Spring Blooming Amidst Winter Cold

My wool hats, sweaters and socks have been warn daily since we arrived in Marin County December 1.

Yes, we've had some sunshine, but rarely warm enough to go without extra warm things!

I think it's sort of odd that the first day of winter is on Winter Solstice and the first day of spring is at the Equinox. It feels like those days marking the shortest day and the equal day and night should be in the middle of the seasons, not at the end. Winter Solstice marks the beginning of increasing light, and February 2, (Ground Hog Day or Candlemas) is the midway point between the Solstice and the Equinox, and February 1, 2023 was the first day I saw a Trillium beginning to bloom here at Samuel P Taylor State Park. So, doesn't that seem more like the beginning of spring? Of course the weather has not seemed the least bit spring like with all the rain and cold here and record breaking snow in the Sierras and across lots of California. But before anyone says something like, "The weather is never like this in February!" I am reminded of what was termed a 100 year storm on President's weekend 1990 when our house in the Colfax area received 4 feet of snow overnight! And lest any of us think winter weather will end by the Spring Equinox we should remember the huge snowstorm on March 31, 1982 when an avalanche buried part of Alpine Meadows ski resort, including Anna Conrad, who was rescued five days later on April 5. Rob and I had taken the train from Colfax to Reno and back to celebrate our wedding anniversary on March 28 that spring. Coming back into Colfax it was raining, but the rain soon turned to snow and closed I-80 from Colfax to Nevada for five days! Yes, there are what we like to think of as "usual" patterns to the weather, but there are lots of deviations from the usual!

These peacocks were next to the Weimar Post Office on Monday, January 30, 2023 where we stopped on our way to our Colfax area house. We have had that property since 1977 and as long as I can remember there has been a flock of peacocks living next door to the Post Office.

This guy was showing his full plumage, but I couldn't manage to get a picture of the front of him, and wasn't too sure about how wise it would be to get too close.

Frosty ground on my morning walk, Tuesday, January 31.

The Sutter Buttes with with snowy coast range behind.

A bit of snow left on the ground along my walk.

This was left from a small snow fall the day before we arrived - nothing compared to the snow that area and a good deal of California would get late in February.

February 1, 2023 at Samuel P Taylor State Park.

The first Trillium of the season just opening - quite early compared to our last two years here!

It certainly isn't the warm weather that has caused the early blooming, but maybe all the rain.

Redwood Sorrel also blooming on February 1.

Another harbinger of spring, a Robin.

On February 2, I decided to hike the 2 1/2 mile Pioneer Tree Trail to see what other flowers might be blooming.

The green and white amongst the dried ferns are Trilliums.

This is along the trail I take each morning in Wild Cat Canyon at the beginning of the Pioneer Tree Trail.

I've named this little area Trillium Gulch.

Circinate Vernation - ferns beginning to unfold.

Fetid Adder's Tongue

Fetid Adder's Tongue up close.

A Trillium not ready to bloom yet - maybe next year.

To get the front of this Trillium I had to use the camera at a weird angle - notice my foot?

Virtually all of the trilliums are droopy this year - more than I remember in the past.

The flower stems seem extra long, maybe from all the water?

A Hound's Tongue plant not blooming yet - too cold here.

Erin had sent pictures of them blooming on Angel Island so I went looking for where I knew they grow here, but February 2, was too early for them.

The burned snag of the fallen Pioneer Tree Trail.

Notice the new growth at the top of the burned snag- it's really hard to kill a Redwood Tree!

Some pretty mushrooms on the end of a log.

Back in the Campground at Site 44 where a large Douglas Fir had fallen across the entrance to the site.

You can see where the maintenance workers put the tree stump and roots back upright (on the left behind the fence) after cutting it and moving it. The tree had fallen on part of the fence and they didn't repair it so the first campers using the site just drove off the pavement to park by the picnic table. We put up the orange cones to discourage them from doing that, but some have just moved them. Arghhh... Hopefully the fence will eventually get replaced.

On Friday, February 3, we drove up to Eureka so we could attend the funeral of our friend Shirley who died in December. It was good to see the church family up there, to remember a special person and to visit with Rob's sister Dolores and brother-in-law Jerome.

On the way to Eureka we of course stopped at Founder's Grove and walked the little nature trail.

A close up shot of the burl on a tree at Founder's Grove.

Wood Ducks sitting on a fence at Sequoia Park in Eureka.

LOTS of Wood Ducks in the pond!

There should be quite a crop of baby Wood Ducks this spring.

A pair of Wood Ducks

The Rhododendrons in Sequoia Park were blooming.

Blossoms on a tree in the park.

Big Leaf Maple trees over the path with no leaves yet.

A deer in Dolores and Jerome's yard.

Deer and raccoons are regular visitors.

Back at Founders' Grove on our way south.

A light shower of rain along with sunshine.

Founders' Tree

Sunlight filtering through the Redwoods.

A gnarly tree.

This seasonal creek was flowing heavy at the Highway Rest Stop near Willits.

Next to the Costco gas station in Ukiah/

Back at Samuel P Taylor State Park, February 6.

