Hello? Wildflowers?
Catherine Ryan Hyde
Sweet Peas on Highway 46--todayWell, it's hard to explain. If anybody knows a lot about wildflowers, please let me know.
We had 30 inches of rain--at least, here in Cambria, but we weren't isolated from the rest of the county in that regard.
Today we had a little picnic out at Shell Creek, usually the wildflower capital of the Central Coast. And there was very little to see. Maybe because it's been so cold?
California poppies en route--today
It was a great drive, though, and, oddly, we saw (and I photographed) lots of wildflowers on the way out and on the way back. The wildflowers (particularly the sweet peas, which were strewn years ago by one local man) on Highway 46 put Shell Creek to shame.
Just to give you some idea of Shell Creek on a truly great wildflower season, here are some photos I took in 2005, right in the same field where you'll watch Ella romping below (if you press play, that is). The last shot, featuring Ella, is from 2010.
And, well, because it just seems like the thing to do, here's some very brief footage of Ella romping in the (oddly sparse) wildflowers on Shell Creek Road:
Even Moonstone Beach Drive (right here at home) seems to have more wildflowers than Shell Creek. Here are some photos I brought back from Ella's and my walk today:
