John Wiley
By John Wiley
If you haven’t driven the 101 lately, the recent rains are making for scattered Easter egg colors. Unsettled weather meant we drove North to the Easter ’22 family gathering instead of flying, so we could only see the roadside bloom. Fortunately the sprinklings of rain made for clear air and a variety of happy plants. Scotch Broom is abundant along the 154 pass. Mustard Grass is of course scattered in dense patched. Atascadero was especially brilliant in the Spring sunshine. Brown hills had subtle green on North slopes, as you may be able to see in this snap I pumped up the colors in somewhat.
Poppies were blooming in patches of dense bouquets by the roadside, but hard to snap at freeway speeds until we made a full stop in a construction zone. Some vineyards were blooming, while others were just lush from the rain (can you see the poppies too?). The innumerable oaks are fascinating, and new leaves on some trees add a splash of young green next to some kind of white flowering bushes. Though not as colorful, rock formations washed clean by rain were crisp too (do you recognize this one?).
