Yesterday Rick and I saw our first Trilliums of the year on our property in Anchor Bay. Western Trillium, Trillium ovatum, is always a treat to find. But never pick one! It can take years for the plant to recover.
Below is a Trillium just unfolding.
The flowers are white when young and turn pink as they age. Ants distribute their seeds, as they do for many other plants. Everything is connected - we just need to learn of these connections and respect them. Mother Nature knows what she's doing!
The Mendonoma Coast is just starting to dry out from the series of storms that hit us late last week. We received nearly ten inches at our home in Anchor Bay! Tom Eckles photographed storm clouds mixed with the setting sun - just spectacular.
Quinliven Creek runs through our property in Anchor Bay. It's a seasonal creek, with ponds that last year round. It is always a happy occurrence when it comes to life. With all the rain we've had recently it is running fast and strong. Here are a few pictures of this lovely creek.
Each cascade has a different musical tone, which I enjoy listening to. Yes, the creek is singing!
And below is Huckleberry, our golden retriever. Rick is telling him not to go in that pond as it's so cold. Last night I didn't have my camera as it was raining hard. I put Huckleberry's raincoat on, which he doesn't really enjoy but being an agreeable golden he puts up with it. We hiked down into the forest to look at the creek. When we weren't looking Huck went into this pond - with his raincoat on! Best laid plans and all that...
After weeks of dry weather, the Mendonoma Coast is being hit by a big storm. And there are two more lined up - another for Friday and one for Sunday night. Our seasonal creeks had gone dry in places during the long dry spell. I know the creek that runs through our property in Anchor Bay, Quinliven Creek, will soon come to life to delight us anew.
In the meantime, here is a photo I took five days ago of the sun setting into a sea of fog. Beautiful, don't you agree?
Here is a link to a photo I took last March of Quinliven Creek after a major storm: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/03/15/huge-storm-is-hitting-the-mendonoma-coast/
A group of Shrimp Russulas, Russula xeramplina, has bloomed under a Shore Pine tree on our property. I finally learned the identification of these edible mushrooms after a mushroom forage with David Arora a month or so ago. First, it is a substantial mushroom, not flimsy. The stem is rosy though you will have to look closely at my photo to see the blush. When you scratch the stem it should turn yellow. To further make sure you have the edible Russula, bite off a small piece of the cap, chew and then spit out. If you taste pepper you have the wrong one.
These two 'shrooms are growing next to a large rock at our home in Anchor Bay.
It's been cold and dry here on the Mendonoma Coast. But these Shrimp Russulas didn't seem to mind! To see several other photos of this mushroom, here's the link: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/11/24/shrimp-russula-has-appeared-on-the-edge-of-our-forest-in-anchor-bay/