DonTom

[DonTom]

It was a great ride up to Greenville. Much of the roads follow a creek, named Indian Creek, but this creek makes me wonder where they draw to line between a creek and a river. I would call this a river:

This "creek" follows the road to GV for many miles:

First thing I see getting into town is a new Dollar General Store:

But on the far end of town, not much progress:

See here for more photos I took of GreenVille.


-Don- Reno, NV

 

[ziplock]

I haven't been around for a bit. Just checking in with you. How ya doing?

We have been having chilly temps still, unlike last year. Heck.........we are still burning the wood stove today........... Maybe Saturday things will change.

Thinking about heading to the Outer Banks, don't know, can't make our minds up.

Might just leave the driveway and play the take one left and one right game. Or one right and one left game and keep on driving till we see something.

Waving at you.

 

[DonTom]

Weather here in Auburn has been perfect, and I have been doing a lot of motorcycle riding.

I went up to Clear Lake on a ride two days ago. I went with a guy (David) who lives in Stockton, CA, who refuses to have any ICE vehicles at his house. All EVs, including three electric motorcycles and two EV cars. One for his wife, who also only drives EV. So of course, I went on my Energica Experia, we met at a charge station in Yuba City.

We went to Clear Lake Oaks, a small town next to the lake, to visit a guy (Pete) who converts ICE vehicles to EVs. Especially smaller weird vehicles, like the 3-wheeler shown below.

My bike is the one in the middle, David's on the right side of mine, one of Pete's conversions on the left side.

A couple of more photos, David in the helmet, Pete in the weird EV thingy. Me not shown, except for my gloves .

Pete's cat wanted to get in this photo:

Free to use DC Fast Charger (paid for by the city there). I guess to help keep that area clean! Right next to the restaurant we ate at for lunch.

Was a great ~300-mile round trip electric motorcycle ride.


-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[ziplock]

I'm glad you are keeping busy and having FUN!

Thanks for the update.

 

[ziplock]

Hubby is having steakums today and I'm having spaghetti. smiling.

 

[ziplock]

MSN

Thought of you when I admired this.

In April, researchers with Project RattleCam commenced its "mega den" northern Colorado livestream for the second year, allowing anyone to watch the reptilian internet stars as they come out of winter hibernation. The California livestream, which debuted in 2021, is expected to resume sometime this summer.

 

[DonTom]

MSN

Thought of you when I admired this.

In April, researchers with Project RattleCam commenced its "mega den" northern Colorado livestream for the second year, allowing anyone to watch the reptilian internet stars as they come out of winter hibernation. The California livestream, which debuted in 2021, is expected to resume sometime this summer.

I see the den has a garter snake visitor at the beginning of your 2nd video. Rattlesnakes do not eat other snakes, and the garter snakes seem to know it. They have been known to use the same den as rattlesnakes for the winter.

It would be interesting if it were a kingsnake. Then the rattlesnake would freak out, perhaps even with a little one.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[DonTom]

There is a serious error in the first video. Rattlesnakes do NOT lay eggs. They are born alive. No exceptions with any rattlesnake species (& there are many).

It varies greatly between snakes. King and gopher snakes lay eggs. Garter Snakes do not.

Lizards are even more mixed.

The Northern Alligator lizard does not lay eggs. But the Southern Alligator Lizard does.

Same with some horned lizards

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[old RV guy]

There is a serious error in the first video. Rattlesnakes do NOT lay eggs. They are born alive. No exceptions with any rattlesnake species (& there are many).

It varies greatly between snakes. King and gopher snakes lay eggs. Garter Snakes do not.

Lizards are even more mixed.

The Northern Alligator lizard does not lay eggs. But the Southern Alligator Lizard does.

Same with some horned lizards

-Don- Reno, NV

Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[DonTom]

Thanks for clearing that up.

Now you will be able to get some sleep tonight!

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[DonTom]

Yes, we used to gig for bullfrogs around here in ponds. I loved fried froglegs, but alas, that is a thing of the past here.

I just found what I thought was an interesting article about the Bullfrogs in Yosemite.

I am glad to see man (& women!) can start to fix some of the problems we caused.

" In total, Woodruff and her team collected and removed 16,384 bullfrogs, larvae and whole egg masses from Yosemite, the study states. Once removed, the frogs were "humanely euthanized," Woodruff said."

FWIW, I am all for getting rid of non-native species with any reasonable way they can come up with, and they need to do this in many places in the west, not just in Yosemite.

But you may keep all the bullfrogs you want there in the NE--where they belong!

One thing that has always surprises me about the bullfrog is that its range, for both native and non-native stops just above Lake Okeechobee in Florida. IOW, none at all known from the Everglades, which I would think would be a perfect environment for them. Perhaps the gators eat them up too fast? Perhaps too many water snakes eat up them up when they are still tadpoles?

Anyway, see here for the Bullfrogs in Yosemite.

"Native turtles return to Yosemite after removal of more than 16,000 invasive bullfrogs"

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[ziplock]

Follow up from the what do you want for supper thread about questions you get ask every dang day.

When I was little, I always thought Oregon would be a great place to go.

What is there to see besides crater lake? What is in eastern Oregon?

How about Wallowa- Whitman national forest?

Looks like it is about 10 hours from Auburn. Give or take.

Google maps shows some campgrounds in the area.

You have probably been there before.

The temps look great for hiking there, 70's

 

[DonTom]

What is in eastern Oregon?

It's all desert. I have been all over Oregon many times, mostly on a motorcycle, but also in both of my motorhomes.

All the trees are in western Oregon.

The state of WA has more scenic areas than OR, IMO.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[ziplock]

What state have you never been to?

Feel like digging for diamonds in Arkansas?

Have you walked around in Nebraska?

