Adobe Road, Petaluma - June 5, 2010

Walking Distance: 7.9 miles
Walking Time: 3 hrs., 33 min. (4:57 - 8:30 p.m.)
Start and End Point: Parking on Adobe Rd., just outside Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park, Petaluma, CA

Thank you to Alec for joining me on this almost-8-mile walk (roundtrip), after I told him we'd probably be walking for only 4 miles. We walked along Adobe Road (between Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park and Stage Gulch Rd.). To be fair, we did stop by a farm stand to check out their produce; but this accounted for only a small fraction of the extra distance. I had simply mistaken this stretch of road/trail with another upcoming segment. Good thing we made it back by dark.

Petaluma has some beautiful farm countryside. The red-winged blackbirds were out in force defending their nesting grounds. And Petaluma is winning the prize for the-most-reptiles- sighted-in-one-city (so far) contest. There was a very healthy population of lizards darting about. Unfortunately, the 4 snakes we saw were all roadkill. And we saw a few animal skeletons, something I haven't seen in more developed suburbs/cities. We were left to guess what types of animals they might have been. It's that whole cycle of life thing.

We passed farms, vineyards, and cow and sheep pastures along the way. One cow (#4) had what appeared to be a perfect heart-shaped spot on its forehead (shown below right).

Overall, some cows we passed were friendly and curious; they watched us from inside their fenced area(s). Others seemed to want to retreat to higher ground. I don't think these animals see pedestrians walking on this road very often.


Wildlife Sightings:
50 red-winged blackbirds; 13 little brown jobs; 1 hawk; 28 lizards (brown, gray, darker color); 1 dragonfly; 6 turkey vulture + 1 dead one; 1 tiny fly; 2 unidentified flying bugs; 7 blurs in the bushes (probably lizards); 1 screw; 2 hubcaps; 14 swallows; 4 snakes (all dead); 1 dove; 2 horses; 84 cows; 40 sheep (+ 30 more sheep? or goats? w/ horns?)

Petaluma Adobe State Park - June 5, 2010

Walking Distance: .2 mi. (estimate)
Walking Time: 46 min. (4:00 - 4:46 p.m.)
Start and End Point: Parking Lot, Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park, Petaluma, CA

I visited this park last month, but it was closed (due to budget cutbacks).  Fortunately, it was open today, and we were able to tour the grounds and the inside of this large, old adobe house that once belonged to General Vallejo.

After we parked in a shady picnic area, we crossed a wooden bridge, over a stream. A short path took us around a large area of cactus with yellow-orange blossoms, and to the old Adobe house. The thick adobe brick walls kept the house nice and cool inside.

The park contained what was once part of a 66,000 acre rancho, where cattle were "processed" for hides and tallow, and other work was carried out. The only livestock or animals we spotted, from the upstairs balcony, were a donkey and a horse browsing peacefully below.

Seeing inside the rooms and looking at the many applications for cowhides (hung in doorways, stretched across wooden bedframes) was very interesting. Two large hornos ("beehive ovens") sat outside in the courtyard.


Thank you to Alec for joining me today.

Wildlife Sightings:
4 big, fat squirrels; 4 little brown jobs (LBJs); 1 donkey; 1 horse; 1 hawk; 1 red-winged blackbird; 1 brown lizard. 

Stage Gulch Rd., Part 2, Petaluma - June 3, 2010

Walking Distance: 2.2 miles
Walking Time: 1 hr., 1 min. (6:40 - 7:41 p.m.)
Start and End Point: Parked on Stage Gulch Rd. (dirt pull-out area), across the road from 601 Stage Gulch (JLT Ranch), Petaluma, CA

I finished this stretch of country road that I started a few days ago. It was later in the day; and when three people pull over to ask me if I needed help, in less than 1 mile, I came away thinking two thoughts.

First, the stretch road was probably not the safest hiking path; it had no real shoulder, traffic was whizzing by -- and there were, sadly, lots of small dead animals on the side of the road (mostly snakes, but the occasional birds and insects as well). Second, this was an area with kind people, who were concerned about fellow human beings who might have had a flat tire, or a stalled motorcycle, or other trouble.

I enjoyed seeing cows, and great egrets wandering around in the grass on a farm near the cows. Except for having to be vigilant for traffic, it was very peaceful. So, I kept to the far edge of the grass (watching for little critter holes and what might be popping out of them), and enjoyed the walk.




Wildlife Sightings:
28 red-winged blackbirds; 3 dead snakes (1 kingsnake, 2 brown, patterned snakes); 4 great egrets (farm grass/field); 2 little brown jobs (LBJs); 14 black and white cows; 1 killdeer; 1 dead bird; 1 dead bumblebee; 1 dead black beetle

Lakeville Highway, Petaluma, CA - June 1, 2010

Walking Distance: 1.9 miles
Walking Time: 42 min. (8:26 - 9:08 p.m.)
Start and End Point: parking spot, close to Adobe Creek Center, 3120 Lakeville Highway, Petaluma, CA

This evening I continued to walk a stretch of Lakeville Highway (1320 - 3900) that I started last month, an area where businesses start to thin out a bit, and traffic starts to speed up. There was a small stretch where there was a sidewalk, but after that, if you're a pedestrian, you're on your own to keep to the far edge of the road/beginning of the weeds, as much as possible, as traffic rockets past you.

That said, there were some nice, older type farm structures to look at. And, as it got darker, several flocks of Canada Geese flew over, all heading toward the Petaluma River. I was so intent on watching the geese each time they passed overhead, I forgot to try to take a picture of them. Oh well.

It was also fun to hear crickets and frogs (Adobe Creek area) -- both a sure sign of warmer weather.

Wildlife Sightings:
2 red-winged blackbirds; 52 Canada Geese; 1 crow; 2 little brown jobs (LBJs); 3 unidentified flying bugs; 3 barn swallows

Stage Gulch Rd., Petaluma - June 1, 2010

Walking Distance: 2.4 miles
Walking Time: 1 hr., 9 min (6:43 - 7:52 p.m.)
Start and End Point: Side of road, dirt pull-out area, near intersection of Stage Gulch Rd., and Lakeville Highway, Petaluma

Not much of a shoulder to walk on, but Stage Gulch was a nice scenic "farm" road. Heads up for fast traffic.


At the start of the walk, I saw a turkey vulture sitting in a tree, being pestered by a smaller bird. The vulture was probably was getting too close to the bird's nest. The vulture, after being repeatedly being dive bombed in the tail region, finally spread its wings and took off. All this was happening while a curious sheep looked on.

The rest of the walk I was serenaded by warning calls from red-winged blackbirds every several yards. I was not a turkey vulture, but the sight of a pedestrian on a road like this, was probably an unusual site for these birds. And you can't be too cautious if you're raising a family I guess.

I covered about half of Stage Gulch Road this evening (turning around at JLT Ranch) to walk back to Lakeville Highway. The cows in the pasture looked pretty content from what I could see. I'll come back to walk the rest when there is more light.

Wildlife Sightings:
3 turkey vultures; 10 darker birds (orioles?); 50 sheep; 37 red-winged blackbirds; 7 little brown jobs (LBJs); 56+ black and white cows; 1 unidentified flying bug; 5 blurs in the bushes (not sure what they were); 1 fairly small brown patterned snake; 1 large brown hawk; 1 small cloud of gnats.