Charming insects, upcoming adventures, Yosemite-as-homework & braving the fair...

'Round the Property

This young grasshopper nymph TOTALLY stole my heart. SO TINY.

European honeybee descending into a California poppy

This year I noticed California poppies' first appearances in the morning.

I'd never noticed them undressing like this, before. Super cool.

Upcoming Adventures

I'll be doing fieldwork regularly starting next week. Here's the new job site.

Technically that is across the street fm. the "action area"

but that means it's beautiful and will stay that way.

So, I will be out and about pretty much every week,

so hopefully will get lotsa fun photos phor you. =)

Took a side route home fm. the 1st job site visit so I could check out

BLM's Red Hills Area of Critical Environmental Concern. 

That SUPER DRY, pale blue & green & grey stuff on the hill is very Red Hills-y.

Lots of clarkia were blooming their HEARTS out.

I believe this is Clarkia biloba.

And this during a multi-year drought.

I have so much respect for how tough clarkia are.

Homework

So, to prep for upcoming fieldwork, I did some nature-study in Yosemite last weekend.

It was rough, as you might expect. =)

The western azalea is blooming in Yosemite Valley, and it smells AMAZING.

And we saw cobalt milkweed beetles that day, too.

Absolutely STUNNING insects. Photos can't do their shining magnificence justice.

Photo Phrenzy

Just turned in photos to a nearby county fair,

so I'll def. post about how that went,

EVEN if I win absolutely nothing. =)

This is the post on the results of my 1st fair photo entries,

but that was for our county.

What I entered just now is a nearby county's fair.

And it's MUCH bigger.

So I could definitely get NOTHING.

But, it's just a great opportunity to ogle other people's work,

and to force myself to print and mount some of my images.

And thanks to Shelly at MObugs for getting me blogging again.

=)

Mwa!

xoxobb

poppies & popcorn flowers: 1 shot post

California poppies, popcorn flower, South Fork of the Merced River

This shot makes me dizzy, in a good kind of way.

From March, 2012, Hite's Cove Trail.

Will be working lots the next month or two,

so may be posting photos from the past,

just to keep the colors changing here.

And precious few words.

Which, personally, I like as a blog-browser. =)

If you want to launch your guess re: vocab quiz (last post),

please comment on that post ASAP.

I'll post the answer soon...

xoxoxo!

ah yahd... the splendor of spring! (wordless post)

a poppy for your face

Here ya go.

You getting out and into spring?!?

Or are you among the snowed-in?

xoxobb

orange unhinged

today

was a good day.

xobb

p.s. Am posting more photos on my facebook page as the mood strikes, so you can cheggit out here. It was JUST so heavenly out there. wow.

California poppy hills 3 days ago vs. 2 years 10 days ago

 

The highway 140 corridor (west of Yosemite NP) 3 days ago:

Snow!

Green, but no flowers visible...

The same hill as above, 2 years and 10 days ago:

Color above doesn't come across well, but it was awesome.

Yup, things are a bit slower this year than 2009.

And I don't expect it to be as insanely amazing this year as "The Year of the Poppy," but variation in seasonal timing and precipitation, etc., always benefits some species, so you never know who will be the wildflower stars from year to year.

Other gratuitous shots from 2009, just 'cause. =)

A pretty good representation of the habitat type ( including foothill pine, Pinus sabiniana).

The nuttiest hillside I was on that year. Seriously retina burning.

Hm, the color in the photo above got really washed out (the bigger version vibrates!), but I love this photo 'cause it's like pointillism, and I like the watercolor-like washes from white to orange.

Did 2 reports in high school on George Seurat, so pointillism is ever emblazoned on my brain. 

To be honest I manipulated the situation so I could do 1 report twice: once in French for French class, once in English for English class, but don't tell--yikes! =) I like to think of it as early evidence of strategic thinking....

So apparently simple yet so enchanting... (sigh)

I am SO looking forward to what this unusual spring
(huge snow in late March) will bring us.

Who will the wildflower stars be?!?

In the mean time, I think the redbud is starting...

 (This is from April 21st, last year )

....so if you're a fan and nearby, I'd made plans
to get out soon, if I were you!

In the meantime, I'll be nursing my ankle to better health, and looking for a photography place to clean my camera up properly, so it's ready for spring.

Sweet!

 

xobb

spring. yeah, it's okay... CA poppy love, III

 

(from March 2010)

... if you're into that kind of thing.

=)

Coming soon to a theater near you!

(pardon, so. hemisphere folks)

xobb

(P.S. pardon increasingly obnoxious watermark and small resolution, but read up recently on internet security re: people taking images and not crediting anyone, so.... Maybe I'll look for a more subtle watermark?)

California poppy love, Take II

 

Thinking this is a new series. =) This one is from 3/21/2010. 19 days away!!!

biobabbler

P.S. This post is dedicated to Ted Geisel (a.k.a. Dr. Seuss) -- he's a GENIUS, sage, amazing communicator, creator of so many wonderful memories AND a huge donor to UC San Diego. AWESOME awesome guy. Happy Birthday!!!! I cannot even RELATE the story of Horton Hatches the Egg without starting to cry. KILLS me. Message: Work hard, stick to it, JUST GUT IT OUT, and amazing things can happen. (snork!)

Mumday from best poppy bloom EVER: 2009

 

The craziest poppy year EVER, according to numerous local people, including a smarty pants Fire Ecologist who's lived in El Portal for 30 years. This was all along the Merced River canyon, just west of Yosemite NP, and one year after a huge fire in the area. My favorite theory was that allll the ash that showered the hillsides for days and days was a natural fertilizer and the poppies went NUTS.

And this isn't my favorite shot from that day.

The cones and rods in my eyes were pretty much burned out after 2 hours.

An incredible experience.

=)

And taken March 20th, so spring is on its way!

xoxobiobabbler

Spring! Flowers a blazin' at Hite's Cove trail today...

  
A-ma-zing out there, today.

Hm.... what will be the first picture I post?

To set the scene for those who've not been to Hite Cove Hiking Trail (which my friends and I call Hite's Cove trail, but the former is what the USFS called it, and they own most of it), here's a wide shot.

So, yes it's a bit steep to your left and right (this is looking downstream at the South Fork of the Merced River, and you can see the bridge that supports Highway 140), and it's not wide, but just keep your feet on the trail, and you'll be fine.

And either walk, or take photos--not both. =)

Here's a shot of our state flower--fun pollen-acious detail if you click on it. And arcing just above it is an older bloom, with a seed pod just starting to develop.

And the flower in the background above, the blue-eyed gilia (Gilia tricolor), star below.

Frankly, I cannot believe I remembered the common name of the above. I didn't remember the scientific name, but am very psyched I didn't lie to folks on the trail who asked what it was. It's a truly charming flower.

Our old (and somewhat mysterious) friend Plagiobothrys spp. (woah, almost forgot to type common name, popcorn flower), VERY conveniently propped up by a branch so the wind didn't toss it to and fro. Wind was a bit of a challenge, but how bad can a day of photographing wildflowers be?

And, last (for today) but not least, a gorgeous bug. I believe it is a true bug, per http://bugguide.net/node/view/94266.

Trust me, its' worth a click to check out this creature's stylish attire. I like how there's orange poppies in the back and foreground. The place really was awash in blooms.

And now, while digesting tasty quiche, I am off to park fanny on couch and watch Fistful of Dollars. A good end to a great day.

the biobabbler