Visitors 63
Modified 15-Feb-23
Created 17-Jun-20
116 photos
Hiking on Coal Mine Ridge on a warm morning in late May, it feels a bit like summer already. And a bit like early spring.
Buds, flowers, drying flowers, seeds. The seasons overlap, different ecosystems and different plants moving to their own rhythms. Shady woodland and sun-warmed chaparral.
Many late-spring flowers are at their peak, in their glory. Others have gone dormant, having produced seeds and disappeared from view. (Larkspur, I'm thinking of you. White Globe Lily, Checkerspot Lily. And the first heralds of spring, the white, blue, and red of Milkmaids, Hound's Tongue, and Trillium.) Only hints of these flowers remain, for the motivated seeker. Of the still-obvious flowers, several have been pollinated and are drying up, producing seeds.
I start up Arroyo Trail. A closer look into an inconspicuous tangle next to the trail reveals a spider's luminous world. A Chipmunk on the trail grabs my attention -- until hikers from the other direction break the magic moment. (I have not seen many Chipmunks locally -- have you?) Lizards abound, basking on the warm trail or nearby, iridescent scales catching the sunlight. Butterflies, ants, flies, and bees visit the still-open flowers; a camouflaged crab spider lurks among blossoms, waiting for an unwary visitor.
Back home, I realize how little I have seen. Even once I stop, kneel down, and focus on a tiny panorama, I miss the cryptic insect lurking amongst the flowers, only to notice it later in the photograph. How could I have missed it? Because it is not easy or comfortable, holding still, focusing, maintaining an awkward posture to get just the right angle, holding my breath. I am not suited to easily hang out with different creatures in different scales. But it is rewarding to make the effort.
Sometimes I feel encumbered by this big, awkward body. Yes, it is just the right scale to be able to appreciate mountain, tree, spider, and ant. Yet I sometimes wonder, what would it be like to be liberated from this gravity-bound embodiment, to float disembodied, silently observing life as it enfolds at many scales. I do hope some of these images can give you a sense of timeless, open observation, as the best of them can give me.
Staying still, staying quiet, can be rewarding. Lizards, Chipmunks, and other creatures venture forth, freezing if they sense something amiss, only fleeing upon more solid evidence of danger.
This gallery includes many aspects of my morning's hike: natural-history documentation; interesting observations; and images that caught my fancy. Containing over 100 photos, it might be too much for some of you to tackle. So I have selected eight images, the ones I like best, into a separate gallery nearby -- emphasizing photography more than natural history. However, my taste might not be yours. So you might want to quickly scan through this larger gallery to make sure you don't miss an image you like.
Enjoy!
