Rain, Rain, Don’t Go Away

Posted December 3, 2015

Filed under Fall, Nature, Seasons, Weather

We’ve been lucky so far this Fall, with rain coming almost on a weekly basis. It has been enough to both finally end one of the worst fire seasons on record as well as foster the eager growth of new grass.

I love hiking the trails in the rain. There tends to be fewer people and more animals. One day in the pouring rain I saw a large flock of wild turkeys — the most I had ever seen.

Out on the trail today although I didn’t see many wild creatures I saw a few hardy people and water beginning to pool and start to run off the trail. After returning home, it poured even harder. If it keeps up we my have water running in the creeks by this evening.

We certainly need this moisture, but we need so much more to escape this period of drought that it’s hard to imagine getting enough in one rainy season. So let’s all hope that the rain doesn’t go away and that it soaks the ground, fills our reservoirs, and ends our latest drought.

The Mistletoe Tree

Posted November 30, 2015

Filed under Fall, Invasive Species, Plant Life

There is a tree on the Overlook Trail that I’ve dubbed “The Mistletoe Tree”. This is because it harbors several clumps of the parasitic plant, and at elevations where it would be easy enough to pluck a sprig to hold above one’s loved ones for a kiss.

Wikipedia says that “It is associated with Western Christmas as a decoration, under which lovers are expected to kiss. The reasons for this are less than clear.”

But then who needs a reason?

Being parasitic, mistletoe penetrates the host tree to steal water and nutrients. Mistletoe typically does not to lead to the demise of the host, except in extreme infestations, but large clumps may lead to the loss of a limb. The University of California has more information on mistletoe as well as how to control it, but here on the Overlook we let nature take its course as much as we can.

Winter Is Coming

Posted November 25, 2015

Filed under Fall, Plant Life, Weather, Winter

For the first time on the trail today, I noticed that the ferns are coming back. At the place I call Fern Glen, on the trail that connects the Montini Preserve with the Sonoma Overlook Trail, they are shooting up fairly quickly, in response to the off-and-on light rains we have had recently (see pic).

This is very nice to see. It’s a sign that we are getting enough moisture to renew plants such as these which rely upon dampness. As is probably quite obvious, winter is coming. It’s just nice to see the weather signs that indeed it is.

Spring Has Most Definitely Sprung

Posted March 24, 2015

Filed under Spring

Now that it’s official, we can definitely say that spring has arrived. But you would have to have been living in a cave to think that spring in Sonoma only arrived a few days ago. Call it climate change or just yearly fluctuations, but we seem to be experiencing some early arrivals of bud break, wildflowers, and other indications that Winter is over.

The Blue Dicks (Dichelostemma capitatum) have been going crazy, as have the glorious California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica, pictured), as well as a plethora of other beautiful blooms. There seem to be more with each passing day. The insects are also out in vast numbers, as this bumblebee illustrates. Note the large packets of pollen on either side. This bee has visited a number of flowers already to amass such wealth, which of course pollinates the flowers the bee visits any carries on the magic of spring.

To help identify what you see along the trails, don’t miss our Flora page on this site. Although there are not a lot of flowers identified there yet, we will be working to include as many of the flowers and other plants that you see on your hikes as we can. Also, don’t miss our Gallery of Trail Flowers. If you have pictures of your own you wish to add, just let us know!