Sightings

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Recently Rick and I and our Golden Retriever, Huckleberry, explored the east side of Gualala Point Regional Park. There is a small but beautiful campground there, nestled up against the Gualala River. Using our annual day pass, we parked near the campground and headed east on a narrow trail. Just a few steps into the forest felt like we had entered another world.

Here is a photo of a Douglas-fir that grew over a Redwood stump. I've never seen the roots of a Douglas-fir growing above ground before.

And we found this old, knobby California Bay tree. Elves could live here!
We then came to the Gualala River and in went Huckleberry.

Life is good when you are a Golden Retriever getting wet!
Here's a link to a beautiful sunset taken at the park. http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/08/01/beautiful-sunset-at-gualala-point-regional-park/

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A beautiful Bobcat was spotted by Jan de Vries hunting in the meadow outside his Sea Ranch home. The Bobcat stayed long enough for Jan to take a series of photos. One photo was published in the Independent Coast Observer this week and can be seen at http://www.mendonoma.com/. Jan has kindly allowed me to share several more photos here.

Such a healthy, beautiful Bobcat, it was probably hunting for Gophers in Jan's meadow.

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Rick and I, along with our friends Nan Brichetto and Frank Drouillard, went on a hike this morning with our two Golden Retrievers. We were shocked and amazed to come across this large group of Oyster Mushrooms, Pleurotus ostreatus. They normally are found later in the fall and winter but I guess our weather has been so cool that they decided to make an early appearance. They are, of course, edible and delicious!

They were fruiting on a downed Tanoak, a hardwood that grows on the Mendonoma Coast. In this next picture they look like gardenias!

And we aren't the only creatures that covet these fungi. Check out the Banana Slugs feasting on these mushrooms on the picture below.

A gift in the forest - thank you Mother Nature!
To see another early fruiting mushroom, a Dyer's Polypore, click on this link:
http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/08/26/dyers-polypore-a-wild-mushroom-continues-to-evolve-continues-to-fascinate/
      My best to you today, Jeanne Jackson

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I so enjoy California Honeysuckle - Lonicera hispidula. In the spring lovely pink blossoms appear. And now, on this first day of autumn, the berries that formed after the blossoms have begun to ripen. They are round and a brilliant orange-red. They are edible but very bitter. Some birds will eat them if they can't find other food. With all the Huckleberry bushes we have on our property in Anchor Bay providing a multitude of sweet berries, the fruits of the Honeysuckle usually adorn the vines well into winter.

To see their pink blossoms, click on this link and imagine you are smelling their delicate fragrance: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/06/30/california-honeysuckle-has-begun-blooming-such-a-delicate-climbing-beauty/

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Kathryn Hile was very lucky to have a Gray Fox family take up residence in the courtyard of her Sea Ranch home. It sure gave her numerous chances to make photographic magic. She has shared two charming photos with us.

The first photo is of the Mother Fox with her kits in Kathryn's driveway.

And the photo below is the Dad. He was on Kathryn's porch railing the night the parents let the kits out of the courtyard for the first time. Kathryn said, "He was guarding the front door to make sure I didn't go outside to disturb them."

Thanks to Kathryn for allowing me to share her cute photos! Here's a link to several other of Kathryn's photos of this Gray Fox family: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/06/02/gray-fox-kits-are-being-born-now-on-the-beautiful-mendonoma-coast/