SPRING IN THE HEADLANDS-THE REST OF THE STORY

I posted a lot of wildflowers in my last post and I have a few more I would like to share with you.
But before I do that, let me show you some of the wildlife here at the Marin Headlands. I am really not a wildlife photographer, but one of the things I love doing here is to put a long lens on my camera and go hunting for wildlife. I mean you really can't mess it up.

The Harbor Seals are one of the first animals I saw. They have there pups here on the coast, and when they are not hunting for food they lay on the rocks to sun themselves. No matter what lens you use. They still look like big blobs on a rock.

See what I mean, big blobs on a rock. They are protected and don't seam to have many enemies here in the cove just west of the Golden Gate Bridge.

I'm sure they make a tasty meal for the many sharks and orcas just outside the Golden Gate.

Well before I go on with the wildlife, Bob wants to make sure I tell you, how much he loves

to stop and smell the flowers. He even likes to drive into the hills and just sit and enjoy. In the photo below, Bob was so into his surroundings, he didn't even see me when I took this photo.

Enough about Bob, lets get back to the wildlife I've encountered since I got here. First there were coyotes. When I first got here I would see them all the time, now I never see them. I guess their on vacation.

All the times I have seen coyotes, this is the only decent shot I could get.

The Bobcat were a different story, when I first got here I never saw them. then for some reason they started showing up every where I looked. These are just a few of my Bobcat shots.

From what I have seen, these cats don't really fear people that much but they don't want to hang out with us either.

About three weeks ago a little girl about 6 years old, came into the Visitor Center and ask us,"do you kill those birds so you can stuff them"? So I told her of course not, "we kill them so we can eat them". JUST KIDDING!!!.

Before I close, let me show the shots I got of a Jack Rabbit, which is really know big deal, it's just that I had never seen one before. I couldn't get over how big they are, and what big ears they have.

After two months of hearing this guy up in the trees, I finally got a shot of him. Its the Great Horn Owl.


Well, that's about it from the Headlands on Golden Gate Nations Park, but there will be more from Bob and Me soon.

Gary Burnett Sr.

Sorry, no photo of Bob. It's 12am and he's sleeping.

SPRING HAS SPRUNG IN THE HEADLANDS

My daughter-in-law insist that I keep spelling her name wrong. Her name is Stacey, with an EY.
I keep spelling it Stacy with a CY. Frankly I think my daughter-in-law is confused, but just to make sure, I think if you read this blog, you should have a say as to how she should spell her name. So if you would click on the comment link at the bottom of this post. Let me know what you think. You see my daughter-in-law is always doing several things at once and her time is very valuable. Just think how much time she would save if she didn't have to put that extra E every time she signs her name. Please help me to help her.

Since my last post, not much is new in my daily routine of giving tours at the Bonita Point Lighthouse and working at the Marin Headlands Visitor Center. Not much is new, but it is still just as much fun and just as exciting as the day I started.

At the visitor center I work with some great people, one of them Mark Brown author of the book "Capone" has been trying to get me to become a Park Ranger.This will open the door to any park in the country and I would get paid. So maybe I'll give it a try (After all, I am, Gary Burnett Sr.).

Well, it finally stopped raining and the spring flowers have bloomed and I have been seeing a lot of California wildlife, you know I keep my camera by my side at all times. Even though don't know the names of most of the wild flowers, I have the advantage of living with a lot of young people who do.

Some of the plants you see here are native and a lot of them were brought here to provide ground cover, but some are just put here by people who go around the park planting flowers from other parts of the country and sometimes from other parts of the world. Some of these plants become invasive and have to be removed. See all the neat stuff you learn when you work at a National Park. But what I have not learned, is the name of the wildflower I am about to show you. If the expert Molly (one of my dorm mates) comes home I'll ask her to give the names of some the following flowers.

These are called Chinese Houses

Franciscan Paintbrush

Lupine

California Poppy (state flower)

Gee... I wonder why these are call, Red Hot Pokers.

Cobweb Thistle

Morning Glory

I just liked this shot.

Morning Glory

Another one of those shots I liked.

Calla Lilies

Calla Lily

As you can see, there are a wide variety of wildflower here Northern California and I must say, "they are stunning to see".

There are still some images of wildflowers I would like to show you, but I know there are only so many flowers one can look at before falling to sleep. So before I show you more flowers, Let me throw in a little of the wildlife around here.

Oh!! I almost forgot, for those of you who have been worried about Bob, he want you to know that he has had surgery on his left front fender, and his is back to his old self.

After I got Bob out of the Car Hospital I decided to treat my dorm mate to the famous Gary Burnett Sr. Klondike Float.

Well, I think this will be a good place to stop for now. But I will start my next post right away.
No, I didn't forget about the wildlife. I will include it in my next post. So stand by. This was only
part 1 of this post.







