Warm weather has finally arrived on the Mendonoma Coast and wildflowers are singing a happy song

The bluffs are awash in color today as wildflowers are blooming in the warm sun. Wild rhododendrons began blooming this week and the first wild azaleas are opening to the sun. Orange bush monkey-flowers are blooming in earnest in sunny spots. This native plant doesn't want summer water. It's a host plant for a butterfly that is struggling - the Checkerspot Butterfly. And darned if it doesn't have medicinal qualities too. The flowers and root have antiseptic qualities that aid in the healing of scrapes and burns.

Hoping for a Western Screech Owl to take up residence in my beautiful Owl house

Last year my neighbor Charlie discovered two juvenile Western Screech Owls in a day roost on his property. Charlie took Rick and me to the dark, secluded area where the two young Owls quietly sat. I got as close as I dared to take this admittedly poor photo. But it does show the baby Owl. So Rick and I had Goldie Pound, birdhouse maker extraordinaire, make us an Western Screech Owl birdhouse in the hopes that one might nest there. So far...no luck! But we enjoy looking at the birdhouse on our daily walks. It's made out of the same redwood siding as our house and has a crystal hanging from the top.

The Green Flash - it's not a myth!

One of the joys of living on the coast is watching the sun set "into" the ocean. If conditions are perfect, you might be rewarded with a green flash. The horizon must be clear for this phenomenon to appear. Here on the Mendonoma Coast the green flash is more like a pulse of emerald green light, as if someone was holding a flashlight just a bit above the sun as it disappears. Don't blink because it's usually over in a flash! It is particularly difficult to photograph but Frank Vaskelis captured one and has graciously allowed me to share here with you.
                     My best to you!  Jeanne Jackson, Gualala

Horsetails date back hundreds of millions of years!

It's amazing but true. Millions of years ago Horsetails were the size of trees. Now they grow a foot or so high in and near the creek bed of Quinliven Creek and other creeks on the Mendonoma Coast. Huckleberry, our golden retriever, occasionally chomps the top off of one, to no ill effect. Equisetum is their Latin name and they too have medicinal qualities. In Native American medicine they were used to stop bleeding. They were also used for scrubbing pots. I just like looking at them in the forest!

Unusual Clouds over the Pacific Ocean several days ago

I thought this picture was lovely with the sun breaking through the clouds and fog. Usually the storm clouds chase the fog away but it seemed like they merged together for a while several days ago, swirling and billowing. Today we have blue skies and the male American  Goldfinches are adorning a fir tree like brilliant yellow oranments.

The Jenner Grade - one of the reasons the Mendonoma Coast is so unpopulated

Traveling north to the Mendonoma coast means a slow ride on the Jenner Grade of Highway One with its many switchbacks. Once you reach the top, the views of the Pacific Ocean are breathtaking and it's possible to see Gray Whales on their migration north this time of year. Many people dislike this part of the drive though and it is one of the reasons why this part of the coast is so sparsely populated. If it was easy to get to, it would be overrun like Carmel, so here's to the Jenner Grade! While you are driving slowly, you have the chance to look for wildflowers and the many cascades from seasonal streams - a nice reward.

Salal - there's more to it than I knew!

Salal is blooming in sunny spots in many places on the Mendonoma Coast. It's white and pink blossoms are easy to overlook as this native wildflower grows low to the ground. To my surprise I learned that when the berries (which aren't really berries but swollen sepals) ripen, they are edible. They were a significant food source for Native peoples. And the leaves have medicinal qualities. All from this ubiquitous plant that I've been taking for granted...but no longer!