Santa Monica Mountains hike

Mallows were in full bloom in Solstice Canyon. I used to be quite the fanatic about keying and id'ing flowers while hiking but I can't seem to find my books.

We spied developing walnuts in the trees.
Juglans californica, black walnut, family Juglandaceae

It was sometime after 1903 that a homesteader named Henry Keller built this hunting cabin originally of stone and tin to withstand wildfire; however, in the years following, wood porches were built, meaning it was no longer fire-proof. The Corral Canyon fire of 2007 destroyed this cabin.

This sycamore was scorched by the Corral Canyon fire of 2007 fire but it has survived.

There is still a running stream traversing Solstice Canyon, complete with minnows.

These lizards were checking us out, one eye cocked on us while sunning on a log.

Outdoors

Outdoors is where the great mystery lies, so going into nature should be a searching and humbling experience, like going to church. Skip Whitcomb

I'm constantly amazed by the little things, such as how the drops of water rest on the petals of this mallow.

See the world

See the world. It's more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories. Ray Bradbury