Spring Scenes at the Sea Ranch

I spent my annual week at The Sea Ranch earlier this month; I was here last year at about the same time. Early May is glorious here; the countryside is in full bloom. It's very quiet, especially during the weekdays, and you can get a little bit of any kind of weather. The day I arrived, May 4, we had a winterlike storm with blustery winds and a good ol' downpour. This activated the waterfalls that plunge over the cliffs during wet weather. This one is about 40 feet high.

There's a vast array of vegetation at the Ranch. Wildflowers abound, and you find a wide variety of trees, including pine, cypress, fir, and redwood. The pines are sprouting massive new growth at this time of year.

Horsetails thrive in the shady areas. These plants are prehistoric; they were growing along with the dinosaurs.

There are orchids everywhere at the ranch in May! Also a huge variety of other flowers.

Blow this pic up for a better view of the frog, hunkered down on a rock at Shell Beach.