Toro County Park has an Easter hangover. Oy vey! What a mess. I talked with one of the grounds guys. He told me it was packed at the park the day before with massive Easter parties and lots of BBQing and music. He said everyone seemed to be having fun. I didn't envy the job ahead of him. How does one clean up confetti mixed with leaf litter and dirt? He was in good spirits, because it was a beautiful day. I like people like that.
I can't say the mess is a pet peeve. I realize this is a county park, and in my mind they serve a definite purpose of human use. If everything is pristine and natural and hands-off, you end up alienating the very people who need the outdoor experience the most.
Plus, I understand the fun, because I totally want to be in a massive confetti parade myself, like they do after the SuperBowl. I remember making a cascarón in 6th grade here in CA, but we did it at Christmas for some reason. There was one particular boy who was especially mischievous and kept bringing in numerous eggs to crack on all the girls' heads. I bet his mother was accommodating, because my mother would only spare one egg for me to practice.
goldfields in the lawn
Lasthenia californica (possibly L. conjugens)
One of the wildest things about Toro County Park is how the native flowers grow in the lawn like invasive weeds. They even park their cars on it. It's not herbicided or whatever is usually done to keep grass only grass, like at sterile golf courses. Besides goldfields, I found checkerbloom, Johnny jump up, popcorn flowers, lotuses, and one of my favorites, coast pretty face.
This is only my second visit ever to Toro County Park. The last time in September 2012, it was dry, dry, dry. Do you blame me for waiting so long? Andy runs here regularly, and indeed he was on a 2 hour run while I meandered up one of the trails looking for flowers and butterflies until the poison-oak was too thick over the path. It was a pretty day and very green.
