MORE FUN THINGS TO DO WITH iPHOTO

The flowers are a no-brainer. But can you tell which ones were originally photographs of roasting marshmallows? A cloud? A stormy ocean? Christmas lights? Manta rays? Rosie?

PRE-PEAK...

...but you'll catch the peak-peak if you leave home RIGHT THIS VERY MINUTE!!

Baby Blue Eyes

Fun with Baby Blue Eyes

Pitcher Sage

Blue-Dick

Wood Violet

Chocolate Lilly

White Layia

White Layia, closer

Tidy Tips

Tidy Tips, closer

Hillside Daisy

Broadleaf Filaree (Stork's Bill), en masse

Broadleaf Filaree, closer

Blue Phaecilia (Wild Heliotrope) en masse

Blue Phaecelia, closer

Goldfields, en masse

Goldfileds, a small patch

Popcorn

Henderson's (Foothill) Shooting Star, en masse

Henderson's (Foothill) Shooting Star, closer

Manzanita

Bird's Eye Gilia

Menzies' Fiddleneck

Blue Witch (nightshade)

Indian Paintbrush

Bush (Sticky) Monkeyflower

California Dodder. There has been some confusion about its proper classification, but in most references this parasitic plant is included as a member of the Morning Glory family. I used to just call it "Witch's Hair" until I found it in a wildflower field guide; it actually bears tiny tiny flowers in the Summer!

Bush Poppy

Lindley's Silverpuff

Blue-Eyed Grass

Flowers were found in the following California locations: Figueroa Mtn. (Los Padres National Forest), Carrizo Plain National Monument and Shell Creek Road, Pinnacles National Monument, Jolon Road (Monterey County) and California Highways 41, 166, 58 and 25.

BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU ROOST!

(my son re-captioned this...thought the original was boring. I have to agree!)

EAT DESSERT FIRST

You'll have to visit old Cabo San Lucas to get one of these.

JUST CAN'T GET ENOUGH...

...of California's blue and gold

There are literally hundreds of species of Lupine.

Here on Figueroa Mountain, Lupine was so profuse, my friend Joan commented that its rich, powerful perfume reminded her of Nehi Grape Soda. Well it's no wonder. Her astute observation simply alerted us to the likelihood we were smelling Lupinus excubitus (grape soda lupine)!

Many many varieties of California Poppies, Eschscholzia californica, exist with colors ranging from yellow to golden to deep orange.

These poppies are happy-making flowers, for seeing them reminds us Winter is behind us.