California Coastal Cleanup Day : September 19th

Please mark your calendars! And thanks to Roger Butow of Clean Water Now! for communicating this important date!

Our Canyon Inspires! Cardoons by Candice Bohannon

"Cardoons" - Oil on Canvas - 2008 - 30x48" - by Candice Bohannon http://www.candicebohannon.com

Last Friday afternoon, I was flipping through the August edition of Southwest Art, when my eyes were drawn to a beautiful image of an oil painting by Candice Bohannon, entitled, "Cardoons." "Hey!" I instantly shouted out in surprise, "that's Laguna Canyon!" And yet for a few moments I doubted my instant identification - after all, I was holding in my hands a national magazine focused primarily on the Southwestern art culture. What would Laguna Canyon's pesky non-natives be doing here?

Yet I couldn't manage to doubt myself for long. No, I was sure of it. The lighting was right. The energy was right. The dried-up grasses in that golden cream tone that I absolutely love were perfectly represented, and that annoying orange-colored plastic fencing so often used in mitigation was providing that subtle reminder of man's disturbance on the 133. It couldn't be anywhere else but from our canyon.

So I read the article, which kept the actual location of these cardoons rather vague. The painting depicted cardoons that Candice saw in "Southern California," in an "area [that] was soon to be cleared for a new roadway." Then I read that Candice had studied at the Laguna College of Art and Design. "Well, only one way to know for sure," I concluded, "I'll just write to her."

A few days later I got a response from Candice. My instincts were right. These cardoons were from Laguna Canyon. Not only that, but Candice is more than happy to share her image of this beautiful painting with us on my blog and websites!

It is so tremendously awesome to see how truly connected to Laguna Canyon we can become when we spend the time to intimately connect with the land and living beings on it. I definitely feel that I have been doing something right this past year, in getting to know the canyon's trails, plants, and animals; when I can flip through a national magazine and instantly identify in an oil-on-canvas a section of disturbed grassland along the 133, I have an unshakable, magnificent proof that I have become part of the canyon, and that the canyon has become a part of me.

Please read more to discover more about Candice, the Southwest Art article, and my future plans for the blog/websites! Thanks!


As Candice Bohannon's blog explains,

Southwest Art Magazine has featured Candice Bohannon in the August 2009 issue as the editors' choice for up-and-coming talent. Along with color reproductions of "Cardoons" and "Marie Masson" the magazine has published a particularly astute article about Bohannon and her work.

The article is as follows:

Candice Bohannon drove past a patch of wildflowers called cardoons for years before she decided to paint them. At first, she recalls, she was content to merely grab the prickly plants from the side of the road and bring them home. “I came back home with a lot of wounds because they are very thorny,” Bohannan says with a laugh. Not long ago, however, the cardoons seemed particularly stunning. And she knew the area was soon to be cleared for a new roadway. It would be their last season. It was time to capture them on canvas. “I love how weeds can sometimes be very beautiful. Cardoons grow wild everywhere in Southern California with very little water and nurturing,” she says. “They are so forceful and willful.” Bohannon not only talks about the wildflowers as if they have human characteristics, she paints them that way, too. Anyone who saw her painting in the California Art Club’s Gold Medal Show recently might have observed that the spiny weeds did, in fact, convey a human-like energy, almost as if they could walk off the canvas and onto the floor of the museum. At 27, Bohannon was one of the youngest artists featured in the juried show. Already an award-winning painter, she most recently was named a semi-finalist in the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery’s Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition. Her painting captured an elderly woman afflicted with dementia. Unlike some artists, Bohannon relishes working in many genres—still life, landscape, figurative. “I paint things that interest me,” she says. What doesn’t interest this Northern California-based painter and sculptor though, is art that comes from a cynical point of view, mocking and tearing apart things she holds dear. For Bohannon, art heals and awakens emotions as well as brings substance to light. She explains with this analogy: “Great artworks can be related to a feast, the meal laid out for you: beauty, thought, emotion, and kinship. It can leave you feeling full or perhaps serve to awaken the appetite further. But it will never leave you empty.” Universal themes are what interest her most, and she looks to many of art history’s great painters, such as Rembrandt and Michelangelo, for inspiration. “I’m not going to paint the inside of my car or my daily sandwich,” she says. “Those things don’t register an emotional blip on my radar screen.” Growing up in Applegate, a small mountain town in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas, Bohannon says she was a quiet and shy girl. By the time she started thinking about what she wanted to become, she realized that she loved and was good at only two things: writing and visual art. Thus, after high school graduation, she headed for the Laguna College of Art and Design in Laguna Beach, CA, which seemed like the big city at the time. Since graduating from there, she has returned once again to Applegate, where she shares her life and art with her husband, Julio Reyes, also a talented emerging artist. Bohannon’s studio is in her home, and it’s not unusual for her to spend more than 100 hours there working on a single piece. But her method is strictly spontaneous and embraces variety. For example, when she met an intriguing woman at a wedding in Baltimore last year, she asked her to sit for her. When she saw a horse at an equestrian center, she watched it for hours and then painted the white equine as a symbol of innocence. Although it’s early in her career, Bohannon is self-assured about her career choice. As she writes, “I create because I must create, it is what I was born to do. There’s no other life for me.”

