by Eric Johnson
March 20, 2014—It's difficult for a conscious Californian to appreciate the coming of spring this year.
I ran into a friend at the Felton New Leaf last week. When she asked how I was doing I told her I was feeling guilty. Officially, I don't want to see the sun. But I can't help myself. We don't deserve spring this year, and we badly need more rain. But spring is here and I am loving it. Bad, bad Eric.
"It's impossible not to love it," she said. "It's in our genes. We're little mammals. We see all of this green and we're like, 'Yay!'"
Fact is, the dousing we got a few weeks backed helped a lot. It might not do much for our community's water shortage, but the forest, fields and yards loved it. The evidence of that is everywhere. Mountain-biking at Wilder on Sunday the flowery aroma was as pleasurable as the fast downhills. Driving in to town every day along Lompico Creek and Zayante Creek, seeing the cottonwoods and sycamores budding, I want to skip work. Walking downtown yesterday Traci and I came to a garden with a nose-high hedge of fragrant mock-orange blooming, and around the corner, jasmine. My heart about popped. We don't deserve this. Yet … fucking wow. Spring is here.
Our friend Al Frisby pointed out something today: If we are going to enjoy the awesomeness of nature coming back to life this year, we need to do so pronto. "Spring in California usually lasts 15 minutes," he said, "but this year it'll be over in five. And right now it's poppin'."
If you don't know Al, you need to meet him. A great player of guitar and more-exotic stringed instruments, an equally great singer and performer, and an even better raconteur, Mr. Frisby is also an expert in California wildflowers, and the best wildflower photographer I know of. Many many Spring days for the past 25 years have found him on his motorcycle, camera onboard, riding to one or another wildflower hotspot, where he knows what's in bloom and when. This year, he is inviting Hilltrompers to join him.
Announcing the Spring 2014 Hilltromper Wildflower Photography & Educational Tours with Al Frisby.
Al's got at east four one-day trips planned: Waddell Creek, Carmel Valley, Mt. Hamilton and Pinnacles. There may even be a couple of overnighters, to Big Sur/Hunter-Liggett and the legendary wildflower central, the Panoche Valley.
Should like fun? Post a comment below, or email Al Frisby directly here.
We'll fill in the details next week. Meanwhile check out this slideshow, which Al set to a cool soundtrack.
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