Giant Jerusalem Cricket in Black Star Canyon

Saw this giant Jerusalem Cricket on Saturday night up Black Star Canyon!

Wild Artichoke Season

Cut the heads off before it's too late!  Yum...

Trabuco Canyon & Yaeger Mesa

My pal Miguel inspired a trip to Yaeger Mesa up Trabuco Canyon.  It was a beautiful day full of wildflowers, flowing creek, springs, newts, ferns, firs and thousands of ladybird beetles!

Puffball Musrhoom

Rein Orchid

Hiking Towards Spring

Gambel's (?) Locoweed

Bracken Fern Meadow at Yaeger Mesa

Bracken Fern Meadow at Yaeger Mesa

Bracken Fern Meadow at Yaeger Mesa

Johnny Jump-ups

Bigcone Douglas-fir Forest

Bigcone Douglas-fir Forest

Slope Semaphore (Monkeyflower)

Trabuco Creek

Mushroom gift during action to preserve Silverado Creek

While our community works tirelessly to preserve Silverado Creek, despite the USFS's efforts to demolish historic dams and swimming holes during breeding season for Arroyo Toads, CA Newts and other sensitive wildlife species, I received a gift of three shaggy parasol mushrooms, which are my favorite edible species!  Thank you Mother Nature for fueling me in this time of stress!

Roasted Bay Nuts

I roasted another batch of CA bay laurel nuts (harvested at Adam's Packing Station parking lot) with olive oil and salt.  I roasted for quite a few hours at 350 degrees to make sure they cooked evenly.

Creek Water, Mushrooms & Bay Nuts

Collected water from the creek to drink.  Bumper crop of tasty Agaricus mushrooms found near the creek.  Harvested a ton of addictive bay nuts from trailhead parking lot.  Shelled the bay nuts and roasted with olive oil and salt.

Eating Roadkill Snake

During today's volunteer naturalist training, one of the trainees spotted a roadkill gopher snake on Maple Springs Rd in Silverado Canyon.  We observed and discussed its physical characteristics and behaviors.  Afterwards, I brought it home, skinned it and sautéed it for my lunch.  Tasted like chicken.  I am making a bone broth with its ribs and spine in a crock pot.