Tag Archives: Peter Cracknell

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We've had several small storms that brought enough moisture for the first King Boletes to appear. Amy Ruegg found what might have been the very first one.

Several others have found porcini too. And CeCe Case found a Chanterelle. They are being found in moist areas. The spots I find them have not seen any appear...yet!

Thanks to Amy for allowing me to share her photo with  you here. It's always a good time of year when the first edible mushrooms appear.

A smattering of rain was heard last night while I, and others, celebrated the SF Giants baseball win. Today is beautiful, sunny and breezy. The horizon is clear so if you are on the coast, look for a possible green flash at sunset. Below is a photo taken by Peter Cracknell of a green flash. It only lasts for a second, so don't blink!

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Peter Cracknell nailed it when he called these spiderwebs the real World Wide Web.

These intricate spiderwebs were revealed during a drippy, foggy morning. They are most likely made by orb weaver spiders. The more I learn about spiderwebs, the more I appreciate them - and the spiders!

Thanks to Peter for allowing me to share his photos with you here.

We are having a lovely, sunny, breezy day. It's hard to believe we might get rain overnight, but I sure hope so!

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It's fun to see spiderwebs covered in dew or wet fog. Karen Wilkinson recently photographed one.

Craig Tooley photographed one that we used in our book, Mendonoma Sightings Throughout the Year.

 

And Peter Cracknell found one too.

Orb-weaver spiders spin the most intricate webs, so perhaps all three of these were created by Orb-weavers. When a spider begins to build her web, she waits for a breeze that sends her from one spot to another. As the breeze moves her, she lays down the first strand. She secures it and then carefully crosses it, laying a second strand. Learning more about the process makes me appreciate spiderwebs. I try to leave them intact and admire them for the amazing creations they are.

Thanks to Karen, Craig and Peter for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

Sunny and breezy today!

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It is said that to see a green flash will bring you good luck. So I hope that if you on the Mendonoma coast, you will take the time to watch the sunset. A green flash sometimes appears at the moment the sun is disappearing from view. This first photo was taken by Peter Cracknell. Note the emerald-green color and note the clear horizon.

The green flash is a photographable mirage, caused by light refraction. Here is a photo by Richard Kuehn showing the classic hour-glass, where the top of the sun seems to pinch off from the bottom. You can see a green flash at the top of the hour-glass. But there might have been a bigger green flash a moment after Rich took this photo.

If you are extremely lucky, a green flash will morph into a blue flash. This photo was taken by Allen Vinson and it also has hints of purple on the edges - it's very rare to get a photo of this.

Allen also captured this green flash. Look! There are two green flashes in his photo.

Allen always celebrates his green flash viewing with a green flash cocktail. Very civilized, Allen!

If you interested in learning the mechanics of a green flash, here is an article that might help: http://aty.sdsu.edu/explain/explain.html

I'll be watching the sunset tonight. How about you?

Thanks to Peter, Rich and Allen for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

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Peter Cracknell captured a fun photo of a Doe peering at him, her head just above the tall grasses.

Here's a photo Thom Matson took, similar to Peter's except with the backdrop of the Pacific Ocean.

Thanks to Peter and Thom for allowing me to share their photos with you here.