Slipstream

Yesterday, I arrived at Point Reyes National Seashore in northern California. Point Reyes is a scenic—and in places, quite rugged—slice of coastland that follows the San Andreas Fault just north of San Francisco. Since my arrival, I’ve seen jackrabbits and great egrets and black-tailed deer and wild turkeys and hummingbirds and raccoons and red-winged blackbirds.

I’ve also seen cows, tons of them, scattered across the grasslands that sweep over the hilly landscape. That’s because cattle and dairy ranches have been part of this area for generations, long before the feds designated the place as protected. Ranching, it seems, has been grandfathered into the park. (more…)