Keyword Sketch Cards, & Oakland appreciation

clockwise: empty, outdoorsy, eternity, bats, sorrow, soul

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It's called Oakland, but we actually have a whole lot of redwoods here too. I've wanted to go hiking for a week, but it's just been rainy and drizzly lately. Had my opportunity today when the sun broke through the solid gray screen of clouds. Hetaded up the road to Joaquinn Miller preserve, just around the corner from where I live.

I don't take advantage of its proximity often enough, and I was reminded of this as I started down one of the trails and that spicy scent of redwood quickly enveloped me. The recent rains were evident in the lushness of the undergrowth, the damp pine needles underfoot, and the verdant draping of moss along the tree trunks.

The trails closer to home (across the street) are a bit inundated with alien species (blackberries and ivy), but higher up on the ridge, it's mostly native plants.

Claire got impatient about a mile along the trail, so we had to turn back at that point, but it was nice to stretch my legs.