wedding tree ~ 02/20/11 ~ Garland Ranch

wedding tree
Fagaceae

posted 03/02/11 - No, it wasn't our anniversary when we visited this tree back on February 20, 2011. That was the first sunny day after a week of nonstop rain and we wanted to take full advantage of the nicer weather and get outside. I'll admit I'm a bit sad to see this magnificent tree decline. Other valley oaks (Quercus lobata) were already sprouting new leaves, so I suspect this tree may not have much to show anymore in terms of its own growth. Andy was kind enough to point out to me that the dead branches are now supporting a variety of life, including numerous fence lizards, an unknown nest (shown in the first pic), and numerous fungi, mosses, and lichen. It's the cycle of life. I'm sure we'll visit our tree again come April 8th.

tree year project 2011, #4

double rainbow from home
February 19, 2011

Although we see double rainbows fairly frequently if and when it rains, this was the best photo I've managed to get so far. I like the colorful umbrellas down on the Rec Trail of people turned to watch this natural beauty. If you look closely, my favorite friendly scrub jay is perched on the top of the unidentified pine toward the center of the photo. And, yes, the coast Douglas-fir that I'm featuring in The Tree Year project barely shows itself in the bottom left.

http://thetreeyear.wordpress.com/tree-year-posts/around-the-tree/weather/

sunset ~ 02/12/11 ~ Asilomar State Beach

sunset from Asilomar
February 12, 2011

This was one of the last warm and calm days before the storms hit. I should mention those dogs are not ours. Asilomar to Spanish Bay in Pebble Beach is a dog friendly beach. If you go past the State Beach boundary signs, you can also have a beach fire. I've always wanted to do this, however, the thought of lugging piles of wood over sand and having to haul everything back out after dark has kept me from going for it. It's one of those things you want to do with a group of friends. Getting people's schedules coordinated with last-minute nicer weather is another thing entirely.

tree year project 2011, #3

coast Douglas-fir
Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii
Pinaceae

So, it looks like those little green bits from my last post for The Tree Year project are indeed new needles (nope, see postscript below). Today was the first time this year I noticed miniature cones starting to pop down from the branches. The second pic is to show what a great view this Douglas-fir enjoys of the Monterey Bay with decorative sailboats on sunny days. I guess I should mention those upward looking branches in the background on the right are a set of 6 different Monterey pines that have grown, I swear, at least 15 feet in the past 5 years. Our once expansive view of the bay is quickly being overgrown with views of trees.

http://thetreeyear.wordpress.com/tree-year-posts/about-the-tree/buds-and-flowers/

ps 08/08/11 - Correction! Now, I think the light green fluffy bits are female cones and the downward yellowish buds are male pollen cones. Apologies if this is confusing, but I'd like to keep what I originally wrote to show my learning in progress.