Tag Archives: Shirley Mitchell

•

Mushrooms are quite beautiful, coming in so many colors and shapes. Craig Tooley photographed a Scarlet Waxy Cap. I've seen a bunch coming up on the forest floor. I think of them as flowers in the forest.

Craig also photographed a mature Parrot Waxy Cap. They have a green top when young.

Shirley Mitchell photographed some white Coral Mushrooms.

And Martin Steinpress found a group of two delicious edibles, Hedgehog Mushrooms and Black Trumpets.

Winter Chanterelles are also up in good numbers now. Gifts from the forest!

Thanks to Craig, Shirley and Martin for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

We are having a mild day - 60 degrees - with no wind. Our walk with our golden retriever, Duffy, at Gualala Point Regional Park today was wonderful. Gray Whale spouts could be seen in the calm ocean; these grays are headed north now. Big waves were crashing onto the beach. And there were surfers outside the mouth of the Gualala River, something you don't see very often.

•

Shirley Mitchell has a Rattlesnake Plantain, Goodyera oblongifolia, on her land. She was lucky that the Deer didn't eat it, as they do the few similar plants we have on our land. It recently was in full bloom.

This tiny orchid is hard to photograph! Shirley photographed it several weeks ago, before the small white flowers opened up.

If you look at the leaves, you will see why this plant got its common name.

Thanks to Shirley for allowing me to share her photos with you here.

We are having warm to hot weather on the Mendonoma coast today.

•

Shirley Mitchell found this beautiful pond reflecting the blue sky - a forest gift!

A pond in the forest reflects the sky by Shirley Mitchell

You never know what you will find when you get out in nature.

Thanks to Shirley for allowing me to share her photo with you here.

• 2 Comments

•

 

On January 21st unusual clouds filled the sky. I had never seen anything like this before. Many coast residents photographed the event. These photos were taken by Don Spear,Pat Maxwell,  Michael Alexander and Shirley Mitchell respectively.

Unusual clouds by Don Spear

Unusual clouds by Pat Maxwell  Unusual clouds by Michael Alexander Unusual clouds by Shirley Mitchell

Here's what I wrote in my weekly column in the Independent Coast Observer:

Many people noticed the incredible clouds last Thursday. Justine Rosenthal’s class at Horicon School was amazed. One student said, “Look, we’re underwater!”

Michael Alexander saw them too. He wrote, “I looked up and saw these interesting cloud contours overhead. It looked almost like the surface of a very plush mattress.”

Pat Maxwell wrote, “The clouds were eerie and amazing. They reminded me of a Van Gogh painting. And for those of us who see faces in clouds, they were fascinating.”

Rick and I saw them over Gualala and we couldn’t believe our eyes. Shirley Mitchell was one of many to photograph the event. She wrote, “The clouds look like the ocean and/or sand dunes. I have never seen a sky like this. Wonders are always around us!”

Scott Gasparian knew what they were. He wrote, “They are pre-frontal strato-cumulus, with orographic forcing. In other words, the coast hills cause the waves. [There has] to be strong winds above the stratus layer to do that.”

It was an amazing sight to behold! Thanks to Pat, Don, Michael and Shirley for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

The wind has shifted this afternoon and the coast cooled off. Yesterday it was an unbelievable 81 degrees at our house. We may be headed back to winter soon, but no rain in this week's forecast.

•

Shirley Mitchell saw a charming sight. She called these Pine Siskins "whale riders."

Pine Siskins arrive on the Mendonoma Coast about the same time the beautiful male Goldfinches. They both love to eat at thistle feeders filled with niger seed. Below is a photo taken by Dean Schuler of male American Goldfinches at one such feeder.

Siegfried Matull took this lovely photo of three Goldfinches on a branch and a Pine Siskin in the air.

Thanks to Shirley, Dean, and Siegfried for allowing me to share their photos with you here.