false turkey tail ~ 04/06/14 ~ Garland Ranch

false turkey tail

Stereum hirsutum complex

Look how smooth it is on the underside!  No pores!  From the top, it looks very similar to turkey tail with both having strips of fuzz, but the false's sparser fuzz is longer, even hairy looking. However, I tend to notice the false turkey tail's orange tinge from a distance and thinner edge, like a potato chip.  Plus, during the rainy season, I often see witch's butter with false turkey tail. This batch was growing on a fallen oak, which is typical.

I normally don't go around pulling fungi off wood to take pictures of the underside, but this comparison endeavor was for Cindy @ Dipper Ranch.  I have no idea if these comparisons can be made beyond my local CA range.

wedding tree ~ 04/06/14 ~ Garland Ranch

wedding tree
California white oak / valley oak
Quercus lobata
Fagaceae

I think it's cool that Andy and I have made it a tradition to hike to our wedding tree on or around our anniversary.  It's not like we don't visit any other time of year, e.g., last November when it was dry, dry, dry or in February before the leaves come out.  It's been particularly interesting to look at my photos of this tree on an annual basis, showing variations in the timing of spring leaf-out and subtler, annual changes as the tree ages, not to mention the weather (it snowed on us in 2011!).  This year, the leaves were fairly progressed; some had already toughened up and were very shiny like typical summer leaves.  The last time it was anywhere near this leafy on our anniversary was back in 2010 when the catkins were still hanging on.  I don't know what's going on with the swath of no leaves in the last photo.  There's a patch of lace lichen there that hasn't spread much over the years, and supposedly it doesn't hurt the tree.  Also, notice how much greener the grass is in the shade of the tree versus out on the sunny hilltop?  What's that phenomena called?  It's as if mature oaks create their own personal water cache through their own shade.  Since we share this tree with other visitors to Garland, we also take note when other people leave their mark, in this case, a heart painted with... chocolate and vanilla pudding?  Cheers!

Indian warrior ~ 04/03/14 ~ Fort Ord

Indian warrior among host plant manzanita
Pedicularis densiflora among host plant Arctostaphylos spp.
Orobanchaceae (formerly Scrophulariaceae)

I generally tend not to hike towards the sound of chainsaws and weed wackers, but the main reason I wanted to get out to Fort Ord was to see the progress of a particularly prolific patch of Indian warriors.  I didn't get out last year, but I have some spectacular photos from April 1, 2012 and March 20, 2011.  Eh, there's an average showing here and there, but the spot, the exact spot I really wanted to check out in detail was being weed wacked by a team in bright orange.  I was informed by their supervisor to not take pictures of them.  Too late, because I had no clue. Now that I know, I won't post them online out of respect.  I'd like to think I'm colorblind and had a funny interaction with a fellow who asked if I was an environmentalist.  It wasn't until I looked at my photos that I noticed a disturbing pattern, which reminded me of a couple recent award-winning movies that I haven't seen.  It makes me sad, but it's not my story to tell.  These guys can't be too dangerous if they're being given weed wackers and chain saws.  Right?  At least they're being exposed to nature, a soothing salve for whatever troubles a person internally.  This reminds me of the Sustainability in Prisons Project I found while I was searching lomatium recently.  I plan on revisiting this spot again at the end of the month to see how things have progressed, given the drought and mid-season manzanita cutting.

Pacific sardine ~ 04/02/14 ~ Coast Guard Pier

Pacific sardine

Sardinops sagax caerulea

(for more information click here and here)

Since I live here and walk Cannery Row on a near daily basis, I feel like I should appreciate the history of Monterey's sardine boom, bust, and return a little more.  But, I don't... that is, until the marina guys offered me as many sardines as I could carry.  Oho!  Uh, two would have been plenty, thanks. They're way bigger than what you get in a can, but really not all that big, coming in at 10" even.  After scaling, beheading, gutting, and attempting to remove backbone and ribs in one fell swoop for 7 sardines, I am now fully aware one of my previous posts of small silvery fish was incorrect.  It was hard for me not to turn a quick fish cleaning into a dissection exercise (Oh, is that the liver? This one must be a girl. What is that!?!  Etc.)  Eh.  At this point without any other sardine cooking practice, I'd say I prefer canned sardines for the 2 times a year I crave them.  Andy was a trooper and patiently picked through the surprisingly tough bones.  Only later did one of the fellas tell me that larger sardines are not considered as good to eat as the smaller ones with softer bones.  Sigh.  Now, I just need to make friends with a crab potter...

ps 01/15/15 - Here's an interesting blog post about historical Cannery Row.