Rick and I try and watch the sunset every night. We had hopes for a green flash last night but we were stuck with a lovely sunset instead. Let's face it - it always pays to watch a sunset!
Monarch Butterflies migrate in the fall. I have seen two or three over the past several weeks. I wish could report that we were seeing many of these beauties but that isn't the case. This butterfly needs milkweed to feed on as a caterpillar. It would be a good idea to plant some in your garden to help this striking butterfly.
Wendy Bailey photographed a Monarch, the king of Butterflies, and has kindly allowed me to share it with you here.
To learn about Monarchs, here is a link to a great web site:
http://www.monarch-butterfly.com/
I thought this Saturday would be the first day of Boletus edulis, or King Boletes, but I just received this photo by Rozann Grunig of a beauty found this morning in Sonoma County. It's almost as big as the pineapple. Game on for bolete season!
We spent some time watching the beautiful Gualala River yesterday and again today. It is still closed to the Pacific Ocean but it could open any time. The river will break through the sandbar soon and I would dearly love to be there when it happens. I'm told the sound is amazing. Juvenile Steelhead are in the river's lagoon, waiting to go on their next journey. You can see the ocean waves washing over the sandbar in the photos below.
There are lots of wonderful things going on here on the Mendonoma Coast this week! My best to you, Jeanne Jackson
With our early rains comes early mushrooms! On a walk in the forest yesterday Rick and I found Golden Chanterelles, Cantharellus cibarius, Oyster Mushrooms, Pleurotus ostreatus, and Turkey Tails, Trametes versicolor. Many tiny mushrooms appeared this morning and four round puffball mushrooms joined them. Boletus edulis, King Boletes, can't be far behind. Let the wild mushroom frenzy begin!
These Golden Chanterelles look almost white in this picture.
On a walk along the Gualala River last Saturday with friends, we can across a rare wildflower blooming in the forest. It is the Fringed Corn Lily, Veratrum fimbriatum. It is only found in Sonoma and Mendocino counties so it is a treat to see. You will see in the photo that the lovely flower attracted a lot of interest from photographer Nan Brichetto and Karen Tracy!
The leaves are quite handsome but are long gone in the autumn. Here's a link to see what the leaves looked like in spring. http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/04/08/fringed-corn-lily-leaves-a-rare-mendonoma-plant/
We had a lot of rain from yesterday's storm, three inches recorded at our house. I don't think it will be long before the Gualala River opens to the Pacific Ocean. Stay tuned!