The Wild Rhododendrons - and the Wild Azaleas too - are just magnificent this spring on the Mendonoma Coast. Rick and I have never seen so many blossoms as we have been seeing this year. They are obviously loving all the late rains we been having. Their loveliness is our reward for having such a damp spring. Splashes of pink adorn the edges of the forest. Life is good.
On calm days the Sea Lions on the colony at Fish Rocks just off of the hamlet of Anchor Bay can be heard noisely barking. They are giving birth to pups now on the rocky islands off the coast. Craig Tooley captured a photo of a mom and her newborn pup and has kindly allowed me to share it here. Another of Craig's photos shows a group of Sea Lions on Fish Rocks. They are known for their intelligence and playfulness - this mammal is often the trained "seal" found in zoos. I prefer to view - and listen - to them in the wild!
To see more of Craig's photos, go to: http://web.me.com/theruffians1
You'd think it was winter on the Mendonoma Coast today. Wind and rain lashed the coast bringing some minor flooding. Seasonal creeks have come back to life, an amazing sight in June. But before this big storm hit, there was an unusual cloud formation. I thought it looked like a rocket ship in the sky.
A beautiful bright yellow wildflower is blooming in sunny, dry places on the Mendonoma Coast now. It's name is Goldwire or Hypericum concinnum. Rick and I have several nice clumps of this perennial herb on our property in Anchor Bay. Peter Baye recently identified it for me. There are many subtlety different yellow wildflowers blooming now. But Goldwire is unique enough to stand out and say, "Look at me!" Its stems are very wirey. It's a member of the St. John's-wort family and is only found in California. It's a California native just like me!
One of the cutest critters on the Mendonoma Coast is a Gray Fox Kit. They are being born now in hidden away dens or, in the case of one lucky woman, underneath a deck. Kathryn Hile discovered a litter of four Fox Kits under her deck in her enclosed courtyard in The Sea Ranch. What fun Kathryn will have in the days to come, photographing these enchanting creatures. A photo of one of the Kits was published today in the Independent Coast Observer with my column Mendonoma Sightings. To see that photo go to mendonoma.com, click on on-line features and then color photos. Kathryn has kindly given me permission to share two other photos here. The first one is of the male adult Gray Fox, aka "Daddy." The second one is of one of the Kits interacting with "Daddy."
My best to you today, Jeanne Jackson, Gualala