5 of Nebraska's Outdoor Wonderlands

1. Toadstool Geologic Park, Crawford This park is prime for hiking, yet it’s a terrain you’ve likely never encountered: Hikers describe it using words like “surreal” and “moonscape.” You’ll see what they’re ge [...]

visitnebraska.com

 

[DonTom]

What state have you never been to?

Feel like digging for diamonds in Arkansas?

Have you walked around in Nebraska?

5 of Nebraska's Outdoor Wonderlands

1. Toadstool Geologic Park, Crawford This park is prime for hiking, yet it’s a terrain you’ve likely never encountered: Hikers describe it using words like “surreal” and “moonscape.” You’ll see what they’re ge [...]

visitnebraska.com

In the west, I have been to all of them, except for AK (other than airport stops) in the east, there are many I have not been to, such as AR, KY, TN. Also, many in the NE such as ME, CT, DE, NH, VT.

Tom & I have been there in MD in year 2012. And we also have been in NE, but I do not now recall if we walked around there or not. I think we just drove through.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[ziplock]

I saw a post that you are in the big tree country in California, so I guess you started your trip.

We will look forward to pics and tales.

Hubby and I just got back from camping along the Appalachian trail in Pennsylvania. Hot as heck. We were in a campground with air conditioning and a pool! My take along thermometer showed 100 plus degrees for 3 days. Yuck, but it got worse when the electric went out because of a sub station fire.

We ran the generator for air and switched to gas for the fridge. We don't live off grid. We enjoyed the chance to rough it and test everything.

Yes roughing it is funny, because we used to camp in a tent long ago and been through thunderstorms and slept straight up in a truck along the Potomac river in Harpers Ferry in one nightmare trip.

Let us know what good Restaurants you are enjoying .

 

[DonTom]

I saw a post that you are in the big tree country in California, so I guess you started your trip.

We will look forward to pics and tales.

Hubby and I just got back from camping along the Appalachian trail in Pennsylvania. Hot as heck. We were in a campground with air conditioning and a pool! My take along thermometer showed 100 plus degrees for 3 days. Yuck, but it got worse when the electric went out because of a sub station fire.

We ran the generator for air and switched to gas for the fridge. We don't live off grid. We enjoyed the chance to rough it and test everything.

Yes roughing it is funny, because we used to camp in a tent long ago and been through thunderstorms and slept straight up in a truck along the Potomac river in Harpers Ferry in one nightmare trip.

Let us know what good Restaurants you are enjoying .

Yeah, I am now in my Class A motorhome at the Ancient Redwoods RV Park on the Avenue of the Giants, Redcrest, CA. It's a cool day here, below 60F at 1000 hrs . I was here last year also around this time of the year, and those photos are still around, such as here. I am not sure if there will be much to take new photos of that I didn't already do last year, but my camera will always be with me.

More people here in this RV park this year than last. I will be here for a couple of weeks.

Here is a new photo from this trip, of right here when I arrived and got all set up:

No cell service here on Verizon, but some other services do work. But the wireless works well here and so does Verizon 20 miles north or south. I used it yesterday to active this Charge Station in Maranda, 20 miles south of here. I didn't need that charge, but I wanted to be sure it worked, in case I do. This is a perfect place for a small electric motorcycle as I can go hundreds of miles around here as there are many charge stations right where I need them.

-Don- Redcrest, CA

 

[ziplock]

We dug the garlic today to cure and are now getting ready to go camping again. Thinking about western North Carolina.

Where are you thinking of going next while you are on your trip?

 

[DonTom]

Where are you thinking of going next while you are on your trip?

Probably back home to Auburn, CA, but I will soon go out in my Y2K RV, most likely to boondock in the Coconino Forest just north of nice and cool Flagstaff, AZ.

Flagstaff is the only place in all of AZ to never hit 100F in all of its known history.

Many places I enjoy visiting more than once. This area of the Giant CA redwoods is one of them. So is Cindy Hills in the Coconino Forest of AZ.

Yesterday, I took a motorcycle ride up to Arcada, CA. I had lunch here. As I was recharging my bike here. Fully recharged before I could finish my meal, but only by a few minutes.

From there, I passed this RV park and went south on the entire length of the Ave of the Giants and charged again here at Mirina Market.

Total of around 150 miles of riding yesterday on my little (my smallest with the least range) electric motorcycle.

It's warming up fast here, 75F & sunny here today, unlike yesterday when it was overcast the entire day. It was foggy and cold in Fortunia yesterday, 22 miles north of here, but I was dressed for cold weather for that ride.

I think now I will just head up to Rio Del (15 miles north) and pickup a few groceries. I will probably go hiking and then swimming in the Eel River a bit later today. If not today, tomorrow, I am staying here for a couple of weeks. Cost me $786.60, which comes out to $56.19 per night, which includes a 14% ($96.60) "Tourism Tax". yeah, 14% on a tax I never even heard of before, but this is CA!

CA has a lot going for it, that is why this is the most populated state, even with the ridiculous new taxes that pop up every year. People are willing to pay big to live here!

-Don- Redcrest, CA

 

[DonTom]

We will look forward to pics and tales.

Here is a photo of the bridge over the Eel River which is about six miles south of here and I cross it every day when I head south, including today as I went south as well as north. Endless places to ride, hike and swim around here:

And yesterday, I was hiking in the forest in Pepperwood, which is about the same distance but to the north. The trails are very good, perhaps the best I have seen anywhere. But it is very easy to get lost because there are endless trails in every direction with no signs. But I guess I could not get too lost even if I tried because, because the entire area is between the CA 101 Hwy and the Ave of the Giants:

This hiking bridge, which crosses a wide creek was a good mile in from the trailhead:

-Don- Redcrest, CA