Patches of Light

 

The different quality of light fascinates me and it is what draws me into photography over and over again. I especially like the morning light, when only patches of light are visible while everything else is still in shade. Often I go into the garden before breakfast just to see what the light looks like. Of course this only works on non-gloomy mornings, and we had a lot of gloomy mornings recently (just debunking the myth of sunny California).

In the morning the sun has to get past the enormous old Coastal Live Oak next to our property. Rays of sunshine dance through her branches and leaves and lighten up only small areas in the garden.

There are always shadows on the fence that delight me.

Later in the day, the birdbath will become quite popular. One of the Mourning Doves loves to hang out on the angel's head.

Look how the Salvia sclarea lightens up in the few rays of sunshine. When the seeds develop, this plant becomes very popular with the Lesser Goldfinches. They balance on the swaying stems and pick the seeds. I love watching them while they do that. The bumblebees love this flower as well. And as an extra perk, it's drought tolerant and thrives in sun as well as in shade.

The deer love to visit the front garden. I wish the would eat the weeds with the same enthusiasm as they raid the olive tree, smokebush and sometimes even the buckwheat! Evidently they haven't read the note that "deer don't like this plant". Well, mine do!

The photo was taken through the window screen, hence the stripes

Isn't that a sweet face for Nicole's Friday Face Off?

We also had repeat visits from a skunk family - here is a super short video taken with our outdoor camera (turn up the volume). I think this was the evening when there were five little skunks. Two days later, there were seven. We're wondering whether next time there will be nine...

Aren't they stinking cute?

And today - I found this little guy in one of my favorite nurseries. It's a planting pot. It's "only" 295 bucks (+ tax), a steal! Gosh, I love Talavera pottery. If I were rich I would have taken him home and he could keep company with my metal cow in the garden.

Does he count for Friday Face Off, too?

A Much Needed Little Outing

 

Before getting Nature Deficit Disorder because of my stupid leg, last Tuesday I decided to go and sit by a lake - not "my" lake, but a smaller lake nearby. Yes, I still can't walk for very long (but the good news is that I'll start PT next week), but I knew that at this lake the benches aren't too far away from the parking lot. I chose a bench in the shade and when I looked up I saw myself sitting across from this little guy, a beautiful Black-crowned Night Heron.

A moment later this large family of Canada Geese (with many well behaved adolescents) was swimming by.

Suddenly a Domestic Goose turned up right beside me. I have huge respect of Domestic Geese, but to my relief this one wasn't interested in me at all.

There were two ducks standing on the rocks below the surface of the water and busily preening. I'm not sure what they are - the white one might be a White Muscovy Duck, but I couldn't find anything about the brownish-black and white one to the left. Some suggestions said Magpie Duck, but the images I saw looked different. Maybe David can solve this puzzle.

The Black-crowned Night Heron was still sitting there. Look at the beautiful reflection in the water.

Another puzzle came swimming by - maybe a Domestic Mascovy Duck?

Some of the Canada Geese came closer to the shore while my little feathered friend was preening himself.

But then they decided they wanted to go to the small island on the other side.

Someone was standing guard on a rock in front of that island.

I think this California Ground Squirrel has almost a repraochful expression, don't you agree?

It was getting hot, the heron had taken off by then, so it was time for me to head home as well.

The day before, I had a different animal encounter, right at our front door. I first saw only this:

It made me stop and go very slowly and quietly to the kitchen door from where I could see the Red Fox, but she couldn't see me. It was such a magic moment!

And if you need a human face for Nicole's Friday Face Off, here is mine, right after my lovely neighbor cut my hair again last week. Unfortunately, my hair grows quickly and since I dislike hair on the nape of my neck, especially when it is sweaty and wet, I need more frequent hair cuts. How was I able to tolerate long hair all those years? (bottom photo, taken in 2018)

At the Lake Again

 

We're having a bit of a weird summer this year. Our average highs are 8 degrees lower than last summer, thanks to a persistent low pressure in the upper atmosphere which has strengthened the marine layer, a blanket of cool, moist air. It results in morning fog that finally burns off by afternoon. This pattern has kept onshore flow steady and temperatures down. 

And I love it.

Last week I went to the lake early, hoping for some wildlife sightings that are usually more frequent in this kind of gloomy weather. I had just gotten out of my car in the parking lot when I was greeted by the call of a Red shouldered hawk. I scanned the trees and finally found him/her, well hidden near the top of the tree.

A lone fisherman took advantage of the overcast day as well.

I decided to take the Fisherman's Trail which skirts the western shore of the lake. There was a breeze rustling in the leaves of the Cottonwood - a lovely whispering sound.

The lake was very still, but I could always hear the loud calling of the Canada Geese who were congregating on the more open part of the lake.

While I was trying to identify a bush by its fruit, there suddenly was a whoosh and the hawk was landing on a branch in the trees behind the bush. Look at that beautiful guy!

