Spring Hike

I found this trail a couple of months ago quite by accident. I was walking my dog and saw an entrance to a fire road and decided to do a bit of exploring. I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. The trail/fire road winds its way through the hills around town and goes on for miles. We have been walking it regularly. Baron can get some off leash time, which he LOVES, and I can enjoy the quiet of nature, which I LOVE. It is about a 2 mile walk from our house, up hills, to the beginning of the trail and then we will walk the trail for about a mile before going home. The other day I decided to go on a wildflower walk on the trail. We have had a lot of rain recently and the wildflowers are just beginning to bloom. I knew we would walk quite a distance, so we drove to the beginning of the trail, and I am glad we did. We ended up walking for almost 2 hours and it was pure heaven.

This is my favorite time of year. The hills are green and lush, the skies are blue, and the air is full of birdsong. Oak trees are one of my favorite trees, redwoods being the other. They are so majestic and strong. I love seeing an old oak tree in a sea of green grass. Baron has decided to have a rest in the shade of this beauty. Doesn't he look small and insignificant next to the tree?

We won't be able to hike this trail much longer. All this beautiful green grass will soon be a deadly carpet for Baron. Fox tails....thousands of them are just waiting to bloom. I have spent thousands of dollars at the vets due to these pesky little critters. I avoid them at all costs. Also, this area is rattlesnake heaven. These creatures will soon be out of hibernation and I do not want to encounter any of them. One of my childhood dogs was killed by a rattlesnake...it was horrible. We will enjoy the beauty now and pack it away in our mind until next spring.

Just gorgeous...more oak trees...more lush greenness. Soon all these hills will be golden brown in the hot days of summer. The greenness will be gone for another year.

Our first wildflowers. I don't know what these are called, but they reminded me of baby daffodils. I loved them.

Purple lupine and California poppies. California at its finest!! What a winning combination.

Lupine in the background and I am not sure what in the foreground, but it pleases my eye and soul. I think I need to do a quick tutorial on wildflowers!! I must educate myself.

The hills are definitely alive with color. This picture does not do it justice. The poppies, the lupine, the oaks, the sea of green...it does not get much better than this.

Baron and I enjoyed our wildflower hike. We will be back again, but not until next year. The fox tails are blooming and the rattlesnakes are waking up. We will be smart and safe and find a new walking trail. I also saw mountain lion tracks on the trail....it was very exciting!!