Green Grass, Redbud, and the Sacramento River… Wednesday Photos

A warm day with just enough clouds to make in interesting, provided a perfect day for a walk on the Sacramento River.

A warm day with just enough clouds to make it interesting, provided a perfect day for a walk on the Sacramento River.

In my last blog, we visited the beautiful Sundial Bridge on the Sacramento River. Today I am travelling just a few miles north on the river to a bike trail just below the outlet of the Keswick Dam. This trail is part of a 50-mile system that connects Redding with Shasta Lake. Our journey consisted of a stroll down the trail to a bike bridge across the river and back. Although it was early March, spring had sprung. The grass was green, the redbud was red, and the sun was warm. A family of river otters entertained us along the way. My Wednesday Photo Essay:

It wasn't quite spring, but no one had told the redbud growing along the Sacramento River.

It wasn’t quite spring, but no one had told the redbud growing along the Sacramento River.

A close up of the redbud.

A close up of the redbud.

Redbud on Sacramento River.

And here it is decorating the river.

While the river was low because of the drought, I still thought it was quite scenic. This is looking north from the bike bridge.

While the river was low because of the California drought, I still thought it was quite scenic. This is looking north from the bike bridge.

Peggy, along with our friends, Ken and Leslie, are half way across the 13-foot-wide, 418-foot-long bike bridge.

Peggy, along with our friends, Ken and Leslie, are half way across the 13-foot-wide, 418-foot-long bike bridge.

The view south.

The view south.

We were looking south when we spotted a family of four river otters making their way up the river. My small camera didn't handle the distance well, but the otters were too interesting to leave out.

We were looking south when we spotted a family of four river otters making their way up the river. My small camera didn’t handle the distance well, but the otters were too interesting to leave out. Note the size of the tail.

The otters gathered on a rock to cheek us out.

The otters gathered on a rock to check us out. There wasn’t quite room for the fourth one.

On the way back, I found this interesting lichen growing on a rock.

On the way back, I found this interesting lichen growing on a rock…

And a waterfall on a creek flowing into the river.

And a waterfall on a creek flowing into the river.

A final shot of a small cove on the river. NEXT BLOG: Tarzan shows me the light.

A final shot of a small cove on the river. NEXT BLOG: Tarzan shows me the light.

 

 

20 thoughts on “Green Grass, Redbud, and the Sacramento River… Wednesday Photos

  1. Even the bike bridges look good out there. And what’s not to like about river otters? They’re so much classier than our nutria, I can’t even begin to tell you. 🙂

    • As bike bridges go, I was really impressed, Linda. It was designed to have a minimum impact on the environment. The sign at the bridge described it as a concrete-stress-ribbon bridge and the first of its kind in North America, at least back when it was opened in the 90s. As for the otters, they were a delight. I haven’t seen that many playing and fishing in the water over the years. –Curt

  2. Gorgeous stroll. Looks like a great way to spend a day.
    Otters are amusing–fun to watch. When I see them though they’re usually swimming around in our pond, feasting on the fish. I can’t say that is a happy sight. 🙂

  3. Is that a…suspension-type bridge… The kind that are literally “strung up”? Yikes!! 🙂 It is odd to see the redbuds up your way, Curt, since the redbud in my backyard (courtesy of my ex) is now full of leaves. And you did good with your “small camera” as it apparently has a “big zoom”. J/K. Optical zooms are nightmares, aren’t they?

    • We usually find redbuds growing between 1000-2000 feet Koji up here in the ‘far north.’ And yes that is a suspension bridge. Amazing what can be done in the digital world. I’ve done a lot with my small camera. (But I am buying a bigger one.) Usually I depend on Peggy for the longer shots but she didn’t have her camera along. –Curt

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