A WINTER WALK

We awakened this morning to a clear and sunny January day, the window providing a clear and unobstructed view of San Francisco and a walk was in order. Just in case many of you haven't noticed, we NEED RAIN. We have had no measurable rain since November 21 and the Ridge is beginning to tell that story.

We entered through the Escobar Gate, walking the hard surface of the fire road and looking at the dried grasses from last season. I saw no basal leaves of Shooting Stars and the Yarrow is still under 3 inches long. Much of the Dirca seems to be waiting for rain for I saw no flowers and many of the plants have only one or two buds showing swelling. The only plant is flower was on trail C, a Hillside Gooseberry that had several dozen flowers. A few mushrooms were evident, mostly in deeply shaded areas and one Dead Man's Foot (a weird fungal growth that erupts from the earth as an indescribable mass) near the Owl Oak on the fire road.

Other than 3 Turkey Vultures, 2 Red-Tailed Hawks, 1 CA Thrasher and 4 Black-Tailed Deer it was quiet. Areas where we normally encounter wet and soggy trails are dry. I found Buckeyes that had little swelling on the branches that normally would have some leaves by this time of year. The live oaks at our house are dropping extra leaves this winter it seems to me. This may be more of my lack of observation this time of year when I would likely be inside during the rains, not outside watching the leaves dropping from the trees.

Many of you will have noted I mentioned Black-Tailed Deer, a subspecies of California Mule Deer which live farther north.
black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus)

RAIN, RAIN, RAIN

Posted on January 9, 2012 01:42 AM by bob-dodge