Tag Archives: Mel Smith

•

There are several rare plants that bloom at our place in Anchor Bay. One of them is Gnome Plants, Hemitomes congestum. They are growing between a wooden step we put in some years ago when we put in a hiking trail.

On the left there are two small ones just peeking up. We have to be careful where we walk to protect these unusual plants. They extract nutrients from decaying matter. We have Allotropa virgata, Sugarsticks, close by, which indicates there is a LOT going in in this area. Sugarsticks need a fungus to thrive and this is where we find Matsutakes in the winter. Mel Smith recently photographed the first emerging Sugarstick.

Thanks to Mel for allowing me to share his photo with you here.

Sunny and windy today - don't bother to fuss with you hair if you are on the coast today!

Spring doesn't know...

•

Carol Bogovich photographed the heart-sharped blow of a Gray Whale.

And Mel Smith found a heart-shaped piece of abalone.

Susan Sandoval noticed a heart shaped out of ocean foam.

Some fun photos for you today. Happy Valentine's Day!

Thanks to Carol, Mel and Susan for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

oh, we are having a beautiful day on the Mendonoma Coast, sunny and cool. Looks like the holiday weekend will be smooth sailing, weather-wise.

•

Randy Jones was walking a local beach when he noticed this bit of an abalone shell in the shape of a heart.

Randy showed it to Mel Smith and me recently, and Mel took this photo on the shell resting on Randy's hand. I love seeing hearts in nature.

Thanks to Mel for allowing me to share his photo with you here.

Sparkling blue skies and cool weather here on the Mendonoma coast today.

•

A rare plant has bloomed near Rick’s and my home in Anchor Bay, last year and this year too. We took wildflower aficionados Mel Smith and Linda Bostwick to see the spiky maroon and white flower last weekend. There, growing in sandy soil and forest duff, was a Sugarstick, Allotropa virgata.

Here's a closer view of the flowers - they are quite beautiful.

Sugarsticks, also called Candysticks, are parasitic plants. They feed on fungi in the soil. The two places I’ve found them have Matsutake mushrooms in the fall. If you have known Matsutake spots, look and see if you might also have Sugersticks. Last year’s flowers are still standing as leathery thin stalks.

Interesting that they seem to be associated with Matsutake fungus!

We have had cool, foggy weather on the Mendonoma coast this week. The sun finally appeared mid-afternoon. There are lots of people here with their fancy cars, as there is a car show on Saturday at Gualala Arts. It's free and lots of fun. Here is a link to the Gualala Arts Center about the event: http://gualalaarts.org/2018/07/10th-annual-gualala-arts-auto-show-8th-annual-pinewood-derby/

•

Mel Smith photographed an Earthstar, a uniquely-shaped mushroom that grows on the Mendonoma coast.

Craig Tooley photographed a Scarlett Waxy Cap, a mushroom that makes me think of flowers growing in the forest.

Craig also found a group of Shaggy Manes. This mushroom is edible when young, but they quickly melt away into an inky puddle.

Thanks to Mel and Craig for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

We are having sunny, warm weather today. And tomorrow, Thursday, is supposed to be a bit warmer. We should be seeing more mushrooms appearing if they didn't drown in all the rain we've had!