AMERICAN RIVER PARKWAY AND LAKE NATOMA October 14, 2007

In keeping with my efforts to allay more greenhouse gas generating travel, once again, I used the local mass transit to do a bit of hiking, this fine day.

Catching the light rail, and then a bus transfer, I came to the tiny, business district section of the community of Fair Oaks, CA. I have been here many times, sometimes at the end of a long, 24 or 25 mile walk along the bike trail, with the bus stop serving me well, then, for my always, triumphant, return home.

After a can of soda from a deli, I walked out to the Fair Oaks Bluffs, which were the object of a public acquisition, now signed "paid in full," and soon to be better developed. The tree with the overhanging roots still stood teetering on the cliff side, and fall colors were in progress. They are doing some construction work, and part of the bike trail is closed, with a detour.

I sought to see some spawning salmon, but it is a bit early for them. I took side trails east along the river, but saw only low numbers of birds and anglers. Many people were out enjoying the fine weather. Then, in 2.5 miles from the old Fair Oaks Bridge, I came to the CA DFG Nimbus Fish Hatchery.

The annual weekend salmon festival was in progress. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people were milling about, with display booths and live entertainment. The salmon weren't yet arriving in their profuse numbers, so only then a few fish were in the final holding pool. The fish ladder was running, but most of these magnificent fish haven't reached this stage in their journey.

Lots of food was available, and plenty of information was free. Gladly, the bad vibes of the local club enviro extremists did not have any such representation. They seem to pick the most obnoxious possible people to man their booths, at the time that they did any of that.

I got an icy cold drink at a nearby restaurant, and shortly continued my walk along the southern shore of Lake Natoma. It was T-shirt and shorts weather, but not that many users were about.

Plenty of fall color was seen along the bike trail, and several rafters, kayakers, and fishermen used the river and lake, this day. I am usually impatient, and wishing for a rest stop or finish, doing my usual 11 mile hike circle about the reservoir. But, I felt better with more energy, maybe from cleaner and clearer air. I noted whatever was new, and saw many more berries on the plants, and small, wild grapes on the vines.

Coming to Historic Folsom, I barely missed the light rail, so went and had a tasty bowl of soup at an eatery on Sutter Street. They are hoping to revamp this section of town, without destroying the historic character, and spending too much money to do this. Not a lot of people were about--the economy here needs a bit of help.

The window-front displays of the shops conveyed the season, with harvest and Halloween being the themes, as best as I've seen done, here. I snapped many quick photos, but the window scenes, with reflections, are better shot using different lighting ops.

I caught the train back into town, and rested up at my computer.

Walking about 8 miles, with slight gain, I captured 185 images and movie clips. I spent about fifteen dollars total, for the fare, and drink with food. For cyclists and hikers, the Parkway is still blessed with no required use fees, and the salmon festival also had no entrance fee.

As local electrical usage appears to burn some fossil fuels, and the bus I took used natural gas, it seems that carbon emissions will only be stopped with future technology, then political and consumer willpower. From what I've heard or read, cars will need to run on hydrogen fuel, produced by wind and solar power. That's a long time into the future, but laws have been passed to mandate this change.

In the meantime, I have purchased carbon offsets for my current vehicle's lifetime fuel consumption to date, and also now, the past 15-20 years of my electrical uses by the amounts of my already perennially low utility bills, to cover my entry into high tech. There is more that I can do, financially, of course, but it's nice to have some conservation measures in place, currently.

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