Tag Archives: Wilderness

The Intelligence of Coyote Tobacco (Nicotiana attenuata)

Wild tobacco growing in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Santa Barbara County. (Fall 2024) If we define intelligence as an ability to perceive, understand and respond effectively to environmental stimuli, then we might attribute to plants what is normally considered … Continue reading

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Santa Barbara County Morels

Morel growing under a coast live oak tree with California poppies. (April 2025) Related Post: March is For Morels

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Hollyleaf Cherries Golden Morph

Tafoni on a slab of exposed bedrock beside the golden cherry bush. It recalls the mind warp rock n’ roll nightmare of local band, Rich Kids on LSD, and the bubbles on their Reactivate album cover. “Of all our native … Continue reading

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Skinny-Dipper Detained, Cuffed and Cited at Montecito Hot Springs

ADIDAS: All Day I Dream About Soaking. “Absolutely insane. I’m blown away. Complete apathy on so many forest issues, yet this is what they decide to enforce? Bullshit.” –Anonymous, Montecito resident of local birth “‘If the law supposes that,’ said … Continue reading

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Red Horny Toad

Out for a walk with Larrold. An unremarkable lesser ridge among the rumpled hills. Chapparal, pine, gravel and grit. Then a flash of tiny red life running cumbersome from the fringe of the trail. Startling in its ochre hue and … Continue reading

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