Old Lakeville Rd. 3/Lakeville Highway - June 27, 2010

Walking Distance: 7.6 miles
Walking Time: 3 hrs., 2 min. (4:03 - 7:05 p.m.)
Start and End Point: Old Lakeville Road 3, near Lakeville Highway, Petaluma/Sonoma, CA

Today I covered another stretch of Lakeville Highway in the Petaluma area. Most of this area is pastureland and vineyards. What is not shown on the map (right), is the option to take Old Lakeville Road #3 -- a road that roughly parallels the highway, and is a much more pleasant walk, with much less traffic, more trees (and shade), and interesting birds and animals as well.

I saw two owls up in some tall trees (pictured); and, later on, some llamas in a pasture south of Sleepy Hollow Dairy. I was relieved that no farm dogs ran out to "greet" me. Animals (and cars) are not used to seeing pedestrians on this stretch of road.

The weather is starting to feel more like summer. I stopped at Ernie's Tin Bar on the way home to buy a bottle of orange soda. I'm not normally a soda drinker, but I was thirsty. And it was a fun place to visit. They told me there were some eagles in the area. I was sure I had heard an eagle on my walk, but didn't see it. Only hawks and turkey vultures, and owls. There were lots of birds in the tall rows of eucalyptus trees that lined the roads; however, it was difficult to actually see the birds in these large trees.

Wildlife Sightings:
71 red-winged blackbirds; 3 lizards; 30 little brown jobs (LBJs); 1 great egret flying overhead; 63 cows; 4 hawks; 4 annoying (horse?) flies; 1 white butterfly + 3 yellow and black butterflies; 10 horses; 16 ponies; 5 blurs in bushes (probably lizards); 1 dragonfly; 22 sheep (including two lambs; 8 turkey vultures; 2 hubcaps; 1 rusty screw; 5 swallows; 2 owls (near screeching hawk); 4 rabbits in vineyards; 3 llamas