checker lily ~ 04/07/13 ~ Garland Ranch

checker lily / mission bells
Fritillaria affinis (formerly F. lanceolata)

 Liliaceae

posted 05/05/12 - The only time I have ever found this lily before was during our wedding tree hike in 2009.  I'm posting these photos, because they're a vast improvement from my original entry.  The checker lily is generally not considered a rare plant, but it's rare to me.  Based on this sighting, I told the president of our local CNPS chapter that I predicted this year was going to be a great flower year for our annual wildflower show.  He was more concerned with how dry some areas of the county were.  Turns out we had an unofficial species count of 715 blooming flowers, the second highest count in the 50+ years our wildflower show has been held.  And, if my memory is correct, I believe 2009 was the highest count on record with over 735 spp.  To put this into perspective, we usually have maybe 625-675 spp. in the show, and many other regional wildflower shows may have 100-400 spp. at the most.

Skilton's skink ~ 04/07/13 ~ Garland Ranch

 Skilton's skink / western skink
Plestiodon skiltonianus skiltonianus

Swoon.  Bright blue is my favorite color. The juveniles and young adults have blue tails, and when they're ready for some lovin' they turn flushy orange. They're remarkably shiny. I've seen western skinks many times before, but this was the first time I could capture a couple on camera.  I was surprised to see one retreating to a hole.  I usually don't think of lizards as being burrowing animals.

wedding tree ~ 04/07/13 ~ Garland Ranch

 wedding tree
California white oak / valley oak
Quercus lobata
Fagaceae

Hey yo, long time, no?  Has it really been almost 4 months since I last posted to Nature ID?  It's interesting how time seems to become more condensed as I get older.  No offense to anyone but I have a theory as to why elderly folk drive so slow, if an hour feels like half an hour, then going 30 miles per hour feels more like 60 miles per hour.  Whoa.  Time and the unspoken commitments we all make to each other have been looming large in my brain space lately.  I had meant for Nature ID to chronicle nature.  Now I realize it's helped me chronicle the seasons of my life... and I miss the act of recording.  Anniversary.  We did our annual hike a day early with concerns over having enough daylight after school and the possibility that I might be traveling. Imagine our surprise when we found our wedding tree trail closed for rehabilitation.  Fortunately other trails to the tree remain open for now.

Easter 2013 in the Highlands

 our eggs

 brightest flowers (blossoms) that caught my eye

 Bird Island of Point Lobos

hidden egg

my favorite spring garden view

posted 04/09/13 - Here's my annual Easter entry, a little late.  I've been attending this party for over a decade now ever since I moved back to CA, and I've included 5 of those years on this blog.  Without children of our own and family so far away, I observe very few traditions, so this is very special for me.  The real memories are in all the pictures I don't post:  Andy's awe the first time he came with me when we began dating; kids who struggle with the milestone question of "Am I too old to hunt for eggs?"; the velcro-egg hider who gave us Icelandic ice cubes as a wedding present; Andy's mom's tinkly laugh as she participated in the beer hunt that follows the egg hunt; the wide-eyed mixed reactions of friends who came as my guests; the waffle-maker who didn't make waffles; and older ladies who progress from canes, to walkers, to wheelchairs, to memories.