In search of poppies!

The orange color in the distance is from the poppies, but they close up in the cold, so this isn't as striking as it could be

I have the pleasure of living relatively near the California Poppy Reserve. Now, finding the appropriate weather and the right time to visit is the challenge! I made the mistake of dragging my long-suffering hubby out there relatively early in the morning last week. Duh...the winds were blowing furiously and it was too cold for the blossoms to open. The one good thing...parking was wide open, lol, and I didn't have to worry about encountering a rattlesnake.

We went back again this week, on a nice sunny day...but of course, that meant everyone else did as well, and even if we were wiling to pay for parking again, it was blocked off this time, so we joined the folks admiring the fields on the side of the road instead.

Joshua tree in bloom

So, I don't always focus on the right thing, lol

Yes, I admit I was enchanted by all of the lovely blue flowers!

Plenty of burrows

The orange in the background is from all of the poppies

 The difference a week makes...folks park on the side of the road...and soak in the beauty!

Amazing to think these are self-seeding, isn't it?

The California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica)