Lawn and Order

I took a big walk today as  I noted something on the Google Maps yesterday.  One of the pictures I took on an earlier map had the GPS position added to it by the camera.  Looking near this marker  I saw a trail marked that went on and out in a direction I haven’t gone.

I live at the lower parts of the ridge that separates Simi Valley from the Conejo valley.  Aside from the major streets and highways, there’s no other way across. But this trail seems to go over the ridge.  It also bypasses the closed gates and circles around some gated  neighborhoods that I haven’t been into either.  Since even the open roads only have limited connections between neighborhoods, a new route is interesting.

Of course, smart me decided to go there on a 95 degree day, at the hottest part.  And the start of this trail is near the top of the ridge, and quite a ways west, over a few mini hills.  Then its a steep uphill climb to the main trail, which continues farther on…at the start I was atop a hilltop overlooking the houses that were limit of my longest walk before, and then it turned deeper in.

The sun was hot, but the breeze from the ocean was enough to cool me down.  And I had to get all the way back again over all those hills and ridges, too.  I did see a road-runner, and some shrubs with blackened bark probably from the fires in 2008 or so.  It is interesting how a few steps can take you from suburbia to wilderness in this area.

After I got back near the house, I stopped off for dinner and after that let the cats out for a break in the front yard.  Gus came out first, and something caught his eye…

Julie came out next, and at once had to see what had Gus so interested in the ground….

And after Julie gave up, Calla had to see what was so interesting too!

I even went to look, but my human senses didn’t see anything worth all the fuss.