My H. L. Mencken Streak

Today's photos have nothing [or almost nothing] to do with the text, but I figure every post should have at least one picture. I'm going to start with two quotes out of context. The first was on the Awesome Autumn blog produced by the Plumas Visitors Bureau. "Did you know there's [sic] nine ways to get to/from Plumas County?" Having just finished teaching my math class, I'm thinking, "I beg to differ; there are an infinite number of ways to come and go from the county." Picky, picky, eh? THere is a point to my comment, though. The quote implies that "leaf peepers" are going to come to the county on one of the 9 paved roads - Highway 70 (both ends) and Highway 89 (also both ends) probably bring the most traffic. Then there's Highway 36, Highway 32, the Quincy-LaPorte Road, and there's your nine. But, what about the vulture pictured above? He was photographed near the county line. What about the Johnsville-LaPorte Road (unpaved) and the many US Forest Service Roads on which one can enter the county? What about the Pacific Crest Trail. Anyway, as a naturalist, I try to get off the paved roads as much as possible, and, for me, trails or even bushwhacking are preferable to driving.
My other out-of-context quote is from "Biophilia," by Edward O. Wilson. It's "The naturalist is a civilized hunter. He goes alone into a field or woodland and closes his mind to everything but that time and place, so that life around him presses in on all the senses and small details grow in significance." It's the "civilized hunter" part that caught my attention. Is that an oxymoron? I think my H. L. Mencken streak started early. In 6th grade I won a poster contest sponsored by the Massachusetts SPCA. The theme was "Shoot with a Camera." How prescient! I did a painting of a fellow (me?) in a forest "shooting" a picture of a deer. And, that's how my morning began today, over 50 years later (see previous post). Have a nice day.