on our first visit, one of our company crawled to the discharging orifice; and when, a few hours afterwards, he saw a volume of boiling water, four feet in diameter, shooting through, it to the height of sixty feet, and a scalding stream of two hundred inches flowing from the aperture he had entered a short time before, he concluded he had narrowly escaped being summarily cooked. The discharge of this geyser continued for nearly half an hour.
Path Along the Merced
I parked my car at Fern Spring and went down to the bank of the Merced River. There is an old path that runs between the roadway and the river until you get to the meadow. I loved how the moss was growing over the rocks and up the trees. It provided a nice contrast to the photo.
Postcard from Yosemite
I never get tired of this view of Yosemite Valley. You’ve probably seen a billion photos from this angle but there’s something about this area that I see something inspiring every time. In this shot the looming storm clouds in the distance made this shot appealing.
Thousands Take Flight
Thousand of birds take flight as two cars pass by at the Merced National Wildlife Reserve
Vineyards and the dormant Rancho Seco
I was driving home last weekend and decided to take the old highway that runs parallel to highway 50. In the distance I saw the dormant nuclear plant power, Rancho Seco near Galt. The plant closed in 1989 by public vote dues to many infractions that raised public awareness to its plight. Today, it stands out among the vineyards and pastures in the Sacramento valley.
Snow to Play In
My dog loves the snow. There is this spot along highway 88 that we stop at every once in awhile. It had snowed the night before. My dog got out of the car and romped all over the place. She got to this point, took a rest and if I could have read her mind, she was thinking, “Ohhh there’s more SNOW TO PLAY IN!!”
Searching and napping
A lone Black Necked Stilt searching for a meal as Ross’s Geese nap
“Some bunny…
… looking for love” 
(Yeah, the title’s kind of corny but it is Valentine’s Day) 😉 enjoy!
Snapshots by Kats 