The summer solstice arrives in the northern hemisphere on June 21, with our longest day of light. The solstice begins the calendar summer, but summer seems to be here already as the hills turn golden brown and the weather pattern of morning and evening fog comes upon us. The graceful spirals of brown pelicans flying over Drakes Bay also tell me that summer has arrived, as the birds return north from their southern California winters.
Summer brings us a plentitude of fruits in the wild. Deep scarlet thimbleberries appear first, enjoying the shade of Bear Valley Trail. Clouds of pinkish-white blackberry blooms announce a bountiful season this year.
The coyote brush bushes at Bear Valley are hosting this year’s class of spittlebugs, which look like puffs of spit amongst the greenery. The shrubbery provides food for these leafhoppers. Amid the foam is the tiny green nymph stage of the future adult leafhopper. The frothy mass allows the nymph to mature, protected from heat and predators.
Along the shores of Tomales Bay, a few clear moon jellies are turning up. These surface dwellers are susceptible to changes in water temperatures and are subject to seasonal die-offs. The organs are mostly eaten and the buoyant chamber or flotation part of the animal washes ashore.