Another rainy day will come soon again?!

My right fingers are still numb, but I don't want to miss this chance to hike.  So we went out today.  Interesting clouds were big entertainment for us.

Along the road to Sonoma Valley Regional Park, the horizontal clouds were following us.

After long rain we were careful to step on the trail.  The park was taken care of very well.  If we carefully chose the steps, we could manage not to slip or fall.

Small wild flowers were pretty.

Damselfly pond was filled up.

The most worrisome steep down hill was nicely graded, so we were pleased.
We sweat and huffed and puffed to enjoy hiking.

Of course we were concentrating on walking this steep slope and down hill, so no picture was taken.   Before the end of the trail back to the parking lot, we enjoyed the view with clouds.

Sugarloaf Ridge Hiking

We joined a Fire Recovery Walk which was held by Sonoma Ecology center today.  I've never walked Sugarloaf Ridge before, so I was excited.  
Beginning of the hike we saw the last year grass area where the fire didn't get.

 
Then, we saw so many burned areas, but also new life from blackened trees and ground.

Because of our left over pain from a previous hike two days ago, we were almost going to cancel this hike.  But we did hike and we were pleased.

We learned:
Burned tree shouldn't be cut right away, leave it as long as possible, because the tree can often recover by itself.  The life is still inside.

Controlled fire will be needed to protect nature just like Native Americans had been doing for decades.  Fire kills fungus, unwanted worms, ticks, and controls the growth of poison oak.

 

Our first time to hike on Kortum Trail

From Shell Beach, 

to Wright's beach Campground 

we walked.

 That was a superb ocean view hike yesterday.  Next day we both got aches from our toes to small backs.  But we pushed ourselves to walk in our neighborhood this morning.  A little better now.

 

Time passed so quickly.

Tried to remember and wrote.

January 26th:  Hiked 5.8 miles in the group at Doran Beach Regional Park and Birdwalk coastal access trail after years absence. Felt so great!

Suddenly the equestrian family showed up on the beach.  The little prince's head was waving away on the horse.  I was worried about him.  The horse poop left on the sand made us uncomfortable.  
I painted.

February 2nd:  Hiked  4.3 miles by ourselves at Sonoma Valley Regional Park.  Cougar Trail, Black CanyonCreekTrail, Glen EllenTrail, and Carmel Ave. to the market.  Back on Glen Ellen Trail, Valley of the Moon Trail, Woodland Star Trail all the way to the parking lot.  The steep up slopes and down slopes on the Woodland Star Trail were exciting and fun for us.  Even though we got sore from the hike afterwards.
Last October's forest fire scars are everywhere in the park, but grass on the ground has already started to grow. And we saw the buds of wildflowers.
I drew my sweet old husband on the trail.

February 8th:  Hiked 3.0 miles by ourselves at Helen Putnam Regional Park.  Ridge Trail, Savannah Trail, Panorama Trail, Pomo Trail, Panorama Trail, and then missed the turn to Arroyo Trail, then took the old Panorama Trail steep down slope all the way to the parking lot.  That was scary, because the slope was smoothed out by rain??!
Next time we should make sure to turn left a little after or around the view point.  Beautiful hills, very relaxing.
This is my drawing of my husband looking like E.T.