See more of her work at www.candicebohannon.com.

By the way: one of my new goals for this blog will be to showcase artists inspired by the beauty of our treasured canyon. If you know of any inspired artists, please send me their information / names / website addresses! Thanks!

Local Artist: Rachel Uchizono

Update Thursday, August 13, 2009: Rachel sent me another image. This was her painting for the Best Of Plein Air Show 2008: "Laguna Laurel." Beautiful! Thanks, Rachel, for sharing your talent with us!



Local artist Rachel Uchizono has recently painted a few scenes of Laguna Canyon. Please visit her website at www.racheluchizono.com and see her works in person at the Sawdust Festival, at booth # 407 right next to Greg Thorne (#406).

Some of Rachel's work can also be seen at Studio 7 Gallery North.

Please visit her website for all contact information.

Laurel Sumac's Developments and More

This afternoon at 1 PM I did the Laurel Loop, starting on Lower Laurel and finishing on Willow down all the way to the parking lot. It was very hot, about 86 degrees F, and I only crossed paths with 3 other hikers, and one biker over the course of about 2 1/2 hours.

If you are planning on hiking during the summer at Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, please make sure you bring lots of water, sunscreen, and that you wear the appropriate clothing and a hat!!!

I hadn't been able to check up on the plants since my last post on June 8, 2009. Here are some photos with a few notes to give you the update on what I saw. Enjoy!



At the beginning of Lower Laurel. Note the buckwheat in flower, and the overall dryness of the grasses.

Continuing along Lower Laurel. Please stay on the main trail and do not go off trail towards the caves - those are off limits, even though people have trampled so much on the grasses that it looks like there is an official trail!!!


The weirdest thing? Poison oak (foreground clump of green) in a grassland in 86 degree weather in dry, sunny conditions, on Lower Laurel. I am definitely confused on this one.

Poison oak next to the California False Indigo - now here the Poison Oak makes sense - and has a beautiful red color to it in areas... wow!

The lemondade berries have, in most parts of our park, seen their glorious days come and go. However, many of them still have a bright dark red / orange-red. I would not advise tasting them anymore, most of them are dirty / covered in dust. ( I didn't even try).



The progression of Laurel Sumac in flower/fruit. All three photos taken on Lower Laurel trail.

Hey, cool! Remember the False Indigo in bloom? Check out the fruit/seed now.

Here's another shot of the False Indigo, for the records.


Ghost Rock in the hot sun. Beautiful clouds behind.


This little critter was fun to notice on some California Buckwheat in bloom.


Bedstraw on Lower Laurel!

A final little note: recently, two mountain bikers visiting our park cut off the head and tail of a rattlesnake near Camarillo / South Stagecoach - and even boasted about it to people they met along the trail. Please stay vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the Park Rangers, County Staff, or the Laguna Canyon Foundation volunteers/Staff. We need everyone's help in keeping our precious park WILD.

Thanks!

The latest observations from Len Gardner

I'll be the first to complain about the dearth of posts here on the blog, given the amount of beauty that there is to write about in our treasured Laguna Canyon. For all of you followers who have been disappointed in my lack of blogging during these past few weeks, please accept my sincerest apologies!

