Home»Gallery»Portola Valley Ranch, Windy Hill, Etc.»1/14/2024 Morning at the Frog Pond

An overflowing pond rests in the still morning, gentle ripples ruffling reflections. Bathed in morning sunlight, Windy Hill dominates the skyline. Pine branches frame the image; other pines anchor the horizon. Mallard Ducks forage the shallow pond. Beyond them, a Great Blue Heron stands silently, waiting for the tiny movement of a frog or other prey. A peaceful morning in Portola Valley. From near Corte Madera School, Portola Valley. 1/14/2024, 9:26:30 am.

I don't know what brought the mallards or the heron; my presence at this moment was accidental. A phone call interrupted my morning routine; I took a brief detour instead, and found myself in this perfect place and time.