Saturday, October 30, 2010

Sunrise Hike in Dublin Hills Regional Park

I awoke at 7 am and threw on some warm clothes, grabbed a small water bottle and my camera and hopped in the car for a short 1 1/2 mile drive to the Donlon Point trail head of Dublin Hills Regional Park. Knowing that the sun would rise at around 7:30, I felt some urgency as I huffed and puffed up the trail.
When I rounded a bend, I got my first glimpse of the sun lighting up Mount Diablo and turning it red although the upper part of the mountain was shrouded in cloud cover.
Then I saw it. The sun was just cresting over the hill. I wasn't quite to the top yet to be able to look east over the valley.
Looking to my left, I could see that the sun was now casting its golden glow on the grassy hills around me.
Nearby was a coil of rusted old barbed wire, remnants of the portion of Schaefer Ranch that is now parkland.
There was also a pile of old fence posts from the old ranch.

Then there was the view overlooking the tri-valley area.

And below me the campus of Valley Christian Hill School. What a wonderful location for a school! No wonder they named the road "Inspiration Drive".

What an amazing, spectacular show I got to witness this morning. Millions of people in the Bay Area and yet this was a private showing; not a soul in sight. The price of admission? Simply to rise a half hour before sunrise, drive a short distance, and enjoy a 15 minute hike.

I felt myself feeling so thankful and praised God for the beauty of His creation.

I wondered to myself how someone could have the same experience and not believe in God; not be thankful to the Creator. I just don't have enough faith to believe that all of this beauty came about randomly.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Nice Clouds

We don't get clouds like this very often.
It was fun to watch them interact with the sunrise.
Even starlings have to scratch now and then
(see far right bird with his leg up in the air).