Of course, there are good reasons for this lack of posting - the first of which is that my camera is in for repair (going on its third week now!!)... so until I have it back, I cannot take any photos of the canyon and its plants. Boohoo!
The second reason is more general in nature - in short, life has just gotten more hectic! With a heavier work schedule, I have been without my usual two days of connecting with the canyon's natural rhythm.

Thankfully, during these two chaotic weeks, Len Gardner remained faithful to his duties and sent me a report on Sunday, June 21st. For all of you Laguna Canyon Foundation volunteers and Laguna Canyon visitors, this is your time to shine - consider contributing your thoughts and observations to the blog. Don't worry about grammar or form - just submit! The more voices we get on the blog, the richer our experiences will be, both online and on the trails.

Until my next post, I wish you all a wonderful rest of the week. Thanks for following this blog!

Len Gardner's report, 21 June 2009:

I was in Little Sycamore this morning. I was helping Laura with her Father's Day special hike.

The most interesting natural history note for me was to see Sacapellote, Acourtia microcephala, in full bloom. This plant is an exuberant flowerer. It's pink-purple blossoms, when taken en masse, are quite striking. I also found it interesting that its leaves are turning yellow and drying out even as it rushes to complete its flowering.

Oscar Clarke, in his Santa Ana Flora, says its "foliage dries by autumn." This year, autumn evidently comes early. Of course, this is indicative of our long-term water deficit. This year and last year were a little sub-par, but three years ago was drastically deficient (about 4.5 inches). We still haven't recovered from that disastrous year.

It was nice to see one Calochortus weedii along the trail. Last year they seemed to be everywhere. This year, only a few.

Someone in the group said they heard that the forecasts are looking more positive for a return of El Nino conditions later this year. I hope so.

http://www.elnino.noaa.gov/

http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/e

nso_advisory/ensodisc.html

Quarterly California Coastal Commission Adopt-A-Beach Cleanup in Laguna Beach: Saturday June 20th

For Immediate Release Laguna Beach
Adopt-A-Beach Cleanup Kicks Off Summer

Join the Clean Water Now! Coalition during the Summer Solstice weekend by participating in our Quarterly California Coastal Commission Adopt-A-Beach Cleanup in Laguna Beach.

The cleanup is Saturday, June 20th, from 9 am to noon at the following 3 sites:
Main Beach (HQ), Victoria Beach, and Treasure Island/MontageResort & Spa.

Gloves, bags and educational materials provided. Community service hours for youth groups. Wear a hat or bring sunblock!
Stick around and shop locally.
Contact: Roger von Bütow rogerbutow@cleanwaternow.com
Phone messages: (949) 280.2225
Website: http://www.cleanwaternow.com/


Our next, regularly scheduled beach cleanup will be the BIG yearly event, California Coastal Cleanup Day, now an international effort with nearly 100 countries and over 28 US States participating.
CCCD: Saturday, September 19, 2009 9 am to noon
California Coastal Commission website for more information:
http://www.coastal.ca.gov/publiced/pendx.html

CLEAN WATER NOW! COALITION
P.O. Box 4711, Laguna Beach, CA 92652 - 949.280.2225 - www.cleanwaternow.com
“The Clean Water Now! Coalition is dedicated to the protection, restoration and
preservation of aquatic and riparian ecologies worldwide.”

Full Moon Hike at Willow, Laguna Canyon

Last night, June 7th, I had the immense fortune of going on the full moon hike at Willow, led by Resource Specialist Laura Cohen. From 6 to 10 PM, we enjoyed the sights and sounds of a canyon cooling down from the heat of the day.

Going up Lower Laurel Trail first, we watched as the tops of the hills were crowned with the last rays of golden light, and listened to the playful hummingbirds as they fluttered and whizzed about us, as if to tell us a special message from the trees.





I noticed that Toyon is in bloom along the trail...








...along with our wild berries, either in bloom or in fruit (please do not pick the berries but leave them for others to see and the animals to enjoy!)











There was also something else going on here. We're going to investigate it and let you know what it is ASAP.






Once we reached Bommer Ridge, it was nearly dark, with only a bit of light to allow for a breathtaking sight of a buck (deer) in silhouette against a pink-purple sky. It was simply a magical moment!

Laguna Coast Wilderness's Full Moon hikes are always very popular - their sign-up lists fill up fast! Call the Nix Nature center at 949-923-2235 and inquire about reserving your spot for the next full moon hikes in July and August!


