Tag Archives: Mel Smith

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My brother-in-law, Mel Smith, spotted this rare beauty several years ago in Anchor Bay. It was mostly hidden under a huckleberry bush, but Mel has a very good eye! It did not bloom last year but appeared again this year, much to our delight. It is in full flower today. It's about an inch high.

And here are two that are up but not yet opened, growing in sandy soil. They look like little fir cones!

I was able to show these to botanist Peter Baye several years ago. He had never seen them before. He said sightings of these plants on the Mendonoma Coast are rarer than a UFO sighting!

I took these photos.

It was super foggy this morning, but the fog pulled back giving us a mild, beautiful day.

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Eric Zetterholm spotted this Osprey taking a bath in the Gualala River. It's good to see Ospreys returning to our coast where they choose to nest.

Another returning bird was seen on St. Patrick's Day, Friday the 17th. Mel Smith spotted a Violet-green Swallow at his place in Point Arena. Surely spring is close! What? Tomorrow, you say?!? Nice!

It's raining here today. It started during the night, raining hard. When I read my gauge in the morning, there was a half inch. That brings my season to date total to 57.40 inches. I consider 50 inches a "normal" rain year at Rick's and my place in Anchor Bay.

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On Christmas day, Mel Smith spotted and photographed perhaps the first appearing Slink Pod, Scoliopus bigelovii.

This wildflower is a member of the Lily family. Its distinctive leaves are just barely showing. But they will grow in the weeks ahead. They are mottled, so if you see them in the spring, long after these exquisite flowers, then remember where they are so you can look for them next winter. Here's a photo of the leaves, taken by Craig Tooley a few years ago.

Thanks to Mel and Craig for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

Clouds are pouring in and the surface water of the ocean is  now flowing northward - all signs that a storm is on the way!

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There are several rare plants that bloom at our place in Anchor Bay. One of them is Gnome Plants, Hemitomes congestum. They are growing between a wooden step we put in some years ago when we put in a hiking trail.

On the left there are two small ones just peeking up. We have to be careful where we walk to protect these unusual plants. They extract nutrients from decaying matter. We have Allotropa virgata, Sugarsticks, close by, which indicates there is a LOT going in in this area. Sugarsticks need a fungus to thrive and this is where we find Matsutakes in the winter. Mel Smith recently photographed the first emerging Sugarstick.

Thanks to Mel for allowing me to share his photo with you here.

Sunny and windy today - don't bother to fuss with you hair if you are on the coast today!

Spring doesn't know...

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Carol Bogovich photographed the heart-sharped blow of a Gray Whale.

And Mel Smith found a heart-shaped piece of abalone.

Susan Sandoval noticed a heart shaped out of ocean foam.

Some fun photos for you today. Happy Valentine's Day!

Thanks to Carol, Mel and Susan for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

oh, we are having a beautiful day on the Mendonoma Coast, sunny and cool. Looks like the holiday weekend will be smooth sailing, weather-wise.