RG

Another relatively recent park addition consists of relatively flat, limited hiking in an area referred to as the grasslands.  Now, in the next two pictures, you're not going to see any grass!  But that's just because of the season.  In San Diego, we usually get most of our rain between Dec. and March or April, so that is also when things start greening up, grasses grow, and wildflowers bloom!  But in these photos, you'll see how things look here for most of the year - brown!

 A few other people are on the trails too...

 Unlike the first two photos, these next pictures were taken after we'd had some rain (and a couple months later).

  

 Looking east from a slightly higher vantage point.  The main part of town is northeast of this park.

 See the highest peak in the background?  That's our beloved Mt. W!  We do this other, easy trail for variety and also when we're out of shape and need to work our way back up to the more challenging hikes (well, technically, when I'm out of shape...  I don't think Zou ever really loses it, even during our less active periods....  Not fair!!)!

 oooooo, water bowl!

 And if she's lucky, it's a tasty mix of dirt, dog feet, and horse, cow, and bunny poop!

Zou adds in a little of her own flavoring!

 Sections of the trail are bordered by this fancy fencing (I think it's fake - concrete - wood).

More water bowls!

B.R.

Sometimes old ranches here sell their lands to the city to maintain as parks.  This is one of those.  It's fairly flat and only has a few short miles of trails.  But Zou and I still needed to investigate...

 We got there a bit late in the day.  I don't remember why but probably because it's cooler (this was back in April, and we can get some warm days starting around then).

 Sun going down and throwing long shadows (through the foxtail-filled grass).

 Can you tell how some of the folks here feel about government control/ownership, and about being inundated by illegal immigrants?

 My pretty girl.

The setting sun bathes the hills in orangey-pinkish glow.  And you can see the completely different (very rocky!) hills behind the BR hills.

Gorgeous morning on one of our favorite hills

Mt. W, on a lovely storm-clearing morning back in May of 2014 (yeah, almost a year ago!  You can see the speed with which I get around to doing anything with my photos...!)...

 But it was such a pretty light and color show, it's worth going back to.

 Some people refer to these cloud-piercing beams of sunlight as God rays, which seems like a good name to me.

 My point and shoot can't really do these scenes justice, but I hadn't been interested in lugging my 5-pounder along with me those days...

 My leapin' lizard of a dog scopes out the rock...

 "But Mommy, I'm sure I can climb it!"

 "I'm sure you can dear, but not today."

 Looking back at the town of R, in all its green-field, sunlit glory.

 Zou taking in the wonderful scenery.

 Posing for her mum.

 A particularly cool pile of rocks, with different lighting conditions...

 God rays and God rocks.

 Sadly, this photo pays homage to the sweet little pine tree that is no longer with us.  Its brown figure is still there, standing over the jumble of rocks, but it's drought-claimed life is gone. 

 My patient, tolerant pooch, posing for yet one more photograph...

 Looking down towards the northeastern base of Mt. W, at the golf course and surrounding houses.

 The view east, of the rocks we pass by and the water tank we walk beside.

 Zou provides scale for yet another monolith.

 Almost back to our car, we are at the short section of level dirt trail at the bottom.  

(and for all those I've talked foxtails to, the dying grasses alongside the trail?  Their seeds are the foxtails!  They become especially dangerous to doggies as they die and become dry and hard - although they can still be very bad news while still green!  Unfortunately, many, many trails in San Diego have these grasses everywhere.  It's very hard to avoid!!  I just have to be super careful to not let her snort them!)