Woody Woodpecker in the Woods

After a lashing rain fall this winter the MLK day brightened to reveal lots of splendid sunshine. A clearer day there had not been in a while. Every plant and blade of grass it seemed had turned green around us and the air smelled so fresh.

Kid had a day off as did I and so we set out for a moderate hike in the Sunol regional wilderness. A chain of hills and vales in the east bay region of San Francisco, this hike is for beginners and ardent hikers alike.

The most stunning vistas are to be had within a mile from the park entrance in the form of a waterfall created when we get a deluge as we did in this rainy season.

That coupled with less of a crowd having visited early in the morning we had the serenity of the park and the noise of the rushing water for company.

It was only interrupted by the hoarding and knocking sounds of the Acorn Woodpeckers stockpiling said nuts for the season in the soft oak barks in the park.

Watching their every move were some high flying Turkey Vultures. An occasional spotting of a blue jay completed the avian portfolio this morning.

All in all this hike turned out to be a spectacular way to unwind from the house arrest we were under given the non stop rainfall.

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