I decided to have a screen-free day; it was lovely! I recommend it! This could become a weekly fixture.
screen-free saturday
Month: April 2025
Dendromecon rigida
It’s been a while since I hiked Piuma Ridge Trail. Not a whole ton of wildflowers, but this one bush poppy shrub/tree was stunning.
beatrix potter
This week on Draw With Me, we were inspired by English writer, illustrator, natural scientist, and conservationist Beatrix Potter. Her books weren’t a big part of my childhood … maybe we had one or two? But now I’m impressed by her scientific illustrations and mycological studies. At her death in 1943, Potter bequeathed nearly all her property to the National Trust, including more than 4,000 acres (16 km²) of land, sixteen farms, numerous cottages, and herds of cattle and Herdwick sheep. At the time, it was the largest donation ever made to the National Trust, playing a crucial role in preserving the landscape that now forms part of the Lake District National Park. Thank you Beatrix!
juglans californica
Suddenly I’m spotting the walnut and oak female flowers. Welcome back, ladies!
major appliances
We now have a working oven, yay! Next on the wish list is an operational washing machine. Until then, we’re laundromatting it.
sewing again
ways to engage
At our nature journal meetup today, I trialled a class I’ll be offering in a few weeks. The participants enjoyed it and gave valuable feedback. I really loved hearing all their observations and poetry. What a great way to spend a few hours.
Crotalus helleri
It was a snakey day in the Park today! Greg Nemes kicked off the Junior Ranger program with a session on snakes. We didn’t see any live specimens that hour, but he found a toad to show the kids.
A short time later, Ranger Allison was removing a rattler from the bridge over Stokes Creek, and throughout the afternoon at the VC, lots of visitors came in to report rattlesnake sightings. (Also seen that day: a bobcat and a mountain lion!)
Cercocarpus betuloides
Mountain mahogany is one of my favourite chaparral shrubs. Right now, clusters of yellow flowers are attracting hummingbirds, butterflies—and nature journalers! It’s especially notable for its long, feathery seeds that curl like delicate spirals and glisten in the sunlight. The name Cercocarpus translates to “fruit with a tail,” a nod to these distinctive seed plumes. Despite its name—given for the dark, mahogany-colored bark—this native plant is actually in the Rose family.
Steatoda nobilis
Thursday is yard work day, when we fill two green bins with oak leaves and offcuts, chipping away at the accumulation that’s been filling the carport. As I shovelled the leaves into the bin, lots of fat false widow spiders crawled out of the mulch, including this seven-legged mama.
Steatoda nobilis is native to Madeira and the Canary Islands from where it is thought to have spread to Europe, and continued to spread to other parts of the world including the United States, Chile and Colombia. It is now regarded as one of the most invasive spider species globally. It is considered moderately medically significant, with most bites causing symptoms comparable to those of a bee or wasp sting.
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