Blog

warrior’s plume

Published on by HashiLeave a comment

It was another windy, chilly day at the coast so I headed over the hill to my favourite sheltered trail, the section of the Backbone between Piuma Rd and Tapia Park, also known as Piuma Ridge Trail. I love that place—it’s shady, ferny, moist, and mostly human-free. Perfect for just sitting on a mossy rock and breathing it all in with eyes closed, enjoying my daily dose of nature therapy.

I saw an interesting and new-to-me plant, so did some sketch-noting and looked it up when I got home. It’s Warrior’s Plume (Pedicularis densiflora), a perennial root parasitic herb that attaches to the roots of other plants to obtain nutrients and water. I only saw a few plants; I wonder how widespread it is. It doesn’t appear on the 1983 list of the Flora of Malibu Creek State Park, so maybe it’s a more recent arrival, or perhaps it’s too rare to have made it on the list? Regardless, it’s very pretty!

woodrats

Published on by Hashi1 Comment

Something I learned in MCSP Docent School this week: our native woodrats build large dens in coast live oak trees; dens can reach five feet in height and eight feet in diameter. They have separate rooms for sleeping (lined with chewed up bay leaves to keep away insects), food storage, nurseries, and protection. Woodrats live in a matriarchal social system where females choose mates, and boot out the males after mating. They are similar in appearance to the common rat species Rattus rattus and Rattus norvegicus, but with larger ears and eyes, softer coats, and furred tails (i.e., they are cuter!)

white oak farm

Published on by Hashi1 Comment

White Oak Farm is tucked into the northwest corner of Mulholland and Las Virgenes Roads. Once a dairy farm, it’s now part of Malibu Creek State Park, and a ranger lives in the old farmhouse. There are no ‘white oaks’ here, only valley oaks and coast live oaks. The valley oaks have lighter bark than the others, so perhaps that’s where the name came from.

shooting stars

Published on by Hashi1 Comment

It’s been six weeks since I hiked Mishe Mokwa/Sandstone Peak and the difference is stark. The muddy trails and babbling streams are just a memory now. That December rain was lovely, but there’s been nothing since. We’re certainly not seeing a wildflower superbloom this spring.

dead horse trail

Published on by Hashi2 Comments

It was pretty windy here at the coast, but I found a sheltered spot in Topanga State Park to sketch-hike (sketchike?). Even though I once lived in Topanga, I’d never explored Dead Horse Trail, part of the Backbone Trail system. I’m glad I checked it out; it’s short but very pretty.

la piedra

Published on by Hashi1 Comment

We’ve got some nice low tides during the afternoons this week. La Piedra Beach is one of my favourite locations for poking around the rock pools. We saw a bit of hermit crab-on-crab activity—not sure if they were attempting to mate or eat each other. Love is in the air (water)? Or it was just dinner time?

urban sketching at king gillette ranch

Published on by HashiLeave a comment

I was back at King Gillette Ranch yesterday with the LA Urban Sketchers, very happy they chose to meet in my neck of the woods this month.

close encounter

Published on by HashiLeave a comment

I was minding my own business, sketching the riparian plants in a secluded spot by Malibu Creek, when I was suddenly aware that I was not alone. In fact, a Large Creature was right at my back. I was so startled—and then immediately relieved that it was not a mountain lion* or a crazy human. It took a second for my adrenaline to calm down and for me to start sketching the friendly doe, who slowly (silently!) wandered off. I aspire to be so quiet in the wilds.

* A pet dog was taken by a lion a couple of days ago, a few miles from here.