“...our world, and the worlds around and within it, is aflame with shades of brilliance we cannot fathom—and is far more vibrant, far more holy, than we could ever imagine.”
After spending a week in Truckee, visiting family and getting to know our new puppy—he pees a LOT—we returned to the road on April 22, heading south, spending our first night at the dispersed camping around Travertine Hot Springs.
We wouldn’t have taken the side road to the South Tufa grove at Mono Lake if not for a tip from a local. (Another reminder to my introvert self of the benefits of asking for help and talking to strangers).
Walks are short with a puppy. Especially in the eastern Sierra. We learned our puppy is not inclined to be a desert dog.
Kanga kickin’ back in the grass after a twirl through the sagebrush.
A Muse for Dr. Seuss
They call Mono Lake an inland sea and its Tufa Towers are “calcium-carbonate spires and knobs formed by interaction of freshwater springs and alkaline lake water.” (Ca.gov) They are enchanting and mysterious, rising up from and reflected in the olive colored water.
I love the backdrop of the snow-capped Sierras.
Mono Lake is, I learned, a paradise for bird watchers. II think I’m one of them, now. More on that later, but let’s just say I appreciate how birdwatchers speak in whispers. They’re committed to maintaining the peace and quiet.
Keeping in the birder spirit, I schlepped out to the Tufas with my binoculars and spotted two pair of osprey nesting on the towers. That was enough.
That and the warmth of the sun, the lilt of the breeze, the tang of the lake and the bold blue sky encouraging ever more animation.