Sunday, February 26, 2012

The North Central Coast - Santa Cruz and Capitola

I recently went to Santa Cruz to visit friends and look for some edible mushrooms. Unfortunately, my patches haven't borne any chanterelles in a couple years, after about 5 years of great fruitings, but here is what I found along my journeys...

I don't think this bodes well for this fir, often these are evidence of a deeper fungal infection of the tree, and they can die in a few years.
 These are called 'Dead Man's Fingers' after their gravely appearance (they start black and turn a greyish white, with lots of airborne spores).

 There is a possibility this is edible, but not really work the work of making sure
 It seemed like springtime more than mid-February
But the rain on the plants showed some moisture was still to be had
 A spider living in the folds of redwood bark
 My alma maters mascot
 Up-close
 A wild Iris
 This cup fungus is not your usual mushroom
 As is this Black Witch's Butter, a slime mold

 The old growth was logged here to make limestone bricks to build San Francisco. The local rocks were baked in these kilns for a couple days, and the redwood is the best kind of lumber for such a hot, long, intense task.
They are so old, trees grew up through them, the park district cut them down a few years ago. The easy one to see in on the left, but a much bigger, and older, tree is on the right, overgrown with plants and vines.
 Capitola is a really great town on the beach south/east of Santa Cruz. Still touristy, it is much more manageable than further up the beach. 
They have eclectic shops, beach bungalow's, surf, sand and the California lifestyle in spades.



 
Around sunset
 This is a hotel facing the ocean with Dahli inspirations.
 There are a lot of metal sculptures in downtown Santa Cruz, but these caught my eye.

 This is an outstanding spot to have some authentic Greek food. I love the stuff and their lamb shank was to die for.


Saturday, February 18, 2012

Spring Is Here

Despite my last post, spring has come about a month early to most areas in northern california. My hyacinth bulbs bloomed a month early, and many annuals overwintered and are starting to flower again.

First, these are the hills around the valley where I grew up.
 That's the bay above, I grew up out of the shot about here ^

Mt. Tamalpias (Tam)

 The first of the spring growth out there

Maybe this is why I like the pretty so much in nature

Some galls in the oaks


This is the wetlands to the south of highway 37, can you make out Mt. Tam on the right?
 How about now?

From my garden

These are crocus, one of my favorite flowers. They often bloom out of snow banks and are some of the first to come out in the new year.

 



 And here is that hyacinth I mentioned (I prefer the blue ones, they smell the best)

 Another early spring/late winter flower I love is cineraria, so vibrant, no?



 And an overwintered black eyed susan

From the area

This is a camelia, I'll have a whole other post for those, since they are just about to peak.
 A bud
 Not sure what these are

Tulip trees are one of my favorites as well, without any leaves


 This variety smells really good