The summer celestial shows begin with the Delta Aquarid meteors, starting July 12 and lasting through Aug. 23. This shower produces about 20 meteors an hour in the southern sky, radiating out of the constellation Aquarius. The even splashier Perseids follow in late July.
Confused about the multitude of white flowers along roadsides and beyond? Here is a quick run-through. Cow parsnip is tall and thick-stemmed with a cauliflower-like bloom. Poison hemlock, from Europe, has lacy, carrot-like leaves and a delicate U-shaped cluster of flowers. In wet areas, water parsley brings its starburst of white pom-pom flowers. A large field of it may be seen on the north end of Estero Trail. Water parsley and angelica have similar starbursts of flowers, but the former has a parsley-like leaf while angelica has a slender, long oval leaf. Lastly, yarrow grows close to the ground with a feathery leaf. It’s a useful medicinal plant for the Coast Miwok.
What may look like stranded, orange plastic debris in a grey-green wetland setting such as Drakes Estero is in fact dodder, a parasitic plant. Its bright, string-like web stands out!
Snakes are making themselves known as warm temperatures finally heat up the ground. Commonly seen around the gopher-laden fields of Bear Valley are gopher snakes, with their brown diamond pattern and slender head.