Tag Archives: Craig Tooley

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It's our earliest wildflower, the one with the unlovely common  names, Slink Pod and Fetid Adder's Tongue, Scoliopus bigelovii.  I recently found one blooming in our forest. You can see its leaves are just peeking up at the base of the stem.

This is what we look like trying to find one of these tiny wildflowers. This photo was taken by C'Anna Bergman-Hill a few years ago, the very same place I found them last week.

Craig Tooley took this close-up photo, which is in our book, Mendonoma Sightings Throughout the Year. Yes, it's a MUCH better photo than mine! The leaves of this member of the Lily family are distinctively mottled. If you find the leaves, which can grow to 12 inches long, you know where to look for the earlier-blooming flower next winter.

Thanks to C'Anna and Craig for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

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Fly Amanitas, Amanita muscaria, have been known as symbols of good luck. Craig Tooley recently photographed one of these distinctive mushrooms.

Judy Woudenberg also captured a photo of one. They change size rather dramatically as they age. Judy's is younger than Craig's.

Not edible unless parboiled several times to flush away the toxins. I just enjoy seeing them in sunny meadows, flaunting their bold beauty as I walk by.

Thanks to Craig and Judy for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is his website: www.ruffimage.com

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Michelle Welch was amazed to see a huge rainbow embracing the town Gualala. It felt like a blessing.

rainbow-over-gualala-by-michelle-welch-1024x576As rainbows goes, this is sure a big one! Below is a rainbow photo taken by Craig Tooley. It appears in our book, Mendonoma Sightings Throughout the Year.

rainbow-jan-by-craig-tooley

Thanks to Michelle for allowing me to share her photo with you here. And thanks to Craig too. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is the link to his website: www.ruffimage.com

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Since midnight we have 4.75 inches of rain in our gauge. That's a lotta rain a little more than 12 hours! Creeks and rivers are running fast, dangerous, and muddy. When this storm passes on, the Mendonoma coast will be waiting to fill you with awe at its beauty. Waterfalls will be plentiful. Craig Tooley photographed these two waterfalls after last week's rains.

seasonal-waterfalls-by-craig-tooleyAmy Ruegg paid a visit to Stengel Beach, a public access trail on The Sea Ranch, late Saturday afternoon. This is what she found.

stengel-beach-waterfall-by-amy-rueggI can only imagine what this looks like today after nearly five inches of rain!

The weekend looks sunny and dry, if cold. Perfect weather for bundling up and exploring all that the Mendonoma coast has to offer!

Thanks to Craig and Amy for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is the link to his website: www.ruffimage.com

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Craig Tooley was out with his camera. He wrote, "This was shot looking from Verdant View on Sea Ranch, looking back towards Annapolis.

supermoon-2-by-craig-tooleyNik Epanchin photographed the Supermoon too.

supermoon-by-nik-epanchin

A Supermoon occurs when the moon is in its nearest approach to Earth. We didn't have much chance to observe it for long as weather soon moved in. Yes, it's been raining on the Mendonoma Coast. Today, though, is sunny after earlier rain. Perfect conditions for more mushrooms!

Thanks to Craig and Nik for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is the link to his website: www.ruffimage.com