Doused by a Dry Spell

Posted on March 22, 2007 in Hiking Nature Weather

If in past seasons the hills blazed with wildflowers, this is a dim year. When we hiked down the [[Cleveland National Forest|Santiago Trail]] to a place with fossil shells last Sunday, I counted five blooms — three of them Coast Paintbrush, a four inch long branch of yellow blooms, and a single mustard flower. The trailsides were a grim brown, reminiscent of late Autumn rather than March.

On Tuesday it rained. It did not fall all over Orange County. [[Portola Hills]] seemed uniquely favored. The black splashes lingered for a few hours and took with them the promise of showers early next week.

[tags]Wildflowers, Hiking, Nature, Weather, California[/tags]