Like many Montclarions, we drive up and down Shepherd Canyon all the time.  It’s easy to forget all the preservation efforts, especially the push back on California Highway 77 decades ago.  With time to spare (or kill), we took a quick turn up Escher to appreciate the peaceful park.

These days, you can get your Shepherd Canyon spring while it lasts!  The park radiated lushness late yesterday.  Plenty of water flowed in the creek, the trails felt damp, and the greenery exploded everywhere.  This scene seemed perfect looking down into the park.

We walked down the trail and were amazed by the range of greens and yellows, especially from the blossoming trees and glistening grass underfoot.  It helped that the photo below was taken near that “bewitching hour,” when the colors seemed crisper.

In fact, the color palate just kept changing and looking glorious.   A couple and their baby were posing in the grass for a professional photographer.  Even a non-pro, like your faithful blogger, was able to capture this landscape painting.

We visited this little park when it was virtually empty.  There were a couple of young guys playing Tarzan across the creek, as well as a daughter who dallied in an inner-tube swing while her father cheered her.

This scene could have played fifty-odd years ago.