On Sunday D. and I went to Thornewood Open Space Preserve. Thornewood used to be the private summer home of a rich guy named Thorne in the 1920s. Eventually Thorne sold most of the land to spice baron August Schilling (for whom the preserve's Schilling Lake is named). Currently the Thorne house and immediate grounds are privately owned and are being restored. No news if or when they will be open to the public.
So we rambled through the rest of the preserve and I took some pics.
The entrance is through this brick gateway, easy to miss from the road -- especially since the preserve sign is inside the gate.
brick gateway pic
OK, we get the hint, the mansion is off-limits to us commoners. Yeesh.
sign pic
We set out on the Schilling Lake Trail.
trail pic
We find a geocache without even trying.
They might want to rethink putting it right by the poison oak. 
uncovered geocache pic
The madrone and live oak canopy overhead.
canopy pic
As the trail meanders along the hillside, we catch a glimpse through the trees of San Francisco Bay and the Diablo Range beneath gray clouds (30% chance of rain).
looking east pic
Lichen on a fallen log. Little sprigs of moss are just starting to grow up around it.
lichen pic
mossy lichen pic
Someone's shorts and some trash just off the trail.
shorts pic
People, people -- please keep your clothes on in the preserve! And don't litter!
The calendar says it's still barely summer, but the reddening poison oak leaves and bright California honeysuckle berries say fall is here now.
autumn color pic
The oak canopy above.
canopy pic
Brilliant poison oak climbs an oak tree.
brilliant poison oak pic
An ancient fire took its toll on this tree trunk.
fire-scarred trunk pic
Even fire-scarred trees can foster new life: tendrils of moss are colonizing this charred limb.
moss tendrils pic
This lichen-encrusted branch gets a gentle embrace from some poison oak.
lichen and poison oak pic
We see some more colorful poison oak along the trail.
poison oak pic
The trail leads us closer to the lake.
trail pic
another trail pic
The canopy above us.
canopy pic
California everlastings.
everlastings pic
A view to the east as a cloud shadow passes over us.
looking east pic
FLOOF!!
gumplant floof pic
Trailside color.
poison oak pic
centaury (zeltnera davyi) pic
sedge pic
Another beautiful view to the east.
looking east pic
The trail enters a mossy oak forest.
trail pic
One of the many dead logs along the trail.
dead log pic
Crossing a dry creek.
wooden bridge pic
Some of the lichen growing abundantly on the bridge.
lichen pic
another lichen pic
The zeppelin Eureka of Airship Ventures sails grandly over Silicon Valley.
zeppelin pic
Turkey tail fungi.
turkey tail fungi pic
another turkey tail fungi pic
We see the first redwoods as we approach the lake.
redwoods pic
Creeping St. John's Wort (Hypericum calycinum) grows abundantly underneath the redwoods.
creeping st. john's wort pic
Trouble in paradise.
slender false brome weed alert sign pic
Paradise has a few Dos and Don'ts.
lake rules sign pic
Schilling Lake.
lake pic
another lake pic
Someone's awfully lucky to have their own private bench at the lake. *envious sigh*
private bench pic
The lake is covered with duckweed.
lake pic
another lake pic
and another lake pic
duckweed with stuff floating on it pic
Another green world.
lake vegetation pic
Schilling Lake is not a natural body of water but is contained by a small earthen dam. Next to the dam is a concrete spillway, leading to Dennis Martin Creek.
top of spillway pic
inside spillway pic
culvert pic
I can personally say there is definitely light at the end of the tunnel.
culvert pic
At the edge of the spillway, a banana slug (Ariolimax sp.) finds a damp place to hide.
banana slug pic
Another banana slug near the shore of the lake. This one was about 8" (20 cm) long.
another banana slug pic
and another banana slug pic
A bracket fungus sprouts from a Douglas fir log by the lake.
bracket fungus pic
The canopy of bigleaf maple, Douglas fir and redwoods at the lake.
canopy pic
A Ganoderma bracket fungus.
ganoderma pic
The complex textures of a redwood trunk.
redwood trunk pic
More redwoods on an unmarked spur trail, undoubtedly an old logging road, going up the side of a gulch.
redwoods pic
The startling blue of a Steller's jay tail feather stands out against the grays, tans and browns of the forest detritus.
steller's jay feather pic
Black fungi grow out of the trunk of this tanoak killed by sudden oak death.
tanoak fungi pic
Poison oak climbs up a young Douglas fir.
poison oak pic
This charred redwood stump shows traces of an ancient forest fire.
charred stump pic
Being among these giant trees makes me feel like I'm in a cathedral.
canopy pic
Near the end of the spur trail we reach the preserve boundary.
sign pic
What an odd thing to find in the middle of the woods.
odd thing pic
Black-tailed deer near the rear of the private estate.
deer pic
(Look at that junk on the ground! Those rusty cans were strewn over a wide area. You'd think rich people would at least have their staff pick that up.
)another deer pic
On our way back we catch another gorgeous view looking east.
looking east pic
Yes, there is a lot of poison oak in this preserve!
poison oak pic
A deer at the gates as we head home.
deer pic
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