by Ann Carranza

We drive up the coast from Marin County while out and about on a photography trip. The day began with dense fog and our mood reflected the day. After an all-but-fruitless sojourn to the south, we cross back into Sonoma County and we breathe homecoming sighs. No matter what beautiful places we travel, there is a crossing point where we know we’re home.

We meander up the coast and pass Doran Beach, deciding not to stop, though it resides at the top of our list of favorite places. Instead, we decide we need Bird Walk Regional Park. Abundant life teems in the fields and water.

We amble southwest up the incline past the ponds. Bird life flourishes—goldfinches, great egrets, Canada geese, towhees, and a turkey vulture flutter and fly about, keeping an eye on us as we stroll quietly by, pausing to savor their plumage and snap photos. The belligerent goldfinch takes a pugnacious pose at our approach. His “don’t mess with me” cockiness makes us laugh. The sun peeks through the now-wispy fog and we bask in its warmth, though brisk breezes tease our nostrils with salty ocean air as we inhale deeply and relax into the need to be nowhere but here.

Along the path between the native grasses and flowering ice plant, we find a small herd of deer. A doe with her nearly grown but still spotted fawn, stop to watch us, watch them. They slip through the meadow and are gone in a heartbeat.

This peaceful place, where the continent meets the Pacific Ocean, begets thoughts of people and their place. Oh, how small we are in the grand scheme of eternal life and geologic time.

Bodega Bay beaches, meadows and bird walks fill our senses and awaken us to life here in the present.

Ann Carranza Creations