The following is a repost of a diary from nearly one year ago. I've added a few more toward the end, and a new tip jar photo that is not to be missed.
It is the most beautiful time of the year in the eastern hills of the SF Bay Area. Join me for a floral tour of the green hills & their resplendent flowers.
I am neither botanist nor photographer, but I know quality.
Indian (It prefers the politically-correct term Native American Paintbrush)
j/k
Indian Paintbrush.
Forget-me-nots
All of these shots were taken in and around Mt. Diablo.
The California poppy cannot be used to make opium as far as I know.
You may not know that the poppy is, of course, the official flower of Daily Kos.
With the stunning contrast of the orange with the violet-colored lupin, it makes you wonder why there;s been no purple added to the color scheme of the Great Orange Satan.
I initially wanting this diary to be a refutation of this statement from a recent recommended diary by a kossack I respect:
You try to do something free, and it usually sucks
But then I just said to myself: Self, just post the purdy pikshurs and shuddup.
I sometimes think the un-bloomed poppy is more beautiful with its red disc & tip and its curious shape.
You think that if the people down there knew what it looked like up here then there would be fewer people down there & more people up here?
The paragliders know what's up.
Shooting Stars (h/t SomeStones)
Hiker chicks rule.
Ooh, pretty red bush.
WRONG! Evil, deadly plant! Leaves of three, let it be.
And if you hike with wozzles, they love to run through it and then rub up against you and spread the oils on your legs.
You love to spread poison oak, don't you boy!
The oily leaves are just dying for you to touch them. If you do (or even if you don't), shower with cold water immediately afterward using Fels Naptha of some other anti-itch soap.
Fiddlenecks; they've taken over this entire hillside.
The Bluebird of happiness
In addition to the truly awful poison oak, the other main predators around here are ticks. They suck.
The lurk in low-hanging branches and try to land on an oblivious passing mammals. Humans can contact Lyme disease from an untreated tick.
In the unlikely event you encounter a mountain lion or cougar, make yourself large and scary, and make lots of threatening noises. Throw things if you have them.
I hope you enjoyed my hikes. I know I did.
+++
All New For 2010!
Devil Mountain (Mt. Diablo) behind a poppy patch:
Devil Mountain behind lupines:
Devil Mountain behind owl's clover:
These shady bluebells baffled my very limited photography skillz and mediocre camera both. But there is too little blue elsewhere, so I've left them in.
Owls Clover up front, red, orange & yellow elsewhere; Tutti fruity, oh Rudy!:
Try to focus on the foreground with its various colors and not the quarry in the background.
(I know...the old adage: Don't think of an elephant!).
My suburban dwelling can be seen in the fuzzy background. The best part about living here is being so close to such lovely trails.
More shooting stars. I also like the little wispy white things; they remind me of the little spirit tree flower things from Avatar.
This is the biggest patch of shooting stars I've ever come across.
This is the only photo I tried to get of the many turkey vultures. I could have done worse.
Yet more wildlife!
I think this is some kind of giant land monster. Get the holy hand grenade!
Poppypalooza
A lupine field in Napa with a disc golf basket in the background.
Wacky fungi
Bonus- Daffodil Hill, a very cheesy tourist attraction in the Sierra Foothills.