Beni to the desert, yet again…

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The autobody experience experienced we immediately experienced a couple more typical [chill; foggy] February days, though by later Wednesday the sun returned following various errands run in anticipatory hoarding for the week ahead. Boxes of mud, gallons of Walmart’s famously cheap hi-hide white [now rebranded but still as effective as ever] and a replacement spare wheel off a recently rolled Tundra from the wreckers out Green Island Road were all duly sourced on a trip to American Canyon, the next day then dedicated to groceries and loading…

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Thursday eve found us in Walnut Creek for an opening at the Bedford Gallery of work in various metals by Linda Fleming, Clay Jensen, Bela Feldman and Yoshi Saito, followed by a late dinner out and home to peruse a most curious Russian catalog in which L. is curiously represented,…

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In the morning the tide was out, the fog was in, and I was out of town at 10:18, punching through the overcast east of Sacramento for a pause at Heather Glen and lunch at my usual stop between Truckee and Sierraville.  An hour later it was off the pavement at Doyle and east around the southernmost extremity of Honey Lake…

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To finally satisfy decades of curiosity concerning Robert and Shirley M. Foster’s abandoned desert dream, which has survived in remarkably stable condition despite being just inside the eastern boundary of the Sand People Bad Area [said Area extends along both sides of Doyle Road [with exceptions] from the edges of the Fort Sage OHV Area to a bit west of Sand Pass Road], I pulled in…were I not otherwise engaged this sweet little scene, interestingly sited and an hour nearer California, might be [or have been] tempting…

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But…onwards!

Sand Pass Road over Sand Pass, through or past Bonham Ranch, the Jolly Roger Ranch, Sheepshead Springs, Smoke Creek, Parker Reservoir, Buffalo Meadows, the “Windy Place”, the Blue Pit, Parker Ranch [none shown, exactly, though portions of the Road appear below]…

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…to the Wall Spring Gate, 3:30 p.m., and in to unload.

Partially.

 

M

4 thoughts on “Beni to the desert, yet again…

  1. bryan

    not knowing who was this foster dream, it seems wall springs is more spectacular
    definitely worth the extra hour or two or three or….
    so why pause at Heather’s glen, is she cute?
    sometime I’d like to see a boat tied to those inevitable poles in the bay

    Reply
    1. mikesmoore Post author

      Well as for the Fosters’ desert dream, I just keep on dreamin’ whenever I see a place like that, but would agree…though Wall was pretty empty when we started twenty [!] years ago next month, as you may remember from the wedding a bit later.
      Heather Glen is the first easy pullout for the relief of dogs and man heading east if one is so inclined…and the only boat ever sighted in that Benicia offshore area was well away from the piling – the mystery sailboat back in January…

      M

      Reply
  2. Paul Karlstrom

    As usual, terrific photographs. I still think you should do a photo auto-biography. Now, is that our Mexican Fan palm in your backyard? Wow! How these wonderful primitive trees grow. We have a small one, born in Palm Springs chez Al and Richard. Drove the baby up to San Francisco. Lived in pot on the back deck for a couple years. Clearly didn’t cotton to our S.F. climate, barely hung in there. Not at all happy. So, a year or so ago I planted her in the back yard. You should see how she’s thrived in her new situation. Come see for yourself. Invitation is standing, as you know. Paul and Ann

    Reply
    1. mikesmoore Post author

      That is indeed your palm…and yes, photo-auto-biography remains on my mind…
      We’ll see you before the next departings, hopefully…

      all best

      M

      Reply

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