Took a drive to the west of town today.

Sort of Saturday Open Road.  Looked at a couple pieces of property for sale - I'm looking for a spot I can go picnic or target practice, and maybe investment for ten years out, or so.  

I was walking over one bit of acreage when I noticed multiple piles of fragrant bear scat, and later in the dusty road there were tracks.  It was a small bear.

And there were multiple deer - or are they lion bait?

This one had the best views - all the way east across the valley toward Lassen, but there was only a small area that was flat.  

The view north west, toward Yolla Bolly, was not too bad either.  It's predicted to rain and snow early next week, so this place will probably get a dusting, at the very least, but if it gets much more it will be inaccessible until Spring.

Back on the paved road, two lanes except for this bridge.

The Fall colors were great.

On Platina Road, looking east.

More oaks in a gully where there's water, at their Autumn best, still shading the road.

Lassen, volcanic threat to the eastwards, and buzzing with harmonic tremor, looms out of the haze.

Oak leaves with only a short time left on the branch.

The Platina store, closed.  From here the road goes on a lonely jaunt west over the coast range to Fortuna and the Pacific Ocean.  That run is for later, and best done overnighting on the coast.

A nice way to spend a Saturday morning.  On the way back to Redding, while stopped at Bud's Jolly Cone in Red Bluff for a milk shake, I noticed a big fire has started north of Lassen, about 30 miles off, and now a big CalFire plane full of retardant just roared low over the house.  Probably struggling for altitude with its wet, heavy load of red goo.