Taylor Creek

 

I read that Taylor Creek State Park was going to remain closed during the salmon run this fall due to Covid-19 concerns and problems with dog-walkers having scary encounters with bears along the creek.

When I went up there ten years ago the close bear encounter I experienced was probably the highlight of my trip. A large mama bear suddenly emerged from the woods and crossed the creek toward all the people.

I was down by the water's edge and swung my camera around to shoot a few photos and was thrilled--and a little bit concerned--when the bear kept coming closer, eventually getting so close I could barely fit her head in the frame. The bear wasn't interested in me, though. She was interested in the small crowd of people off to the right of me. There was a whole line of them pressing their backs to the brushy forest edge, holding their dogs for dear life. I don't really understand why dogs are allowed out there during the salmon run.

On the other side of the creek, Junior was using some driftwood to get closer to the action in the water.

But when mama scampered back across the creek, Junior soon followed, and both disappeared into the woods.

Farther up the creek, Mr. Claws was feasting on the kokanee salmon.

Taylor Creek

This salmon looked like it wasn't going to take any guff.

Kokanee Salmon on Taylor Creek

Splash.

Merganser feeding on the creek.

After checking out the bears and salmon and other wildlife at Taylor Creek I drove out around the lake to visit the Bonsai Rock. The next day I'd head down I-395 to check out some fall color in the Eastern Sierra near Bishop.

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Almost New

 

I was still out on my morning walk when I saw the rising crescent moon, picking up a little earthshine, centered between the Twin Peaks. I knew it would move out of position by the time I could get home, but I dragged out the camera and snapped this shot anyway. Maybe I would take little gifts like this for granted if I lived in a place where the sky was generally visible, but I definitely cherish these little reminders of what shines above the fog.

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Elementals

Carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur. A seemingly random assortment of elements that followed laws of nature that we have yet to fully comprehend, and by doing so, came to life. Look at yourself in the mirror and know that you are composed of elements that were formed in exploding stars and sent soaring through outer space. Now they have come to reside in you, a living being with an inner space.

It wasn't that long ago--a few hundred years--that European philosophers believed the most fundamental elements were earth, air, water, and fire. Classical Chinese philosophy included those four, plus metal, to make five basic elements. In John McPhee's 1998 Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Annals of the Former World, the author mentioned there were 92 naturally occurring elements (with uranium at 92). That number has since increased to 98 (with californium at 98). The other 20 listed on the periodic table of the elements have been created by scientists but have not been found in nature.

Elementals is another name for nature spirits, but I like to think we're all elementals, tracing our lineage to a moment when time itself mysteriously began almost 14 billion years ago.

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