Russian Ridge Sunset

Another sunset from my favorite ridge-top open space. I love how the white grasses reflect the last of the light.
I wondered about the name - it turns out it is called "Russian Ridge" after
Mr. Paskey, a Russian immigrant who grazed cattle and ran a dairy farm here from about 1920 to 1950.  The Mid Peninsula Open Space District bought the land "in a series of complicated transactions" starting in 1978 - the owners wanted to sell it for housing.  I think it is wonderful that I've been walking in this preserve for 25 years (not continuously), but it's only in the last few months of blipping that I've troubled to find out some of the history. And how grateful I am that the far-sighted voters of the 1970s started the funding of the open spaces, otherwise all these hill tops would be "fine estates' and "mini ranches" by now - fenced and gated.
We are promised rain tomorrow, it was certainly hazier today, with more clouds around as the sun went down.