Exploring our Back Roads

Saturday was sunny and warm.  The morning chill was gone by the time we finished chores at 8:00.  There was a flock of red-winged blackbirds hanging out in the pasture with the donkeys while I mucked.

I wasn't sure what they were until they, finally, flew off and the red bar on their wings flashed in the sun.

On our way back from Apple Hill, we decided to drive down a side road that has intrigued both of us.  We weren't sure where it went or how far but we weren't in a hurry so Brett made a u-turn and we drove back and turned right.  The road was narrow, like our lane, and wound past small ranches.  There were some really cool barns.  I was partial to the red one; Brett liked the one with old weathered wood.  I'm sure he was thinking of things he could build with that wood.

The road climbed up higher into the mountains.  Later, I looked at a map and I could see that the road comes out above Sly Park lake.  We could have done a loop since Sly Park is only 15 minutes from us, but we didn't know that at the time and there was no cell service to check an online map.  The road got very narrow and went through a two or three groves of Sequoia trees.  I didn't think they grew here but I checked my Sierra Trees book when we got home and, yes, they do.  Very cool.

We ended our morning exploration with a visit to one of the wineries at the end of our road.  Beautiful grounds, nice people, decent wine.

If you roll down the hill behind the vineyards, you'll end up at the back of our property.