Celestial events abound in the next two weeks with the Perseid meteor shower and a super moon. The annual summer shower lasts through Aug. 24, with a peak on Monday, Aug. 12. Fog permitting, look for these falling stars after midnight in the eastern skies. The orbit of the full moon of Monday, Aug. 19 will bring it closer to earth, making it appear larger to us. In the Celtic tree calendar, it is known as the hazel moon. Locally, we can look for ripe hazelnuts on this velvet-leafed shrub.
Pink belladonna lilies are poking up through the dry grasses. These clusters of trumpet-shaped flowers have a plain brown stem and trailing leaves at the base. They are sustained by water in large underground bulbs. Wild cucumber vines have developed spiky, green seedpods that become visible as the leaves die back.
The tule elk rutting or mating season is off to its usual noisy start. Male elk gather females into a group or harem to mate. In turn, these dominant males, known as the alphas, defend the harem from other males with a variety of behaviors, including bugling—sounds that may scare off other males. They will sometimes lock antlers and charge at other males during the rut, which continues through the fall.