I wasn't the only one to photograph this morning's beautiful sunrise. Allen Vinson sent along a photo he took on The Sea Ranch. You can compare it with the one I took from our home in Anchor Bay, which is about seven miles north of Allen's home. First is Allen's photo.
And as if the lovely sunrise wasn't enough of a gift from Mother Nature, Rick and I found this Queen Bolete, Boletus aereus, near a path on our property. It is one of our favorite edible wild mushrooms.
Close to the banks of Quinliven Creek on our Anchor Bay property, a group of colorful wild mushrooms caught our eye. They turned out to be the edible Red-capped Butter Boletes, Boletus regius. Another wonderful gift in the forest. Thank you, Mother Nature!
Matsutakes, Tricholoma magnivelare, are just beginning to appear. They come up in the same place, year after year, near our property in Anchor Bay. The first three made an appearance a few days ago. They are growing in sandy soil underneath a mixed conifer forest with manzanita and huckleberry bushes nearby.
The Matsutakes found in our area, the Pacific Northwest, are also called White Matsutakes. They have a wonderful aroma...like cinnamon. There is no other mushroom like it. Yes, another wonderful gift in the forest from Mother Nature.
On Friday a Sandhill Crane was seen by Mel Smith just off Highway One by the Garcia River flats. Last year about this time two Sandhill Cranes danced in the air in front of my Anchor Bay home. I don't think people would have believed me, as I'm not the most experienced birder, except I got several pictures. Sandhill Cranes are rare visitors to the coast.
I felt very fortunate to see and hear them - a wonderful gift from Mother Nature!
Jacquelynn Baas recently foraged for edible, wild mushrooms on the Mendonoma Coast. Our early rains have brought an early mushroom season. Golden Chanterelles and Boletus edulis were the treasures she found in the forest - true gifts from Mother Nature.
Jacquelynn is a writer who lives on The Sea Ranch. Here is a link to her author page on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Jacquelynn-Baas/e/B001IU0Q28/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0