A Morning Trek along the Bay

I didn't feel like driving the 30 miles across the channel waters and causeway to the island highway early one morning, so I decided to drive a short distance to Oso Bay and walk the trails there in the wetlands. In order to get to the wetlands, I have to walk through the chaparral country....cactus, mesquite trees; a desert area. At times during my walk through the arid section, the clouds were forming, then clearing, then building up again. The morning weather was fickle. I wasn't sure whether to continue to the bay and observation platform or turn around before I got soaked by rainfall.

Park maintenance crews have been busy since the last time I was there....re-covering the trails [miles of paths meandering throughout] as you can see the newly laid surface with the darker soil mix. With heavy rainstorms, I imagine a lot of this takes place because it would wash out and make the trails difficult to traverse [it's a pedestrian trail system only...no bikes or motor cycles allowed]

I noticed some of the deciduous trees are beginning to get leaf buds...the aloe vera and yucca are getting shoots of the Spring candelabras. There are constant wildflowers in bloom, even in winter. But very scarce:

By the time I arrived at the elevated observation deck the sun was breaking from the ominous cloud cover, making the bay warm and glowing like a picturesque monotone of gold. Then, only minutes later the clearing would create hues of blue sky reflected on the tidal pools.

I took a side track to the newest rest stop on the shore and what they named Pelican Porch - another observation area via a boardwalk. By the time I arrived in that spot, a thin fog covered the views of the homes across the bay.

Leaving this section of park, I checked the sky and it was becoming apparent to get back to the car about a mile or so away from where I was, before I got a good soaking from the rain building up.