Remember: Park hours are from Sunrise to Sunset; Parking lot hours are from 8 AM to 4 PM. Thanks for respecting the hours, the trails, and all sentient beings that you come across while enjoying the great outdoors!

Weekends at the Nix Nature Center Insect and Arthropod Day, June 7, 2009

Yesterday, Sunday June 7, 2009, from 1 to 4 PM, the Nix Nature Center was filled with sounds of excitement, curiosity and joy, as children and their parents discovered the fascinating world of insects and arthropods. Special thanks to Dr. Sue for bringing all of her buggy friends to the Nix and sharing them with all of us!

(For more information about the Nix Nature center, the Laguna Canyon Foundation, and the various activities at the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park / South Coast Wilderness (including the Aliso & Wood Canyon Trails), please visit www.lagunacanyon.org.)

>>> CLICK HERE for a short clip (video) of the whole group singing part of Laura's Insect song!<<<

"Imprints" by LCF Naturalist Gigi Logan

The earth is so sensitive to touch that the slightest of things can leave an impressionable imprint. These imprints are there to tell us a story, for tracks and signs are the language the earth uses to speak to us. Once you learn its ABCs the stories become more detailed with intricacies of a day’s events. Events that are privy only to the natural world and its participants.


Dick Newell (www.octrackers.com) began teaching me about tracking by emphasizing that tracking is simply becoming aware of your surroundings. If you are not aware, you can hike for miles and miles and not see a thing. Because the mind seems to spend a good part of the time on past or future events, it blurs the only moment we have…the present. By leaving the past and future thoughts at the trailhead you can hike only a few steps and begin the first page of many captivating tales.

Finding the tracks of a flicker on a sandy, dry area can tell you the flicker more than likely found an ant hill to feast upon. And if you look around closer you may even find its scat filled with ant shells and sand that was consumed while pecking at its meal. The flattened grasses that carve out a light trail tell of a highway the local animals use on their daily travels throughout the land. Scat containing red berries can be that of a coyote that had foraged a Toyon shrub during winter when this shrub berries. The coyote must have had a poor hunting day for like other predators; meat would be its first choice.

These and other stories are left for each of us to read. Some are entertaining while others have meaning and lessons about life. As I hike I now look for tracks and signs of what the earth has for me and on one of my walks I spotted a leaf on moist ground and thought…hmm is there a story underneath? Of course… a story and much to my surprise a work of art!

In nature,
Gigi

Some Really Cool Crawlies (& Bugs/Butterflies) in Laguna Canyon

We have been finding a bunch of really neat spiders, beetles and other crawly critters on the trails these days. Now equipped with a fabulous camera, we've been pretty pleased with the photos we've taken home.
Take a look at these and see for yourself!
(on left: rattlesnake near Nix Nature Center on 1 June 2009)



Spider on Bommer Ridge right at the entrance to Crystal Cove, 26 May 2009.














Striped racer on Old Emerald Falls trail, 26 May 2009.






Stunned Tarantula on Lower Laurel- had just been stung by the Tarantula Wasp. This was the first sight that we had of it on 1 June 2009 before we started filming the scene that just followed. Watch the video of the Tarantula hawk dragging the Tarantula back to the latter's burrow HERE!







Huge! On the fossil interpretive part of the Nix Nature Center outside, on 1 June 2009.















On Lower Laurel in the grassland areas on 1 June 2009 at 10:30 AM.














On Lower Laurel on 1 June 2009 at 1:15 PM.

Fall Color - California Style: An essay by Len Gardner

Fall Color - California Style
by Len Gardner
June 1, 2009

What could be crazier than seeing fall foliage -- that blaze of reds, purples, yellows and oranges for which New England is justly famous -- in June? Well, you can. Just go out into our wild areas.

Right now, many Poison Oak plants are stopping photosynthesis and turning their leaves shades of scarlet, crimson and some tones that haven't been named yet. The same untimely fall madness was evident last month in the leaves of Fuschia-Flowered Gooseberry. Even the sedate and sensible Black Sage seems a little wacky. A lot of its leaves are turning yellow, even as its pale lavender blossoms hang on. (to left: Fuschia-Flowered Gooseberry on Lower Laurel Trail 01 June 2009, photo by Jennifer Wood)

What's happening here is that these plants are preparing themselves for the season of adversity. The difference between California and the northern and eastern states is that our adverse season is the summer, not the winter. Instead of freezing temperatures and ice, our plants have to contend with months of searing heat and parching dryness. Some are better prepared for this great annual stress than others. All have their adaptations.

