Wooly Bears

Another sign of spring! Wooly Bear Caterpillers!

Creek Watch 3

Creek Watch: Santa Barbara Creeks Through the Seasons

Volume 3: Vernal Equinox 2009

Welcome back to Creek Watch! I was able to get to all the creeks within about a week of the Vernal Equinox.

Creek Watch Autumnal Equinox 2008
Creek Watch Winter Solstice 2008
Winter Solstice Amendment: Rattlesnake

San Jose Creek Upstream:

San Jose Creek Downstream:

San Antonio Creek Upstream:

San Antonio Creek Downstream:

San Roque Creek Upstream:

San Roque Creek Downstream:

San Roque Creek Bubbling:





Remember, we examine Rattlesnake Canyon a little more in depth.

Rattlesnake Upstream:

Rattlesnake Downstream:

Rattlesnake Bubbling:


Rattlesnake Pool:


Rattlesnake waterfall:

Tin Can Meadow looking Northwest






Tin Can Meadow looking Southwest.





The meadow is green but there aren't very many flowers. There were these beauties in the middle, though!

(Note: the ones of San Roque and San Antonio Creeks do not look like the location in the previous pictures. I may have blown it! So much for scientific inquiry!)

I love Rattlesnake!

Indulge me as I take you on another hike. I just cannot resist!

I had a free day today, so I hiked Rattlesnake Canyon. There weren't a whole lot of wildflowers yet.

There were a ton of Blue Dicks (Chuckbert, this is the flower I sent you).


I and the butterflies enjoyed them. I couldn't decide on one picture to share, so here ya go. Pick your favorite butterfly!















I saw this sign on the trail, and looked down into the water....there they are! Can you spot them?

Fiesta Flower (above and below)

These little pine cones are about 1/2 inch long!

The last (or the first?) of a Flannelbush (I think)

And the always-cheerful Miss Rock Rose:




I love the wrinkled-tissue-paper look!


The burned areas are still pretty burny. Recovery is happening, though.




Thanks for coming along with me!

Video of Police Action

Here is some video someone posted to YouTube. You can see my hero (in cap) in the scene that starts around 0:36 and a close-up (yikes!) at 1:10. Also at 1:59

My Favey Flower

Yippee! I have a California Poppy growing in my yard! Isn't it so pretty! There's just one so far, but hope to have more soon!

Police Excitement

Last night's event.

Officer Squid arrived on the scene after the crash. Extricating the perps from the vehicle, interviewing witnesses, and writing reports made for a long night, lasting into mid-morning.

Edited to add: Here's another account of the story.

OK, a little more garden

I saw that the Ceanothus centennial is blooming. It is a ground cover shrub, and right now can barely fight through the weeds and gopher dirt. It managed to bloom, though. I tried to get a good image. I didn't succeed too well. For what they're worth:

BobBIE asked to show pictures of the whole yard for reference. I would show you, but the plants are so small and the weeds so plentiful, that it wouldn't be very flattering. Please accept my close-ups of the flowers. And here is the post of when I first planted everything. There are photos of the whole yard, and you can see where the plants are.

As I told BobBIE on the phone, I've been weed-whacking but held back lately because some of the California poppies I planted were able to survive the earlier whacks, and I want to see if they will bloom. Come summer, when the weeds die, I'll see if I can mulch the yard well and keep the weeds at bay next year.

Here is another interesting garden offering. This stump is in front of the garage. It has some pretty tree fungus:

Top of stump

Side. Those fungi at the top are the side view of the top image.

Pretty, huh?

Happy Spring!

Things I love about Spring:

• Days are still getting longer!
• Barbeque season begins in earnest.
• The furnace goes to the "off" position until November.
• I don't have to keep the visor down so much when driving around.
• Strawberries.
• Cadbury eggs.
• Spring Break means a vacation.
• Windows are open.
• No fog yet (ummm...except today).
• More hiking (Stevens Creek yesterday).
  
• WILDFLOWERS!

Bladderpod

Lupine

This tree has pretty white cluster flowers. Close-up below.

Hummingbird Sage (above and below)

I have no idea what these berries are, but they are striking, aren't they?

Common Fiddleneck

Chinese Houses

Chinese Houses with a friend.

Poison Oak is pretty, too, but DON'T TOUCH!

When I stopped to shoot this Periwinkle, I was lucky to have a Swallowtail flutter by to partake.

I love the Canyon Sunflower!

Blue-eyed Grass -- I have this in my yard, but it hasn't bloomed yet.

I never get tired of this view!

What do you love about Spring?