Are You That Woman

The Other Side

A yoga stance,

   A mantra they pray,

The prairie dog to live

   another day.

As speeding cars go

    whizzing by,

Yes, to cross the road

   to the other side.

 

 

Barbara L. Steinberg

Returning by way Pinnacles National Monument

Hwy 25

Spring 2006

Wildflowers adorn California landscapes

Springtime can be missed in a blink, however those with open eyes won’t miss the orchestra of colors that carpet California hillsides, meadows and landscapes with wildflowers.  With thousands of varieties and numerous habitats, climates and terrain, the blooms are as varied and unique as California itself.

With most of the state experiencing an unusually wet winter, these “uncultivated flowering plants” should be bountiful in coming months. Early spring (February–April) is the opportune time to view desert blooms. Red Rock Canyon State Park is a juxtaposition of rock formations with vivid blossoms amidst beaver tail cactus and white blooming Joshua trees and yuccas. Early spring trekkers will be treated to desert candles, lilies and asters, wooly sunflowers and Indian paintbrush. The Coachella Valley Nature Preserve, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and Death Valley National Park also showcase their share of seasonal color and are already flourishing.

Wildflowers generally peak March through early June, however an abundant snow pack will extend the Sierra Nevada wildflower season into the summer months. San Mateo’s Edgewood County Park and Natural Preserve in the San Francisco Bay Area flourishes with blue larkspurs and lupines, pink shooting stars, white fairy lanterns and red paintbrush. Marin’s Chimney Rock at Point Reyes National Seashore showcases yellow goldfields, blue irises, poppies and Point Reyes chocolate lilies. Other popular locations in the Bay Area include the Mount Burdell Open Space Preserve near Novato and Napa’s Missimer Snell Valley Wildflower Preserve, where onlookers can appreciate the vibrant hues from the road. To be immersed true California color, the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve near Lancaster in Los Angeles County consists of seven miles of trails through 1,745 acres of golden petals.

For late spring through summer viewing, head to higher elevations. Fish Slough and Lake Sabrina in Bishop are popular viewing areas in the Eastern Sierra. North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve in Butte County transforms into an endless sea of color and is one of the region’s premier viewing areas. The paths that lead you there (Highway 70, Cherokee Road), are equally spectacular.

Discover more great wildflower adventures at California State Parks
and Jepson Prairie Preserve in Solano County.

March 7, 1924

Ruby Valley Montana

Today is her birthday.
Routine kitchen cleaning is interrupted
By the startling realization  
    you are gone; 
As if it were somehow forgotten.
Struggling with an impossible reality
And recalling the months, the day, the time. The Moment.

Today is your birthday.
I think about what
    we would be doing.
Happy Birthday Mom!

 

Barbara L. Steinberg
March 7, 1993
Sacramento, CA