Northern California

One of our trips in 2017 was a drive through the western states from Northern California to Colorado (I made it to within 20 miles of Kansas!) We started in Napa Valley:



Five minutes before a thunderstorm:




Ancient petrified sequoia...


... and a modern oak tree:


Avenue of the Giants - giant redwoods in northern California:




This old redwood is more than 1,000 years old. The markers show the tree rings that correspond to various events from history:


Our rental car seems so small compared to those trees:




Mount Shasta:


Burney Falls:


In Lassen National Park:




Lava Beds National Monument. Those slopes are made of lava:


Lava beds:


Obsidian stones. Obsidian is rapidly cooled lava:

More fun from Arizona

Arizona ground squirrels:





Brown-crested Flycatcher:


American Coot:


Vermillion Flycatcher:


Hooded Oriole:


Curve-billed Thrasher:


Cliff Swallow:




Black-headed Grosbeak:


Ladder-backed Woodpecker:


American Coot family:

Arizona: Coyotes and trogons

One day, near Tuscon, we saw a coyote den and a family of coyotes near it.



One of the coyotes started looking for breakfast.


But these ibises would not be it.






A rare find, but the one we came to a particular canyon to see - and Elegant Trogon:


Views of the canyon:






Some of the places we've visited on our tour:




A family of Common Ravens:




Green Heron:


Look at its mane!!






Curve-billed Thrasher:


Acorn Woodpecker: