This humming bird sage is one of my favorite smells! With its snuggly soft leaves and its sweet smell, I can't help but to touch every one I see. This one looks like it is about to bloom. Get ready!

The Paeonia californica (California Peony) are in bloom! We saw these lovely flowers loving the rain on the Vamonos Trail. With easily distinguishable leaves and a red flower bud, these flowers are a treat that you can impress your friends with!

Cool caterpillars munching at the Pismo Preserve

Pismo Preserve docent Alison Jackson captured these interesting caterpillars in action during a recent hike. Our entomologist friend Dennis Sheridan helped us with the identification: These caterpillars will become variable checkerspot butterflies!  

Bumblebee on phacelia at the Pismo Preserve, February 9,2017. We saw a hillside covered with these beautiful blooms and busy bees at work!

A red milkweed beetle convention

The kids and I spotted this convention of red milkweed beetles on woollypod milkweed along the LATO trail during a May 20,2016 hike. Did you know that these beetles make sounds akin to a cat purring? Click on the link to find out what entomologists have learned about these colorful long-horned beetles. BG

A special treat ~ Kitchen window view of swallowtail butterflies

These four photographs of Western tiger swallowtail butterflies were taken in a period of a few seconds.  The butterfly was enjoying the flower, fluttered its wings, and flew away.  I especially like the third photo because it almost looks like there are two butterflies.

I looked out my kitchen window and saw the butterfly on the flower, ran and got my camera, took a quick few photos, and the butterfly was gone.  It was a special treat. MK

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Wooly bear spotted along the trail

We spotted this wooly bear caterpillar toward the end of our July 11,2016 hike at the Pismo Preserve. The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History has published an interesting article about these "bears."