Bob and Me

POOR BOB!!!

OK STACY, I KNOW I SAID I WOULD TRY TO MAKE THESE UP DATES MORE OFTEN, BUT I'M A WORKIN MAN NOW......

Bob got in a little bit of a fight in the parking lot of Rodeo Beach, at Ft Cronkhite, one of our favorite places to just sit, watch the ocean and smoke my pipe.
Oh, bye the way, don't worry about Bob, he's going to the car hospital
for a little surgery and he'll be just fine. The Honda that backed into Bob learned his lesson, cause Bob kicked some Honda Butt.

I started my internship over a month ago ( Feb 6th ), and it took me awhile to get use to working 8 hours a day and 5 days a week. I still take a nap when I get home.
I live in a dorm with several young people ( all in their 20,s ) and it took me awhile to get use to that also, since I have never lived in a dorm before, but after a week or two I got settled in and I am having a ball.
These are just a few for my dorm mats playing a wild game of Dominoes. These are the party animals of the place. Out of 23 or 24 people living here only 4 are guys and only 3 of the guys are in their 20s.

My two day off are Wed and Thur., witch I like because when I go out to take photos there are not a lot of people to deal with.
I took my first little road trip last Wednesday. Just a short distances south on route 1, is Muir Woods National Monument. Muir Woods is one of the last stands of old growth redwood forest on the planet. The Coastal Redwoods also known as Sequoia Trees are absolutely magnificent and a must see if you get to this part of the country.



HERE ARE SOME OF THE IMAGES I TOOK ON MY TRIP TO MUIR WOODS.

From the very very tall...


to the very very small.


If you visit Muir Woods make sure you bring your camera and if possible a tripod.
these giants are magnificent.

And so are all of the other sites you will see while you walk the the trails of Muir Woods.



I know your thinking that there has to be a down side to this wonderful place. Well there is.
DON'T HAVE LUNCH AT THE CONCESSION , IT COST TOO MUCH. I spent $20.55 for lunch.
A Grilled Cheese Sandwich, a cup of soup, a small bag of chips and a drink. The Grilled Cheese witch they call a Marin Melt was $9.95, yes it was good, but it was still just a Grilled Cheese Sandwich.

Before I start on a rant about California Living, I think I'll just say goodnight. It's late and I have to do my lighthouse tours tomorrow.

Thanks for being so patient and stay tune for more.







BOB AND ME...

RETIREMENT, I THINK I FINALLY FIGURED IT OUT.

Wow!!! where does the time go. It's been almost three week since I left my family in San Jose,CA
to take a position hear in the Marin Headlands at The Golden Gate National Parks as an intern volunteer. Over the past few week I had to reflect back on my retirement and then decide how to
spend the rest of it.

I retired from TV about 10 years ago and the first thing I had to learn, was how to live on a lot less money, and to tell you the truth, that was the easy part.
I thought going to bed at 2 and 3 AM, getting up when ever I felt like it and taking a 2 mile walk
4 or 5 days a week was all there was to it. It has taken me this long to realize that in order for retirement to work for me, I have to keep my body and my mind active. Over the past few years I told myself that I was being very active. And all the while I was just fooling myself. There is a little more to it than that. That is why I took this full time intern position. That right, 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, for 8 months.

A lot of my friends have asked me if I will be able to get back into the routine of getting up early,
going to bed at a normal time and being on the job (God, I hate calling it a job) 8 hours a day. Well I think what we need in retirement, Is to do something we really, really love to do, and give it as much or more than we gave to the job. My passion is photography and to be able to join up with the National Parks is a blessing.

Before I moved to the dorm here at the Headlands, I was staying with my niece Celest, my nephew Andrew., my three great nieces, Sevannah, Mya and Jaida and my Mean sister, Ethel.

my three great nieces, Savanah, Mya and Jada
and my mean sister Ethel.

Ok, we can't end the family photos with mean Ethel so take on more look at me three nieces.
Aint they cute, just like their uncle.

FEBRUARY 6TH
Was my first day as an intern for he National Parks here in the bay area. I spend a lot of time at the Bonita Point Lighthouse helping to give tours and answering questions. For those of you that know me, you know I love talking to people. Well this is the perfect place for that. I have talked to hundreds of folks from all over the world.

I have not been taking a lot of photos, but as soon as I get a little more settled I will. So for now you just have to put up with my family photos. Speaking of family, I spent the Thursday the 10th with my son.

He had a lay over in San Francisco, so I picked him up at his hotel and we hooked up with my other son Franky, and went for BBQ at Carmans. Great little BBQ place in Oakland.

OK gang, It's getting late, and I have to get up early. But I will be back to tell you about Bobs fight in the parking lot.

Bob and Me