Secret Trail has been on my to-hike list for a while. It’s got some really pretty parts, wending as it does through chaparral, oak woodland, grassland and riparian habitats before arriving at the dramatic rock formations in the upper reaches. I’d like to go back in spring to see all the purple sage in flower.
Herbs for a friend whose bones need healing.
Quick sketch done standing up in Beverly Hills.
In recent months I broke two of my favourite mugs, so had room for a couple more. Thank you Annette for filling the gap!
Crassula ovata, commonly known as jade plant, lucky plant, money plant or money tree, is a succulent with small pink or white flowers, native to South Africa and Mozambique. It grows as an upright, rounded, thick-stemmed, strongly branched shrub and reaches a height of up to 2.5 metres (8.2 ft).
Here in Southern California, it propagates easily and grows happily with minimal water. Our neighbour has covered her steep downslope with jade by merely tossing cuttings down the hill. It produces small white or pink, star-like shaped flowers in winter, which we’re enjoying now.
We never give Bodie human food, but sometimes she helps herself to garden crops. She’s particularly fond of strawberry guavas.
The rock wren (Salpinctes obsoletus) is a small songbird native to western North America, Mexico and Central America. They are apparently common and widespread, but this was the first time I’d ever noticed one.
I’ve learned that rock wrens usually build their nests in crevices among boulders or beneath large rock ledges, typically on the ground or just a few inches above it, resting on a foundation of small rocks. Uniquely, they create a “paving” or “front porch” at the entrance of the nesting site, often lined with small stones, bones, and various debris. The purpose of this “paving” remains a mystery, but it is evidently significant, as rock wrens construct it before building the nest itself.
The other fun sighting on this hike was a bobcat, calmly crossing the trail quite close to humans. I’ve seen these gorgeous cats in the same area of the Park on several other occasions; they are clearly habituated to hikers.
It’s good to be home for so many reasons. One being that I only took a single travel brush with me; it’s nice to have options again.
hashiworks 