Coarsegold, California

I spent a week in this little town nursing a bad cold. I stayed in an Escapees Co-op park, and it was beautiful. A bit rustic but with all the comforts. This RV park/camp was designed and built by a group of friends, and it's wonderfully planned, with large sites that belong to members. Some are rented out and that's how I was able to stay here. The maintenance and governing is done by all the members, who roam around in golf carts with tools and gardening equipment. The park is hilly and overlooks distant mountains.

My site, among the oak trees and large shrubs

It's tarantula mating season, and the males are roaming around, looking for love. These two visited my site. Male tarantulas roam until they find a female's den, and tap their legs to signal their presence. The female may invite him in, or reject him and he moves on, to another female's den. Females can live up to 30 years, but the poor males are often devoured by the female after mating. Tarantulas molt as their exoskeletons grow, and they can even regenerate lost legs. I was sitting in my camp chair reading when I spotted these two.