Little Friend

The local botanical garden is filled with new growth.  Vines, trees, shrubs, bulbs are in bloom.  Birds and lizards and coyotes are to be seen, and the squirrels are fatter than fat.  I was walking home from my visit when a rustling caught my ear . . . this guy was just bopping around within feet of me, and luckily I could get his portrait before he flew off to explore new territory.  This is a Dark-eyed Junco.

Friday Morning

Spring Break ends today.  I go back to work tomorrow.  Friday, a friend came over around sunrise, and we headed out to the local open space, Wildwood, which encircles the city where I live.  It’s a wonderful place, especially in spring when the flowers bloom.  As I have said before, California has had a drought for the past 6 years, but this year our rainy season was phenomenal (by desert standards).  The result is that things are green and growing, instead of the dreary brown, brown, brown.  The fields and hills are covered with a lot of wildflowers, in yellow and purples primarily, with so many different ones it is hard to remember all their names.  Some, though, include wild morning glory, mountain sunflower, allium, fiddleneck, red stem filaree, lupine, lacey phacelia, and blue dicks.

A Scattering of Petals

a-scattering-of-petals

A morning spent – well spent – in one of my favorite places in L.A.:  The Huntington Gardens.  Spring is in evidence everywhere, flowers and trees in bloom, and everyone out enjoying a cold, sunny day after days of rain.

Pano of 32 images, taken with the Nikon Df and 85mm f1.8G lens.