I drove down Highway 1 to the town of Point Reyes on Tuesday. Instead of following Highway 12 all the way to the little town of Bodega and turning right, I took the Freestone Station Road. It has some slightly different views.
Looking back at my turn onto Highway One
This time of year the hills are golden, but things seemed drier than usual. On the way to Tomales, I found Highland cattle! I did not know anyone here was raising them. This small herd of cows and calves seemed very content and very comfortable with photographers. I probably wasn’t the first person who ever stopped to take a picture.
The estrero runs through this shallow valley into Tomales Bay. If you look at this area on a map, the waterways are really interesting, reaching back fingers quite a way north.
On the way to Tomales Bay
Unlike the cows, the blue heron was not pleased to see me. I parked in a wide arc by the side of the road, not quite a turnout, and took a couple of shots from across the street. The bird turned its head to survey me with one (disapproving) eye. I looked both ways (because of course I was on a curve) and dashed across the street to where a dairy had an access road and a cattle guard. This is dairy country, and later I would drive through the tiny town of Mashall, home of Strauss Family Creameries. Back to the bird, though. The access road meant I could get quite a bit closer. As I moved cautiously forward, a motorcycle came down the highway, southbound. It was a CHP bike cop. His head turned to the right as he noted my car, slightly to the left as he noted me, trespassing, with a camera, and the full-throated roar of his motor didn’t even wobble one note as he shot past. Apparently he was pretty used to seeing photographers too.
The bird, however, was not amused.
