Yes, it's late in the season but who can turn down more gifts in the forest? Horn of Plenty, Craterellus cornucopioides, was found fruiting in under Tan Oaks and, rather unusual, Bishop Pines. Mushroom foragers in Mendocino County and Sonoma County call these mushrooms Black Trumpets and often shout for joy when we find them. These were found by Irma Brandt and photographed by Miriam Owen, both of Gualala. Thank you, Mother Nature!
Giant Chain Ferns - Woodwardia fimbriata - need moisture to grow, so it's not so suprising to find one growing next to Quinliven Creek. And what a beauty it is! It's nearly six feet high when it's not bent over from the rushing waters of the creek. Native Indians used the fiber of this fern mixed with red dye for patterns in their baskets. Rick and I admire it on our daily walks - a treasure in the forest.
Wildflowers burst into bloom this week on the Mendocino and Sonoma Coasts with just a few days of warm sunny weather. On a drive down Highway One a few days ago, Rick and I saw the first Lupine in bloom. Wild Iris - Douglas Iris - caught our eyes with their brilliant splashes of blue. Bright orange Poppies, California's state flower, have joined in the party. The wildflowers in the forest are a bit more subtle but worth your attention too. The beautiful False Solomon Seal has just bloomed and the forest floor is carpeted with the yellow-faced Redwood Violets.
Movement in the storm-muddied pond caught my eye yesterday afternoon. This member of the Salamander family put on quite a show for my camera. I believe it's a male and he is definitely in his aquatic form. He is brown on top and a bright orange on the bottom.
The Pacific Ocean is wind-whipped today, not a good weekend for the start of the abalone season. There is nothing "pacific" about the ocean today. Stay home and be safe - calmer days are ahead.
The sunrise reflected on the clouds over the Pacific Ocean this morning was beautiful. Carolyn André captured a lovely photo from her home at Sea Ranch and kindly gave me permission to share it here. Are sunrises and sunsets like snowflakes? Are no two exactly alike? We could spend a lifetime trying to find out.