Some of the Armenian Blackberries were flowering while others had already developed fruit. They were lining the path, ready to be picked.

There were willows and California wild grape (Vitis californica).

The reflections in the lake were truly amazing.

Further on I saw these dried grasses - I have no idea what they are, but I think they simply look lovely.

Then I left the Fisherman's Trail and walked along one of my very favorite little paths. Not many people walk here, maybe because in some places the path is very narrow and dry grasses grwo into it. Unfortunately I had forgotten my tick repellent, so I crammed the legs of my pants in my hiking socks. I'm really not keen on ticks (apart from those who feasted on a Western fence lizard before).

Poison Oak is found here as well, just as "popular" as ticks. Beautiful to look at, but stay away from it if you don't want a terribly itching and burning rash.

Dead trees overgrown with lichen and moss, probably offering a splendid habitat for all kinds of insects and tiny critters.

The trail then flattened out...

... and I had reached the top of the slope, a very favorite spot of mine. And look who was already waiting for me, sitting on a bare branch.

I had been following his/her call all the way up.

S/he wasn't alone. Not too far from the picnic area (and a world away) I saw a family of Black-tailed deer.

Here's a short video of the two fawns, and if you listen carefully you should be able to hear the call of the Red shouldered hawk.

Toward the end of my walk I saw these two California ground squirrels near the picnic site, having their second breakfast.

It was such a pleasant day that I sat next to the lake with my journal. The sun finally came out when I packed up and left for home.

It was such a wonderful morning.

The Garden in Late Summer

 

It's been a while.

When I started my break in August I thought I would be back in September, but it's well into October now that I finally feel like blogging again. And what better way than re-starting with Bleubeard and Elizabeth's T Tuesday?

My break was rather uneventful - I didn't go anywhere, but I took more time just to rest, sit in my garden, read or just watch the birds. I loved to hang out under the privet tree and look up - a messy and invasive tree that was already here when we moved in. It is a great shade tree and the birds (and other little creatures) love it. It is teeming with life. 

At the begining of September the new school year at the German School started and I was busy preparing new classes, visiting teacher workshops, going to teacher meetings and attending board meetings. I have a couple new students and the school year has been off to a very good start.

What truly rattled me was the fire on Maui that destroyed Lahaina. I visited Maui back in 2016 and never liked it as much as the wildness of the Big Island, but old Lahaina was my favorite place there. The speed and the surprise effect of that fire reminded me a lot of our wildfire back in October 2017 that burned down entire neighborhoods in our town within just a few hours. It didn't take much imagination to picture what the people on Maui were going through in the aftermath of that horrible day. 

Being in the garden helped a lot - which was soon prevented by wildfire smoke reaching our area (from the fires further up North) - I assume those of you who experienced the smoke from the wildfires in Canada know what I'm talking about.

The view from my porch

This year I was able to observe a lot of insects on the plants in my garden. Of course there were bees, many of them native bees, and Fiery Skippers (Hylephila phyleus) who have found a place in my heart a few years ago and never left. They love to hang around the Vitex and Verbena bonariensis.

There were some kind of blowflies (I can't identify flies), a damselfly and Mediterranean katylid (Phaneroptera nana), the latter being invasive in California. He (or she?) has impressively long antenna.

This summer there were more butterflies in my garden than usual. I was able to capture a few, but many just fluttered by without ever getting their picture taken. The first two pictures are of an Acmon blue (Icaricia acmon) and number 3 and 4 are of a California Hairstreak (Satyrium californica, left) and a California dogface butterfly (Zerene eurydice) which is the California state insect (which I didn't know before).

The Vitex agnus-castus flowered well into August and still is stunning with its by now spent flowers. Soon I need to cut it back. I loved the waning first supermoon in August above this beautiful small tree.

In my last garden post the grapes of "Roger's Red" (Vitis californica) were still very small, but in August and September they went through their path of exciting change. 

From this...

through this...

to this...

Now I'm waiting for its stunning fall color.

Late summer, of course, is for sunflowers, but I was pleased to see that my wild sweet peas were still blooming. The spent Centaurea that I only planted this spring looks quite beautiful.

The native naked buckwheat (Eriogonum nudum) was flowering for the first time and while it looks rather fragile, it is a pretty robust plant.

And who doesn't like Sedum "Autumn Joy"? I like the phase when their flowers start to turn pink.

Thankfully I had more time to watch the birds, but didn't really take a lot of pictures. Mostly, I'm sitting close to the bird feeders, reading a book or knitting, but without my camera. These three pictures of an Oak Titmouse (Baeolophus inornatus) and a California Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica) were taken with my phone and therefore not particularly good.

This is the girl who's sitting under the birdfeeders - better her than the real predators.

We had many meals outside, either just the two of us or in the company of friends. A nice refreshing rosé is the perfect summer wine. This is for Bleubeard and Elizabeth's T Tuesday, because we can't go without a drink!