During the week: Central Valley Lake, rattlers, and clarkia

Where have I vanished this week? Where did I disappear to?

I have vanished into the landscape, into the scenery in the back of the photo. Rare plant surveys within 300-400 feet of the water line take you across steep terrain and hide you in chemise chaparral. Rattlers can find you, but can't fang your legs because you have on snake gators. They are hot and make your legs sweat, but are better than a snake bite (see below).

We find funny things in the deep wilderness, and not just Clarkia rostrata. This looks like a very very old homestead, all stone, half a chimney, and all overgrown with weeds. I am so curious what happened there.

Days end, you've circled the inlet, only to be separated from your boat by water (the boat is just around the bend in the photo below). Neither you nor your coworker want to retrace steps a mile round through poison oak and steep slopes and shale rock. Nope. Row-sham-bo, who is swimming? Not me, I won, and Aaron is a super trooper.

Also, he found an unopened beer! Probably the stash of the super lazy and dumb carp that were thick as bees in this inlet. I told Aaron if he jumped into the boat with a carp in each hand, that would be amazing. In the end, we were actually just kinda glad the keys were in the boat...cuz otherwise, home sweet home (two pictures up)!

Goin' for a walk: NOPA/Alamo Square

Ha.

In the Pacific (specifically, Kona): firsts

Nearly every day, I have been swimming laps in the pool near my aunt's condo here on Kona. The view is amazing and the sun in the morning is best. Swimming makes me feel strong and peaceful. It is also new. Historically, I am a weak swimmer. I would barely make the length of the Aquatic Center pool as a Beginner C (age 9-ish), and I was demoted more than once. Apparently, in Kona, I like swimming. In Kona, I swim just fine.

I am also reading crime novels and I am a non-crime novel reading kinda girl. I feel like they'll be cliche or way too violent or booooooooring (yawn) or lacking character development. Maybe some (maybe even most) meet those criteria, but I just bulldozed through Girl With a Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. Thumbs up. In Kona, I like crime novels. In Kona, crime novels are just fine.

My mom and I just boogie boarded together this morning at Hapuna Beach. We had a blast, caught lots of waves together, racing towards my dad on the beach with the camera. While I was out there, in the Pacific, a sea turtle swam under me as I floated on my board! Then he popped his wee head up at my mom and me, then moseyed on his way. In Kona, we swim with sea turtles and giggle uncontrollably. In Kona, everything is just fine. :)

I leave tomorrow (on a jet plane). Aloha.