Seems like every year I'm down in southern California in February. It is my birthday month (I like to stretch it into a month), it is smack in the middle of winter, and for some reason I just like to get away from here for a weekend in February.
I seem to need some time with my mom and sis mid-winter. And one of my favorite ways to start the day is to take a walk in the hills on the edge of the city.
In February it is always green down there and flowers are beginning to bloom. The air is moist and even though the nights can be chilly it warms up quickly.
It never ceases to amaze me what I see on this walk. Birds, including big birds of prey, are all over this canyon, and they must drop seeds of some domestic plants that take root and become wild. This isn't a great photo but I think this is a penstemon and it had bright red flowers blooming.
This is urban southern California so I carry pepper spray and always walk with my dogs. You never know. And I'm constantly reminding myself to stay aware of what is around me. So often when I hike or walk it is a time I can let my mind go but I don't allow it down here. It is prudent to stay alert.
So far the only people I've met are other dog owners with their dogs. Friendly, chatty, people I end up waving at across the canyon on subsequent walks.
These are wild artichokes and they are so interesting year 'round. The blooms are gorgeous a little later in the year and we've seen the little artichokes. I've never tried eating them but I've taken a lot of photos of them in all seasons.
It is completely wonderful that this exists so close to all the chaos of the city - surrounding this canyon are subdivisions, a business park, big box stores, and bustling busy streets. But there are sections of this walk where you can't see any of it and it gets very quiet and peaceful with only the sounds of a bird call or the drone of bees.
And the green. My eye needs green this time of year when everything up here is dormant and gray or brown. All this foliage does something for the senses.
Along one section someone has taken the time over the years to line the path with round stones. This goes on for quite a ways. JC and I were walking up here once and saw a barefoot guy placing stones - and you wonder why.
The dogs absolutely love this canyon and it is the only opportunity they have to be leash-free. They know when we are heading for the area and they know that mornings, after a cup of coffee, are when we go. So the eyes start boring into your brain sending that subliminal dog message, "Take me for a walk" soon after we get up.
It is just a fabulous way to start the day. Then I happily climb into the car and hit the stores, drive the freeways, navigate the city.
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