Oh well. I sucked up as much fresh air, sunshine - pollen - birds & flowers as I could up to now.
Have lived in Fair Oaks for 15 years and only this week discovered there is a park only a mile or so from my house that has an area set aside for Vernal Pools in Phoenix Field. The park is sandwiched between a Little League field, parking lots, and loads of residential homes. It is amazing the natural Vernal Pools there survived at all. Unlike Mather Field & its Vernal Pools, which is a bit further away, this Phoenix Park doesn't allow visitors to tromp on the pool areas so it looks so... pristine.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW2-c9VghH9Lb2unznbDx46kRhJoPJGVbjb7iN8o5AKwILaX7QIk_N586W8LFE_4X4eNrp9knPuOaa6w8FeqR30fNfmWnEzJ1C2RBpTZp79v-YW5-NW6SyZw0eYIQ4SSj7iZuXxw/s400/4+15+09+-+016.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimdYzFAQho6QJnGNXFGb0yFt5WK2_rkMOtM1GOEajtb0wRxTpy5JXpw3SySLLWSNJJMsuh0MKX0iYfFyoDVpfElrFflclugxzDtFc1N1DE78KlkJBJs-Jlp-kWuOeWkcJrGexsFQ/s400/4+15+09+-+005.jpg)
Mind, the rainbow doesn't last forever - in a couple of months these flowery fields will look dead as a doornail - all withered, brown and stark. That's part of the Vernal Pool ecology, so gotta see 'em while they're HOT - in a pretty flower sort of way.
Here's flowers I've been enjoying staring at this past month or so.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLU2CGzulfPN1qjNvj7BLwZ2UWPetUU20O1JSg8SLsU-CwA_VagvjwAQCpEjvpo0wpC97huedmb6obmnZfedWKr_A5j-FFNRTDg5tuED5l8iL76RGHUIxGg7V4Rt7ResBICNmbyg/s400/4+13+09+-+-+040.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj47v5Xjb9b_5rUPdRNG7WgDZ58AtTyuqGEGEbMzM_bNjn3QrckEQ7W5mOJAuWa8ak_anC3aiAKRZkvlcP7fbBzSeROjl3Pf5ePMLF4nQ_84Zam3QUBzSmB-5tULS91bpNN22DF7g/s400/4+13+09+-+-+039.jpg)
These next few flowers I can still find out in pasture land. They're not necessarily associated with Vernal Pools. The first is Valley Tassel, or Slender Owl's Clover.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN5IFmr1S84fGiv1fmbirmElapU-gnt0wQYm-IuPFx8InB8iXc7Uwx6xfnfIB2ZWaj0ofg9-IDcmEzw1ZMnfR3iXSjm-5lJokkYf4FwhwbBDoyDG1g4BcC7DzMCMgF7o_Wlm5JuA/s400/4+13+09+-+-+019.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUZ2kZfjanuNFlmrmybsC1fB59hyp6JW4uLZSO6Wk_czQnASqXFzhfEA5Lwsi71TeTi8kS2ucZIOwiFQabVoT5mdhUoEpPiJJckcQH1r0PJDxo4KFIpYhZNoa7V-eRR-5xSiln4g/s400/4+13+09+-+-+009.jpg)
This next one I found growing all over rocks in a field. They're tiny suculents, and they cling to rocks like lichens. Close up they are rather pretty, like tiny golden starbursts.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh80bkcI1LTkfFYUHSlPkBDlKQAulKIkCVu2-Vj8BopVCAc66QGYgR6qlMyLg6B601U9cPrw1fUvk1jEaEnM_U16q0IMCUhyF4AkLVQBwcT_6MYSnn_fmjOHNMOt7DcU4tgcGuaUw/s400/Meiss+Rd+-+4+3+09+-+043.jpg)
Ooo! Check out the Stonecrop here... you see it growing on the rocks in the foreground, and all that yellow in the distance is more of it growing like a golden crust on rock outcroppings.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEJdTf15bcyLD7kRnsl98uFLG3KwV1LKGd-Uaj_E3cM2YV_eiT6s50gddstvirLY-2eAD9zv4kMtie73V_GmoqfVOqKz-kS29DFhCEn_LavlwxOgjMpsJ751dRvTfeGKnQwhakyQ/s400/Meiss+Rd+-+4+3+09+-+036.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDwxa6sPVa_rBAWgVYt3oMLfUyJcw1cAo1JOvbi-LI0BuTU7n9nIYl1BMm6U0NdrxcGV7AFtbVwa0RXUzpxKNipcrbec0A1safgvtZD6WU7qsocVqkE69Kzrj_SDV_LlXIFdDYmQ/s400/Meiss+Rd+-+4+3+09+-+048.jpg)
So about now you're thinking I've forgotten about my feathered homies. As if!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHpMsqAwxzcmUkXrMHAW5sqOB6CMo7aMy3wNzh4D-cA2cHUdGy-g8EMAUjuwa9MVKQfPjE7q5FJ2qMZWKDm5ov1pJmpMI92Xc0qB_J0SWgD21AkGxfCdB5plMABro0Rn4sth8QGg/s400/Meiss+Rd+-+4+3+09+-+056.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmOLoUZhP1qZWH19Bh2VBCWQFBEUtYTRAahnYhYFqEK0mA2r-DiGJ2UwkCbUb4Xt2kw6VvB8J0hrOp3sZHjt3041nl4PJYsohFQmAQcPUy3BDiuf_1Gew6QZpBINLo2VCREvu8Wg/s400/4+13+09+-+-+043.jpg)
yes, grandma Miller's cacti always flowered and her Jades grow into bushes in a pot, with thick massive trunks.I know, my jade was given to me by grandma many years ago and is still living.
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