Back From Trip (and Carrizo Plain)
I’m back from my trip.
I stopped for half a day at Carrizo Plain National Monument, and was surprised to see much more greenery than last year’s desert-like conditions. Fields of purple and yellow flowers are evident, with even some smaller patches of poppies. I expect that this week through next week will be the peak. It won’t be like the phenomenal 2005 bumper crop of flowers, but it’s decent. Still, the plants are clearly suffering, already showing signs of drought and heat stress, not the rich verdant tapestry I enjoyed in 2005.