On a day of her choosing, summer exiles her vernal sister. Dispatched from the realm with a sidelong scorch, spring retreats. Eager seeds, too long in slumber, awaken beneath her footsteps. Their coats crack open. Spines of bright chlorophyll unfurl, an Homage of leaflets, tender cairns that mark her journey. As a mountain lion she… Continue reading Variations of Form
Category: California Natives – Fauna
Triptych
Panel One: a male Valley Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa sonorina), collects nectar from Narrow Leaf milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis) blossoms. On the Sunrise Trail in Conejo Open Space, May 27, 2022. Panel Two: a Lorquin’s Admiral (Limenitis lorquini) collects nectar from Black Sage (Salvia mellifera) blossoms. On the Sunrise Trail in Conejo Open Space, May 27, 2022.… Continue reading Triptych
Grazing Buck
A male Mule Deer stops to graze as he walks through the brush. Two large Coast Live oak trees and some low growing shrubs separate the buck from me. The presence of the trees in particular helped me to stay hidden. He passes from shadow cast by the first tree to an opening of sunlight,… Continue reading Grazing Buck
Gratitude
Yesterday, on the last day of 2024, one of my favorite authors, Jeff VanderMeer, posted a question on the social media platform Bluesky. His question was: What are you grateful for from the past year? (Yes, there are lots of terrible things to be un-thankful for, but that’s not this thread.) I am a grumpy… Continue reading Gratitude