Between Xmas and New Years we took the opportunity to visit with Diana's Uncle Mario and Aunt Lorraine in Stockton, CA. Our last trip out there to visit with them had been planned for September 11th, which we ultimately never got to make.
We
also met up with Holly Jessop who had left Massachusetts but was home from
Hawaii visiting her parents. Over the course of a few days we
visited the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, Bodega Bay, San Pablo Bay, and
Mt Diablo with Holly and her dad, Alan.
After
leaving Holly we went back to Stockton and with uncle Mario in tow we went to
Napa Valley where at the State Park we were fortunate enough to see Red-breasted
Sapsucker, Chestnut-backed Chickadee and the Varied Thrush among others.
Late
afternoon one day we searched the fields in and around Stockton for Tundra Swan,
Snow Goose and Sandhill Crane. It was pretty neat to watch uncle Mario marvel at
how only a few miles from his home he was able to see such a sight of sky filled
flocks and never knew it existed.
Side trips to such places as Grizzley Island and Suison Marsh were carefully plotted around some terrible flood conditions throughout central California.
After celebrating New Years Eve with Mario and Lorraine (East Coast Time of course) we left for an early flight out of San Francisco to see what 2006 would have in store for us...