There’s so much water flowing in our mountains at the moment. It’s such a joy to poke around in it and get a little (or a lot!) wet.
creek/paddle
Blog
Bassariscus astutus
We have a taxidermied ringtail (Bassariscus astutus) in the Visitor Center at the Park. I’d sure love to see a live one.
Ringtails are members of the raccoon family. They are found in many areas of California, but they are rarely seen. They have large eyes and upright ears, which assist them to navigate and hunt by night. Their long tail helps them to balance while climbing in trees and rocky places.
Ringtails eat rodents, birds, rabbits, reptiles, frogs, fruit and berries. They prefer a solitary existence though they may occasionally share a den. They are preyed upon by foxes, coyotes, raccoons, bobcats, hawks, and owls.
Smaller than a house cat, its body measures 30–42 cm (12–16.5 in) and its tail averages 31–44 cm (12–17 in) from its base. Ringtails are said to be easily tamed, and can make an affectionate pet and effective mouser. They are the state mammal of Arizona.
lion talk
Notes from a presentation by the Cougar Conservancy, part of our continuing education as docents at Malibu Creek State Park.
backbone #8
Annette and I resumed our Backbone trek, covering section eight, which we’d previously skipped due to heavy rain. We were (literally) in the clouds for most of the hike, soaked but happy. Four sections to go!
pineapple
Making marks.
seaweed
Took a little walk along the beach while waiting for my lunch date at Cholada. This pink and orange seaweed caught my eye.
snail on jade
I never really thought about a snail’s life cycle until today. They hatch from eggs, which I suppose is kind of obvious, but just something I’d never considered, until I wondered how a baby got so high up on the jade plant.
windfall
A gift for my sister.
from Alli and Derek
Continuous line bouquet.
Chlaenius aestivus
We had fun drawing a ground beetle with Trisha this past week, especially as the specimen had mysterious additional mouthparts that our entomologist had never seen before. I didn’t do a great job depicting the metallic red/green head and pronotum. I’d like to get myself some metallic watercolours for times like these.
hashiworks 