Tag: river otter

Magic of Mornings at Fair Oaks Bridge

Fair Oaks, Fair Oaks Bridge, chickens, community, nature, ducks, Canda geese, wildlife, American River, American River Parkway, bicycle, walkers, trail, morning
I look forward to the magic moments of morning  on  Fair Oaks Bridge and  American River Parkway to discover and celebrate the gifts of the outdoor world.  I often arrive at dawn before the sun rises over the trees and  stay for an hour or more to observe, listen, write and photograph.

“I don’t know where it is possible to love the planet or not, but I do know that it is possible to love the places we can see, touch, smell and experience.” 

David Orr, Earth in Mind

The American River Parkway is “The Jewel of Sacramento.”  Fair Oaks Bluff is the “Crown Jewel.”  Fair Oaks Bridge was completed in 1909. It is a “Truss” bridge and a treasured icon for the adjacent community of Fair Oaks. The community of Fair Oaks is located about 15 miles northeast of the city of Sacramento. Fair Oaks Village is widely known for its chickens, whose wake up calls provide music each morning and continue throughout the day. Readers will find chickens featured throughout blog posts in photos and video.

The bridge connects Fair Oaks Village with the American River Parkway, a greenbelt that stretches 37 miles through suburban communities of Sacramento and into the city. The bridge sits alongside  Fair Oaks Bluff – also displayed in many photographs within blog posts. The setting is a beautiful place to see, touch, smell and experience!

Morning Companions

Sunday, April 15, 2018, 630 am     52 degrees

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Seemingly frustrated there is no food on this long bridge walk.

 

I hear the usual good morning calls from one lone chicken living in the bushes along Bridge Street. A dozen pigeons circle the Fair Oaks Bridge. Some land and walk the deck.

Clouds scatter across the sky as if they were blue gray spires of spun sugar with golden tips at their end. The air is still and cool. The river moves quickly downstream. As the sun emerges on the horizon, it shines brilliantly through dense cloud cover.

 

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River otter swims just below surface beneath Fair Oaks Bridge, dives deeper and disappears.

The branch where I watch turtles sunbathe is completely underwater. A river otter surfaced from underneath the north riverbank, swam under Fair Oaks Bridge and disappeared.

I am surrounded by the morning melodies of birds singing from high trees heard and unseen. As all other wildlife leaves Fair Oaks Bridge and the nearby areas, birds continue to sing. I stand alone on the bridge, and listen to the music of my morning companions.

One Crazy Chicken and more…

Have you ever seen a chicken that looks like this one?

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I found this one scratching at the dirt looking for breakfast during one of my morning walks to Fair Oaks Bridge.

Three days later. . .

I returned to Fair Oaks Bridge and saw a river otter enjoying a morning swim. river otter, American River, Fair Oaks, Fair Oaks Bridge, water, swim, mornings, write, nature, outdoors

Later that morning … I saw three turtles had found a fallen log at the riverbank just beneath the bridge to enjoy morning meditation in the sun.

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And the next day...

Mama duck and her six new ducklings out for a swim. They were surrounded by a dozen Canada Geese aggressively searching for food. She led them carefully – as they peeped and followed in a line – to a safer hiding spot in the middle of nearby reeds.

ducks, ducklings, Mallard, American River, Canada Geese, food, eat, swim, water, river, guard, babies, peep, observe, nature, writing, outdoors        

A few minutes walk from Fair Oaks Village down Bridge Street – The American River and Fair Oaks Bridge crossing feature abundant opportunities to enjoy incredible scenic views and diverse wildlife. Great walks and bicycle rides for miles in either direction.