Emerald California

A wet winter has gowned California in emerald sprinkled with gems of many colors.  Before it could return to its "Golden State" of brown grasses we headed over to the coast and Point Reyes National Seashore.

Told that the Chimney Rock trail was a good place to see wildflowers, that was where we headed.  It didn't disappoint.

Blue gems were the Lupine, Douglas Iris and Blue eyed grass.

 

Among the yellows were, of course, plenty of California Poppies along with Mule Ears and Yellow Bush Lupine.

To represent the pinks we saw Checkerbloom, Cow Clover and Beach Morning Glory.

I mustn't forget the Indian Paintbrush.

This is a sampling of what we saw on one of several walks we took.  I'll show you more of Point Reyes in another post.

You can find other views of our wonderful world at .
Our World Tuesday

Death Valley

Last month we took a trip to the desert in the hope of finding some desert wildflowers.  Our first stop was Death Valley.  It was unusually hot for March and there were no wildflowers.  No problem, there was still plenty to see and do and we had a good time.

Oasis Garden

We stayed at Furnace Creek Inn.  In the past we had either camped or stayed at the Furnace Creek Ranch, a motel style lodging.  The Inn proved to be a perfect choice.  During the hot afternoons we could wander the corridors of the hotel for exercise or go down to the oasis garden.

Zabiskie Point

We did our sightseeing in the morning, before it got hot.

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes

There were plenty of people out exploring the dunes.

Creosote Bush

Did I say there were no wildflowers?  That is not quite true.  The creosote was in full bloom.  

Although we didn't see the critters that made them, there were plenty of tracks out on the dunes.

Old borax wagons were on display at the remains of the borax works.

Salt crystals

No trip to death Valley would be complete without a visit to Bad Water 282 feet below sea level.  Due to recent rains there were water filled potholes in which salt was crystallizing.  Unfortunately, it seems visitors found the potholes irresistible and most of them had been disturbed and the newly formed crystals destroyed. 

At the end of the day we found a spot to watch the sunset and see the stars come out.

On our way to our next stop we finally found our wildflowers.

Find other views of our wonderful world at Our World Tuesday

12 Bridges Perserve

That's my World, Tuesday

One of our favorite bike routes takes us through the nearby 12 Bridges preserve near our home. This is a lovely ride and takes us through several different habitats. It is not without its hazards though.


I have not yet seen a rattlesnake on our ride but I have seen king snakes and racers. I'm sure the rattlers are around someplace.

In spring there are many wildflowers in the prairie grasslands. Nothing like what John Muir described after walking through the central valley in 1868, but lovely none the less.

One of the prettiest is the Gold Nuggets. This one was nice enough to bloom by the trail where I could get a good shot.


We also ride by wetlands with their perennial pools, cattails and marsh grasses.

A special type of pool is the Vernal Pool. Unlike the perennial pool above, these are seasonal. Once common in the central valley they are being lost to development. Lately there has been an attempt to save as many as possible.

This pond is in the process of drying up. As reduced in size as it is I have recently seen cinnamon teals and black necked stilts in it as well as killdeer and an egret, barely visible center rear of the green area.

This pond is now completely dry, the water has been replaced by a field of golden wildflowers. Yet another habitat can be seen along the edge, the oak woodland. On this ride we could hear wild turkeys and ring neck pheasants.

The several interconnected wild land corridors within the 12 Bridges development provide a rich habitat that is enjoyed by the residents, both the human kind and the native wild species.

There are more worlds to see at That's my World Tuesday, hosted for us each week by Klaus, Sandy Wren, Fishing Guy and Sylvia

Flowers and Shadows in Death Valley

I promised to show you some of the flowers we saw in Death Valley.

First I have a shadow from the Desert Gold.

There was lots of Desert Gold and the bright yellow color could be seen for quite a distance.

The Yellow Cups were not as abundant.



I saw only a few clumps of this pretty little daisey.

There were several purple/pink varieties blooming.

There was quite a bit of the Fivespot blooming at the visitor center, elswhere I saw it but not in bloom.

Above the valley floor we saw some Beaver Tail in bloom and a whate cactus in a place we could not stop. We saw what might have been Claret Cups Cactus but it was not blooming.

You can find more shadows at Shadow Shot Sunday, hosted for us by Tracy.

Hiking Palm Canyon—My World

Another hike in Anza-Borrego is the hike from the campground up Palm Canyon to the oasis.

The trail follows the stream up canyon.  There was quite a bit of water in the upper portions.  Down stream the thirsty gravel had left only puddles.

 

 

There was brittlebush and ocotillo in the lower, drier portions of the trail.     

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were a little to early to see this Beavertail in bloom.

 

This Desert Mallow was blooming though.

There was quite a variety of flowers in the canyon.  I think these are Mojave Gold Poppy and Arizona Lupine.  There are so many similar varieties that I could easily be mistaken.

Some lovely cascades as we approach the end.

And then the palm oasis.  The skirts of old leaves protect the trunk from the harsh summer heat.  It was an easy hike except for some places where the trail and bridge had been washed out.

Find more views of the world at My World Tuesday, hosted for us by Klaus, Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy and Sylvia.

Blue Desert Sky

Reach, praising heaven

giver of rain, giving  warmth

blossoms reach for sky

See more skies at Skywatch Friday, hosted for us by Klaus, Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy, and Sylvia.

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park—My World

Anza-Borrego is one of the lesser known of California’s State parks.  It lies in the eastern part of San Diego County extending down to the border with Mexico.

It is, however, well know to enthusiasts of desert wild flowers.  I am certainly no botanist or horticulturalist, I can’t always identify the plants I see, but I find it interesting to observe how things grow in the desert.

When I walked through the campground I noticed that there were islands of vegetation.  Smaller plants grouped under the larger shrubs and often two or three of the shrubs would be grouped together.  The smaller plants seemed to be hiding in the shade of the larger or perhaps the grouping trapped more water.

These are some of the shrubs anchoring the islands.

If someone knows what this plant is I’d love to know, I couldn’t find it in any of my books.

Here are some of the smaller plant living in their shadow.

My World Tuesday Is brought to us each week by Klaus, Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy and Sylvia.