The Spotted Towhee

 

This Spotted Towhee comes quite regularly to eat underneath the bird feeders. They hunt for the seeds and cracked corn that the other birds kick out of the feeders and into the grass.

 

They are so much brighter than their cousin the California Towhee, which is a rather drab brown. Doesn't seem quite fair! All the Towhees love to eat on the ground and are quite tame and unafraid.

We love our wild bird friends.

Coreopsis Hill

 

The sand was pristine... not a foot print in sight. It rained last night which packed the sand and made walking easy.

 

The wind blows the grains of sand in wonderful and mysterious ways.

 

The drops are sharp and unexpected.

 

It was threatening to rain but it never happened.

 

Avila Bay, Oso Flaco Lake and Coreopsis.

 

The Coreopsis are like giant bouquets popping up in the sand.

 

I'm so glad I didn't let the chance of a few rain drops change my plans.

Home Grown

This is one of the Monarchs we raised here on our property. The egg was layed here, the caterpillar ate on our very own Milkweed plants, it made it's chrysalis on our fence and I found it drying it's wings and brought it to the house and put a tag on it. It sat in the lime tree for about an hour and then flew away.

Have a wonderful life!

Horses At Play

We were on our way to San Luis and saw these horses playing in a pond left from our recent rain. They splashed each other, rolled onto their back and pawed the bottom.

 

They chased each other and threw around some plants that were in the bottom of the pond.  I guess I'd say, "they were just horsing around!"  

 

It was quite a display and we watched them having fun until they had had enough.

 

Then, as if on cue they gathered themselves up, shook themselves off and regain their horse composure!

 

Help! My Bed Runneth Over

Please tell my person I need a bigger bed. Please??

Breaking Free

I was raking one day and while taking off some stuck dry leaves, I noticed it hanging there. I had been using the rake for some time so that gives you an idea of how well they attach themselves. I set the rake by the back door so I could watch it closely and hopefully catch it breaking free. I certainly think it is serendipitous that a Monarch caterpillar found this orange rake a good place to make a chrysalis.

Several days later, I noticed a crack in the clear case and by the time I got back with my camera it was already about half way out.

After a few more twists and turns he fell out head first and was free.

It takes a minute or so for the plasma like liquid to be pumped from the body into the wings. He slowly opens and closes his wings to move the liquid along.

 He sat on the rake for about two hours sunning himself and hardening his wings. And while the sun was still high in the sky he flew away to find his friends or maybe locate a special spot to hang for the night. Have a good life you beautiful big rake butterfly.

Spring can't Be Far

 

I love to see the Iceland Poppies starting to bloom and wave in the spring breeze. The colors are so intense. That is one yellow poppy!

The Hike

The San Luis Obispo area is the site of nine lava plugs that were made by volcanoes long, long ago.  They start with Morro Rock on the coast and end east of down town San Luis Obispo. The largest of these peaks is Bishop Peak which sits overlooking the Calpoly campus. It is a favorite climb of the students and rock climbers. We have wanted to take this hike for some time and decided Sunday was the day. It was a beautiful sunny day. Maybe too sunny!

The beginning of the trail was shady and wooded. The coolness was deceiving.

The trail wandered through large boulders and oaks. It was once the site of a rock quarry and supplied the granite stones used to build the beautiful Presbyterian Church downtown. Well, this was the easy part... soon the real hike was to begin.

Right about here... the trail got seriously steep and hot. The temperature was 85 degrees and we soon figured out we had picked the wrong day. So this was as far as we got on Sunday. We will try again on an overcast day!

Yes!

 

We'll be having Nectarines this year! They make such good fruit tarts and we love them just sliced up with a tad of sugar. I can hardly wait.

End of Day

There are few things better in life than a special sunset. We have had some beautiful ones lately. 

The longer you watch, the better it gets.

Until it's gone.