This cherry tree in the Orchard Hill Campground was just starting to bloom.

The whole tree nearing the end of its bloom, February 26.

Wild Cat Canyon Creek next to my morning bench on February 6.

This seasonal creek has continued all winter, sometimes heavier, sometimes lighter flows.

A Trillium with lots of raindrops.

One of Rob's rainy day activities.

Yeah! The sun was out on February 6, a Monday, our day off, and we weren't leaving the area!

This is near Pantoll at Mt. Tamalpais State Park where I started another section of the Bay Area Ridge Trail. I actually did two sections that day from Pantoll to Tennessee Valley in Sausalito - about 9 miles.

Rob walked a little ways down the trail with me before heading back to the car so he could meet me at the end.

Heading down the trail.

Most of the trail was steep fire trail down hill, but this section was beautiful single track.

First view of the ocean from the trail.

Another view of the ocean to my right.

And to my left I could see the Bay and Angel Island.

Some deer near the trail.

Heading up single track trail after reaching the bottom of the first fire trail.

A creek along the trail.

A very large spotted salamander.

Baby Poison Oak Leaves - didn't see any of these in our park until the end of the month.

The only buttercups that I saw on my hike on February 6.

And the lone Paintbrush I saw.

A large rock up above me.

A sign keeping me on the Bay Area Ridge Trail.

Just 3.7 miles according to the sign to Tennessee Valley.

The populated Bay Area with Angel Island visible.

Looking out toward Richmond.

The fire trail that I would walk on for most of the last section.

Looking back at the trail I had come on.

A tree in bloom just before reaching Tennessee Valley.

A little bunny to say goodbye to me at the end of the trail.

Throughout February we had off again, on again rain, but always it was cold. If it wasn't raining then early morning temperatures were often in the low 30s, and when it was a rainy day the lows were in the low 40s. Rarely did the temperature outside go above 50. Despite the less than perfect weather I did manage to get a lot of walking miles in and we both continue to enjoy the beauty of the park and greeting its visitors.

An interesting configuration of tree "blemishes" and new growth that I pass each morning.

A red mushroom - one of a very few I have seen.

It seems there are many less colorful fungi this year than last.

Sunlight filtered in the Redwood forest.

Little ferns growing on a tree trunk.

Sun rays hitting the Cross Marin Trail at Redwood Group Picnic Site.

Another rather droopy Trillium and a little one below just opening.

Looking into the tree canopy.

Pink sunset colored clouds over Barnabe Peak.

Something we don't see much of here in the Redwoods are sunrises and sunsets.

Heading up the trail directly across from out campsite to connect to the Pioneer Tree Trail.

Wildcat Canyon Water Fall on February 11.

Water coming down what I have named, "West Fork of Wild Cat Canyon Creek."

This little tributary is very close to the beginning of the Pioneer Tree Trail.

Some pretty fungi.

A "Fairy Ring" around an old stump in Redwood Group Picnic Area.

California Dutchman's Pipe fully blooming near the park entrance.

There are four Ponderosa Pine Trees on our Colfax property that have died as the result of bark beetle infestation and two other trees nearby that don't look very healthy. These six trees are close to the house so none of us are real comfortable cutting them down ourselves so we have enlisted a contractor to do the job. In preparation to have them cut down some fences needed to be moved so Rob and I headed up to Colfax February 12-14 to assist Ruth in doing some fence work. Erin was there too, so all four of us got involved. Ruth did the hard part of digging out one fence that had quite an accumulation of bricks, old car parts, even an old child's bicycle buried at it's base in the attempt to keep one particular escape artist dog from digging his way out years ago. I wish I'd taken a picture of the resulting piles of debris, but alas I didn't.

A spotted salamander that Ruth dug up.

Erin, Rob and Ruth all working to remove a fence post.

Almost done!

Sunset off the back deck of the house.

Domestic turkeys in someone's yard not too far from our property.

Three of Ruth's then 4 chickens.

Sadly there are only two remaining after a coyote's early morning raid.

The rooster, Banana, is beautiful, but too aggressive for me!

Everyone else seems to have little trouble with him, but he attacked me from behind and bruised my leg.

Sunlight in the forest opposite my morning bench in Wild Cat Canyon.

A little chipmunk nearby our campsite.

These little guys are cute, but they make me nervous running around our cars.

They can create a lot of problem if they make a nest in a vehicle!

A pretty Trillium.

A tall mushroom.

A raccoon in the bottom of a dumpster.

We have seen very few of these guys in the dumpsters this year.

A Hounds Tongue finally blooming on February 16.

Milkmaid in bloom.

And another pretty Trillium.

A mushroom recently up from the ground.

I think this is a female Brewer's Blackbird - sitting on our picnic table at a burger place in Novato.

Not very black, is she?

Here is the male Brewer's Blackbird.

We headed up to Colfax again on February 20 for some appointments. I managed to get in a walk on the Boardman Canal, but not all the way to the top of the hill. I usually take that walk alone, but while I was putting my shoes on Ruth's dog, Joy, made it quite clear that she wanted to join me.