I'm-a Gonna Learn Me Some Plants!

Apparently, some people disagreed with my naming of the wildflowers from my last hike. So, Stillman, for my birthday, got me a tutor, Professor Know-It-All! Dudes, check out this guy's brain! So, for Fourth of July, Stillman and I went to Sanborn Trail with the Professor. Here's a map. This was not where we had planned to go, but when we got on the freeway to go to our originally planned destination, it was just bumper to bumper with holiday traffic. So, we just switched destinations in the blink of an eye. [Stillman: We're pretty darned adventurous to just switch locations like that, aren't we?]

The first thing I noticed was the seasons had really changed. We were no longer in the lush springtime. Summer was upon us and the trail was much drier. We were expecting a Banana Slug Fourth of July Parade, but no dice. Stillman did her banana slug call in vain. [Stillman: They could be charging to the gates as we speak but we wouldn't know about if for a few hours. They are, afterall, banana slugs.] We did encounter some water, but it was rare and just enough to make a tiny branch start growing out of the trunk of a tree.

So, we just kept on trucking and admired the scenery, which included a tree that looked like antlers growing out of some Tafoni rocks. We were just down the road from Castle Rock, so I was sort of disappointed because I didn't see any manzanitas, which were very abundant at Castle Rock. There were plenty of madrones, though, and some were huge. The red bark of the mardrones showed up brilliantly against their green leaves, just like the way my red mosquito bites are showing up brilliantly against my yellow skin right now. I don't have a picture of my mosquito bites (the last time I posted a photo of my wounds from when I ate it while running, Mr. Nonny Nu made me take it down), but you will get the idea by just viewing either the internet re-enactment of the incident, or a screen shot of a full-length feature film of the incident featuring my body double).

We came across some plants that looked like scallions, and you all know how much the Nus like our scallions! So, Stillman and I investigated. Yeah, they really were wild scallions. These things actually have blooms, but I guess we are past the blooming season for the wild scallions. I didn't spot any flowers until we got to the very middle of the hike. But, that's where I saw some shrubs with yellow flowers. I ran up to the shrub. I thought I had found some Lemony Doodads, but Professor Know-It-All said they were Scotch Broom. Scotch broom?? RIGHT. I swear, these academics are so silly sometimes with their "names."

Then, we came upon a hostel. This wasn't the type of hostel that you hear about in the news. No, this was a fairy tale hostel, an oasis in the woods, the type of hostel where people DON'T get slaughtered. In other words, the boring kind. I looked inside and saw a really nice dining hall and living room with piano (check out the intricate staircase). They turned the landing into a little music area. Unfortunately, the hostel was closed (they keep it closed during the day to cut down on expenses since they can't charge customers an arm and a leg--HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAHHAHAHAAAAA!!!). So, Stillman and I just took a look around. We followed a path that was ringed by a moss-topped rock wall and found a pond covered by a thick layer of algae. In one little area of the pond that was relatively clear of algae, there were toads and turtles. All along the pond were Pinky Patinkin and peepee colored Peepee Flowers. Now, according to Professor Know-It-All, these were actually Azalea and Tinker's Penny, respectively. Fellow citizens of TWoNN, you tell me which names make more sense to you. Anywhoo, the Professor was at least nice enough to take a picture of Stillman and me.

By that time, we were pretty hungry, so we found some picnic tables at the hostel under a canopy of redwood trees, one of which apparently bleeds photons the way maples bleed syrup. Stillman had a BLT and I had a salami sammich.* [Stillman: No, I don't want any of yours and you're not having any of mine either.] [Nonny Nu: Well!] It was a really nice little set up. There was even a real live barbecue pit there. Stillman was too pooped to peep at that point. Okay, maybe she did let out one little peep.

After we recharged, we figured that it was best to head back to the trail. As we left the hostel's property, Stillman noticed a deer that was about 10-15 feet away from us! All three of us looked at each other and didn't know what to do. But, finally the deer snapped out of it and hopped back behind a tree (about 25 feet away now) and was looking over its shoulder at us. Did you see it? Here, I put a National Geographic-like yellow rectangle around it. Then, it just leapt off.

One thing I didn't tell you was that we had been going downhill so far. That means that we had an uphill climb ahead of us and, boy, was it steep. I'm talking steep. None of that 7% grade sissy stuff. We were going pretty steady at about a 45 degree angle for quite a while. I was so tired... We passed by a yellow grass field and saw some nice vistas(!). But, as we got higher up, we saw ravines, too. I saw some Purplescus Purpledum and Yellowstar Galactica, while Professor Know-It-All saw Purple Thistles and Goldwire Hypericum Concinnum. Yeah, that rolls right off the tongue, doesn't it? Just goes to show that having an "education" isn't everything...

*We got these sammiches at a deli on Saratoga Avenue, right before it turns into Highway 9 (aka, Big Basin Way) in downtown Saratoga. I can't remember the name of it, but it is rumored to have been bought by a busboy who worked there, and the seating area is downstairs from the counter where you order the food. Anyhow, DON'T GO TO THIS PLACE THAT I CAN'T NAME. The sammiches were small for the price. $6.00 each! Sheesh!