One strategy many of our species have in common with those of northern latitudes is deciduousness, the seasonal dropping of some or all leaves. In the north, deciduousness saves tender tissues from frost and ice damage. In our semi-desert climate, it is a way to stop photosynthesis. This makes sense when you realize that photosynthesis consumes water, and water is in short supply. (to right and below: Black sage on Lower Laurel Trail 01 June 2009, photo by Jennifer Wood)

Plants stop doing photosynthesis before they drop their leaves. This means they stop producing chlorophyll in the soon-to-be cast off leaves. Chlorophyll is the pigment that gives healthy leaves their green color and is essential in doing the work of photosynthesis. Free of chlorphyll, other underlying pigments, such as carotenoids and anthocyanins, are now revealed. Thus, the leaves briefly turn red or yellow or some combination before dropping off. In no longer doing photosynthesis, these leaves are now nonfunctional. The plant cuts off their water supply and they soon fall away.

When we learn this, we understand that the "unseasonal" colors some of our plants show in May and June are not really unseasonal. They simply reflect a different meaning to the seasons. On the dry hillsides of our local wildlands, summer is not the season of exuberant growth. This is not the eastern or northern forest, where the heat and long days of summer combine with abundant rainfall to produce a frenzy of photosynthesis. On the contrary, the dry heat of summer we experience brings on the killing days, the time that tests each plant to the core.

Our summer, then, is not the season to grow; it is the season to survive. For our native plant communities, the living is not easy in the summertime, and relief is still months away. There are further trials and tribulations to come in the Santa Ana winds of October, November and sometimes December. Only after all these challenges do our plants get a break, when (hopefully) winter storms blow in once again.

It is only when you look at our California seasons with the eyes of an Easterner that you think they are off kilter. But they are not so senseless. There is a logic here. It is the grim logic of survival in the face of six or more months of relentless drought. So, we Californians enjoy our fall colors in June and when Easterners tell us we're crazy, we just smile.

For further reading:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorophyll

Easy: http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/leaves.html

Moderate: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autumn_leaf_color and
http://www.mtcubacenter.org/whats-new/FallColors101807.htm

Harder: http://chemistry.about.com/library/weekly/aa082602a.htm

Do you have an essay you'd like to contribute to the blog? Contact Jennifer at info@natureinorangecounty.com. We can't wait!

Deer at Willow, Western Toads at Barbara's Lake (+ important Petition to sign re: Closing of 200 CA State parks)

On Wednesday 27 May 2009 I was briefly at the Willow Staging Area's parking lot and encountered a doe (see above photograph; there was another small deer about 500 feet behind her, however I did not photograph it). Here is a short video that I was able to take once I realized I had my camera on me, and after the doe moved quite a bit away from me. CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO.

I then went with a friend to the Dilley Preserve and walked to Barbara's Lake, taking Canyon Trail to Edison down to the Lake. The California Dodder was very dominant in the lower parts of the trail. No more Mariposa Lilies were in sight. The California Manroot / Cucumber plant has shriveled up and must have released its seeds a while ago - everything about that plant is yellow and dry. There are some lemonade berry shrubs along Edison that are simply not producing berries this year, juxtaposed with some that are, but whose berries are not ripe yet.


Halfway down the lake path there is a table where one can sit underneath the shade of Coast Live oaks. A few woodrat nests could be seen there:


And then continuing down The Lake Trail, the ground seemed to come alive, as Western Toads were hopping across the path towards the lake. Click on the photos below to see their larger versions and to check out the detail of this cool toad! CLICK HERE FOR A SHORT VIDEO WE TOOK OF A WESTERN TOAD on the trail.


More reports to follow shortly!

On a final note, to all of you who follow this blog, please take the time to read the following message and to sign the urgent petition as mentioned below. YOUR PARTICIPATION IS CRUCIAL!!! Thanks!

Hello all ~

California's in crisis, and budget cuts are being made everywhere. Among the drastic cuts being proposed right now is the closure of 200 of our state parks.

