Today's walk report: 052221

 

We are stardust, we are golden
We are billion-year-old carbon
And we've got to get ourselves
Back to the garden*

 

And so I did. My last trip to the local botanical garden was posted here March 15, 2020. The following day the campus was closed due to Covid-19. Technically, it's still closed but essentially that is to large groups of people congregating and possibly doing stupid stuff. It's a longer story, essentially I asked for permission and permission was granted. 

I arrived at about 6:40 A.M. I didn't see another soul. That was wonderful. Taking pictures was a little awkward. I was happy to be there but I felt a little uncomfortable. It would take too long to explain and I'm not exactly sure I can, so, onto some pictures.

I knew I was headed in the right direction.

I guess I was a little anxious out the door looking forward to seeing the garden again. I should have brought a couple of other lenses, specifically my close-up attachment for the 70-300 mm I did bring and more importantly a shorter lens for wider/taller shots. There's always tomorrow. I could not figure out what happened with this palo verde tree. I don't remember low, lying branches anywhere near this size from a year ago. There's about 25' of tree towering above this.

I don't know if my presence was annoying this male mallard or if he wanted me to follow him. I ended up walking away.

Unfortunately I have missed a lot of plants flowering but these blue nolina (Nolina nelsonii) were pretty.

As were a few other palo verde trees.

Sylvilagus audubonii were plentiful. You know... rabbits? That's what they do.

My mildly apprehensive mood plus some general aches and pains that are a consequence of not walking in over a year effected my usual patience in getting hummingbird shots. Plus it was early and still a bit chilly. I'll do better next time. Or maybe not. Female Selasphorus sasin enjoying Callistemon salignus.

The bush sunflowers (Encelia californica)) are on the way out.

 

Oh, and look... the agapanthus are blooming. Yes, the agapanthus are blooming.

 

*

Peace. Get vaccinated.