After four years of drought, El Niña brought rain to California this winter. When there's been rain, I head for the desert to look for wildflowers. I went to Anza Borrego Desert State Park in San Diego County, and then to Death Valley National Park. The flowers were wonderful in both places. Death Valley was carpeted in gold.

Today I drove two retired nuns to Daffodil Hill, near Jackson in Amador County in the Gold Rush area. The people-planted daffodils were wonderful, but what I really loved were the wildflowers on the way to and from our destination. The redbuds were especially beautiful, and there were lots of California poppies. A fair amount of dark blue ceanothus bushes, too. No lupine yet - I think it's a bit too early.

And in July, we go on a wildflower tour in Zermatt, Switzerland.

-Joe-