I cannot even begin to tell you how devastating the closure of our parks would be, not only to the public, but to the natural parks themselves. When you don't have enforcement (presence of staff, rangers, etc) trails and structures are degraded, people become frustrated and start sneaking in to the parks without proper equipment or knowledge of what the area requires, and everyone is put at risk.

Please sign the petition RIGHT NOW and forward the link to your friends and family. Our link and access to nature are vitally important. Making sure that our parks stay protected and respected is one of the biggest responsibilities we have right now.

LINK: http://ga3.org/campaign/budget_may09

Thanks, and take care!

Tarantula Hawk & Tarantula on Laurel Canyon Trail in Laguna Canyon, Laguna Coast Wilderness Park

Yesterday with a friend I filmed a tarantula hawk dragging a stunned tarantula back into its burrow. Check out the video HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRlZS1El8WI

Tarantula Hawk & Tarantula on Laurel Canyon Trail in Laguna Canyon, Laguna Coast Wilderness Park. Taken just a few hundred feet south of signpost 10 on 26 May 2009. When we first stumbled upon the scene of the crime, the T Hawk seemed to have just stunned its victim, and went into its hole as we approached the tarantula. One of us poked the tarantula with a short stick to see if it was still alive - and then flipped the tarantula back onto its feet... and was going to place it off to the side of the trail so that it wouldn't get stepped on, if it was still alive and just stunned... but the T Hawk came back and wanted to finish its business, which we allowed.

Learn more about Tarantula Hawks here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarantula_hawk

Lower Laurel Trail, Monday 18 May 2009

Today from 9 to 12:30, Len and I checked out the latest developments on Lower Laurel Trail. Here's my report:

Right above the exposed fault line, as we began our trek on Lower Laurel, some really beautiful Sticky Monkey flowers in reddish hues were putting on a show for us. They beautifully contrasted with orange colored Monkey flowers to their right (not shown in photograph - click HERE for the Sticky Monkey Flower Photo Album).


The curly dock also was displaying more color today:


The black sage has been doing phenomenally well in pleasing the busy bees of the canyon with its countless blooms. Below is a photo of Lower Laurel Trail leading to the oak woodlands habitat.


Right around the area shown in the above photograph, we noticed a wonderful display of this rosemary flat top buckwheat, shown below. Not in full bloom yet.

One of the biggest highlights of today was the opportunity to photograph the California False Indigo's flowers that Len had mentioned in his last report.


Hiking up Lower Laurel, the view today was breathtaking. It was pretty hot, though, as we walked up - was in the 80s.


The bedstraw was nearing the end of its blooming period and ready to disperse into the wind with its seed.


The English plantain that Len had been reporting was a pleasure to photograph, although it is a non-native to the canyon.

And how fun is a Cheese plant? Very fun! :) (named after the fruit that looks like a wheel of cheese)



Some cinquefoil in bloom, with a happy visitor.



Juncus.
Chinese Houses:


Hedge Nettle:
The lemonade berries along Lower Laurel are not ripe yet - they remain their greyish-greenish-yellowish color, in contrast to the berries on Little Sycamore trail that are delightful! To each plant its own timing & its own reasoning, I guess...

The bush mallow is simply beautiful with its pinkish-lavender colored blossoms. The flowers act almost like little flags, indicating where the bush mallow, otherwise rather inconspicuous, is to be found on the slopes. I definitely noticed more bush mallows today than those I was previously familiar with.

The Indian Fringed Pink was also beautiful on Lower Laurel trail. The blue dicks have had their day; most (if not all) are shriveled up and dry. A few poppies line the trail here and there; the white sage, much less abundant in the canyon than the black sage, is showing off its beautiful white and yellow hued flowers. The deerweed continues on, and in many areas is still thriving, contrary to an earlier report (deerweed has been in bloom in the canyon since December!). The sycamore leaves are becoming larger and filling out the trees, taking up more space along the slopes, pushing us towards the outer edges of the trail. Some of the poison oak in the beginning parts of the oak woodland habitat of Lower Laurel is beginning to look very much like coast live oak leaves (although still remain grouped in threes) - I wonder if they are playing copycat - and why. The California Everlasting is becoming more fragrant now, much like it is on Mary's Trail.

That is the report, folks!