As I came down the hill on the Stage last week, westward bound, the thin arc of a waning moon glowed against the sunset, joined by the bright spark of Venus in the winter sky. The Geminids meteor shower will be visible after dark between Dec. 7 and Dec. 17, offering up to 120 meteors an hour. This year, however, its peak time coincides with the full moon, on Dec. 14. The showers originate in the constellation Gemini, or “twins” in Latin. In Greek mythology, when Castor was killed, his twin brother Pollux asked to join him and was made the lead star in the constellation; they are known as the patron spirits of sailors.

Even as the weather cools down, one plant is blooming: the native coyote bush, which has male and female plants. Its pale yellow flowers are found on low-growing shrubs throughout the area, with displays in front of the Bear Valley Visitor Center. The female flowers look like tiny paintbrush tips; the males are more compact. The bush, one of the first to grow in disturbed soils, is very flammable due to oils on its leaves, an adaptation that helps it conserve water. On warm days, the leaves give off a light fragrance (I describe it as baby powder) from these oils.

High surf and heavy wave action push more flotsam, or material not deliberately thrown off a ship, as opposed to jetsam, onto beaches. Long bronze strands of bull kelp and grayish-pink crab skeletons are also showing up. In recent weeks, metal cylinders containing naval flares have appeared on park beaches. Typically used for signaling from ships, they are marked “do not touch.” On beachcombing days, if you find a flare, mark the item and notify park officials. And if you hear a large boom along the shore, it may be a flare being destroyed in place, as the cylinders cannot be moved.