Pacheco State Park, California

Pacheco State Park was a working ranch for five generations of the Pacheco family. The last member of the family donated the land to the state of California to become a state park. Cattle are still grazed on the land in the winter and spring. Here one cow is blissing out on the fresh green grass.

Tags:   California Merced County Pacheco State Park USA United States animal cattle cow landscape pacheco park state park

© All Rights Reserved

Pacecho State Park, Merced County, California

A mass of clouds has moved in from the west, looming above the hills of Pacheco State Park.

Tags:   California Merced County Pacheco State Park USA United States cloud grass grassland hill landscape oak outdoor pacheco park plant sky spring state park tree cumulus clouds blue oak

© All Rights Reserved

Pacheco State Park, California

The trailing edge of a cloud front is lit by the setting sun. It is early spring in California and the grass is green again, but the valley oaks trees have yet to leaf out.

Tags:   California Merced County Pacheco State Park USA United States grass hill landscape oak outdoor pacheco park plant spring state park sunset tree valley oak

© All Rights Reserved

Dinosaur Point, California

A view of a completely full San Luis Reservoir from an adjoining hill top. California’s three year drought ended in early 2023 under a record breaking barrage of storms that dropped rain and snow across the state. The next problem will be flooding as the snow in the Sierra Nevada mountains melts and runs downhill into the Central Valley.

California’s climate naturally oscillates from wet conditions (people are happy) to dry conditions (not so happy). It’s been noted that Californians suffer from a sort of situational amnesia, forgetting that dry times will come and then being shocked when the inevitable next drought arrives.

Tags:   California Dinosaur Point Merced County Pacheco State Park San Luis Reservoir USA United States landscape pacheco park state park

© All Rights Reserved

San Luis Reservoir, Merced County, California

The tree and grass covered slopes of the hills surrounding the San Luis Reservoir.

This area has a Mediterranean climate, with a dry summer and wet winter. By the beginning of March, the hills are covered with green grasses; then by the end of the month the trees (mostly oaks) will leaf out. After another month or so of no further rain, the grassy slopes will turn color, eventually becoming a golden brown color.

Happy Fence Friday!

Tags:   California Merced County Pacheco State Park San Luis Reservoir USA United States fence grass lake landscape meadow oak outdoor pacheco plant reservoir spring state park tree water

© All Rights Reserved