Spring's Farewell

Spring has come and gone! Maybe not by the calendar, but certainly by the vegetation. Check out the last of the spring's wildflowers.

California poppies, lupin, and a few other flowers whose names escape me at the moment

Lots of wild grass and lupins

Grass filling in a ditch carved by rainwater

A pretty bee

I am always bothered by just how many dead bees we stumble upon on our hikes, so it's always to see them alive and healthy and busy, like this bee!

Busy Bee

In this next clip you can't really see the bees, but you can certainly hear the lovely birds.

Pretty Birdies

In other news, I have found evidence that trolls exist. Like, creepy little midget things. Check out the footprints Alex and I found last week.

Proof of midget trolls' existence

They are not rabbit or bird or cat. Near as we can figure, they may be some sort of rat... or kangaroo mouse, which is supposed to be extinct in these parts. And for comparison, here are some beetle footprints.

Buggy tracks

A raccoon and a human intersect

We've also had very strange weather lately. In the middle of last week we had a tiny bit of rain and a thunder storm!

The thunder clouds at sunset

Check out the video Alex filmed while I was on my butt on the couch, waiting to watch Little Women.

Also... I love Escape to Chimp Eden. Okay, so I've only seen it twice, but seriously. It's a beautiful show. This clip is what first caught my attention. Check out the sheer skill of Nicky as he runs and claps at the same time.

"Hello, Nicks!"

And if that doesn't convince you that this show is amazing, check out this blooper. I nearly die laughing every time.

Chimp Eden Blooper

The best part is that Eugene Cussons, the host, is probably used to all kinds of strange chimp behavior that makes the rest of us laugh. Which makes his reaction even more priceless.