descanso gardens

The stone-fruit trees are flowering at Descanso Gardens, so I went with Urban Sketchers LA, on a chilly morn, to enjoy (and sketch) the display.

While there, I wandered into the California Native garden (designed in the 1950s by legendary nurseryman and native plant advocate Theodore Payne) and saw a ground cover sage that I think would do really well at our place. I believe it’s Salvia Bee’s Bliss — gotta get me some!

bewick’s wren

Well, spring has sprung and the birds are letting us know about it! Yesterday at Wildwood, the Bewick’s wrens were going off! I’m grateful for tools like BirdNET for helping me improve by bird ID skills, especially as we have so many LBJs (little brown jobs) around here. (Ref 📷: Ashok Khosla)

point dume

S & I spent a lovely hour or two at Point Dume, sketching the view and watching the whales (six!) and dolphins. It was unseasonably warm and the sea was silky smooth. Gah, I am so lucky to live in this beautiful place (with the colours of the Ukrainian flag) 😊