February 07, 2010

at Lilly Lake, Mt. Tamalpais


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photo by Donald Kinney

Saturating rain has brought us life-giving juice, and the moss covering every shaded nook-and-cranny of Mount Tamalpais is standing up, bright green and proud.   Yum...



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photo by Donald Kinney

These are Madrone trees, and I'm not sure if Mount Tamalpais has an official tree, but the Madrone definitely gets my vote.   Madrone branches shed their paper-thin bark during the summer.   CLICK to see an older photo of the curly peeling bark.



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photo by Donald Kinney

A few years ago I asked a friend what the name of this little lake was -- the one with water-lillies and horsetails and frogs and all sorts of other neat stuff.   He told me it was named Lilly Lake, but I think he just made that up -- I don't think the lake has any official name but I could be wrong.   In any case, the name Lilly Lake works for me.   CLICK to see an older photo of a water-lilly pad.



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

These curious Mallards were enjoying the morning -- they've definitely been in their element with all this rain we've been having.



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

And this is what the typical Mount Tamalpais forest floor looks like -- a cooperative mixture of madrone, redwood, laurel, pines, ferns, and the ubiquitous moss.   This is not far from the Fairfax to Bolinas Road, in Marin County, California.


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2 comments:

photowannabe said...

So lush Don. I can almost hear the drops falling from the Madrone branches.

Tomate Farcie said...

wow, I haven't seen Mallards in ages!! Nice couple and spectacular photos as always.

 
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