On the Road to Who Knows Where

The Photo Walk that Wasn't

I was in Templeton today for a doctor appointment I didn't know had been cancelled. But I decided to make the most of it and take a photo walk. I started at the construction site on the corner of Posada Lane and Las Tablas that I started photographing last week. The plan was to then go to rural east Templeton and take some pictures, so I headed off on Templeton Road. I parked along the side of the road and hadn't walked far when I found this lost glove in the bike lane. I don't want to even think about what's on that glove.

Lost Garden Glove on the Road, © B. Radisavljevic

Construction

When I visited the doctor a week ago, I noticed construction was underway to replace the medical building that had burned down a couple of years ago. Last week the foundations were almost finished. This week framing was off to a good start. I took several photos, but I'm just sharing these two now. I took these shots from Las Tablas Road.

Construction on Posada Lane in Templeton, © B. Radisavljevic

Below is a new trench. I noticed when I uploaded the photo that I'd shot past this olive tree which is loaded with olives.

Olive Tree Loaded with Olives near Construction Site on Posada Lane, © B. Radisavljevic

East Templeton

When I'd finished shooting my construction photos I drove over to Templeton Road in rural East Templeton, where I intended to shoot a lot of rural photos. Here are the only two I have to share. First this odd shaped oak tree caught my eye. It's had quite a pruning job. It is currently sharing its space with some trailers, trucks, and heavy equipment.

Grotesque Oak Tree in Rural Templeton, © B. Radisavljevic 

The horse properties were a bit prettier. I took several photos at this farm, but liked this one best.

Horses Grazing in Rural Templeton, © B. Radisavljevic 

After I shot this, something strange started happening to my camera lens. It zoomed and wouldn't come back. then I got the message that there was a lens error and my camera would shut down automatically and I'd have to restart it. So I put it back in its case and decided to take the scenic route home to Paso Robles via El Pomar.

I got as far as Finley Family Nursery and decided to park there and see how the camera was doing. This is how it was doing.

Blurry Photo Taken When Lens Malfunctioned

I kept trying to get it in focus and couldn't. Then I got the message that it was shutting down and I needed to charge the battery. Fortunately when I finally got home and charged the battery, the camera started to work again. Meanwhile, I missed a lot of good shots, including a spectacular sunset on the way home.

Getting Home Was a Nightmare

I thought I knew how to get from El Pomar to South River Road. I've done it. I wrote down the instructions for my husband. But I didn't have them with me. When I got to Creston Road, I turned south instead of north and got lost.

I drove for miles trying to figure out the way home and my gas tank was getting dangerously close to empty and the sun was going down. All I could see were vineyards and farms and no people. Finally I found a couple of men near the road and stopped. They told me to turn around and go the opposite direction on Creston and I'd finally get to Paso Robles. I guess I had driven all the way to Creston. Maybe it is time to get a smartphone -- or at least carry a map.

It's awful to be going full speed who knows where until one can find the way home. But I finally got to territory I recognized again and made it home without running out of gas. I've not been so happy to get home in a long time. It's what we think we know that we don't know that can get us in trouble.

Have you been lost lately? How did it make you feel? 


****

Looking at Deciduous Oak Trees in Winter

Bare Oak at Berry Hill Farm in Winter
 © B. Radisavljevic

Oak trees are magnificent during all seasons. Some, like the live oaks, are evergreen. Many oaks on the California Central Coast, though, are deciduous. They lose their leaves in winter. That's when I think they are most interesting. With the leaves gone, the oaks reveal their skeletons, their branches that are covered with leaves half the year. It's also easier to see lichens and galls once the leaves don't cover them. That's why in this post we will be looking at deciduous oak trees in winter. 

The oak  to the right was photographed at Berry Hill Farm on Linne Road in Paso Robles, in January.  Most of the leaves have dropped off. You can see the silhouette of the tree's skeleton. You can click most photos on this page to enlarge them.

Here are more photos that reveal the "bare bones' of the oak trees.

Bare Oak in Paso Robles in Winter, © B. Radisavljevic

Cattle Grazing near  Oaks in Paso Robles in Winter, © B. Radisavljevic

Wide Bare Oak in Paso Robles in Winter, © B. Radisavljevic

Some of the most interesting oak trees are those that have been damaged in some way. Sometimes they've had their shapes changed by man when  they get too close power lines along the  sides of roads. In other instances they've been damaged by fire or lightning. Insects and fungus can also attack oaks. If you see a ring of mushrooms around an oak, it's an indication the tree may be infected in the roots and bark, as well. Oak root fungus can eventually kill an oak tree if the tree has also  been weakened in some other way.

I am not sure what has damaged the tree below.  The mistletoe has probably weakened it, especially since the drought has stressed the trees and made them more susceptible to mistletoe's stealing of nutrients.  Mistletoe can  eventually cause the limb to break at the point where it is attached. 

This photo shows an overview of the damaged oak tree. You can see the mistletoe at the top.  © B. Radisavljevic

This photo shows the damaged part closer up. You can see the holes that indicate the tree is probably hollow and animals or birds may live within it. © B. Radisavljevic

With a tree's leaves gone, it's easier to see unusual growths on the oaks. Two of the most common are lichens and oak galls. The round galls are made by gall wasps laying eggs. The lichens add color to the bark. Neither growth harms the trees, but they do add interest. The galls almost look like the balls one would hang on a Christmas tree, except they aren't shiny.

Bird on Branch of Oak in Winter. Notice the round galls, © B. Radisavljevic

  Notice the round galls on this oak. © B. Radisavljevic

Did you notice the yellowish lichen on the small branches on the left and the lone acorn on the right? © B. Radisavljevic

It ought to be obvious now that I love oak trees, especially in winter. That's why I made a few designs at Zazzle using some of my photos. Most of the oaks I used in Zazzle products were photographed when they still had leaves, but these were taken when the leaves were gone.

Templeton Oak Towers over Main St Postcard

Puzzle: Bare Oak in Winter under Stormy Sky Jigsaw Puzzles Browse for Puzzles at Zazzle