Califonia racer snake

Today there was a 3' long California Racer snake curled up near my back patio. I wonder if it's chasing down some lizards, crickets or rodents. Hopefully this doesn't mean we have mice!

baby sugar watermelon

Finally, something in my veggie garden is growing this year! I've been getting veggie molested by squirrels or something all year that is eating everything I plant, but this little baby Sugar Watermelon showing up is all I needed to feel like it's all worth while! The little melon is only 1/2" wide in this photo. I'll be sure to add some progress, as long as the squirrel leaves it alone that is!

rabbit foot print?

My herb and vegetable garden have been getting eaten to the ground constantly this year. I cannot figure out what in the world is eating them though. The garden is completely surrounded by a wood fence, but one small stretch is chain-link. I assume baby rabbits or moles could crawl through the chain-link, but I don't see any worn spots on the ground at the bottom of the chain-link that indicates that something is running through.
Today is the first time I've found any sign, other than the eaten plants, of an animal being in the garden. This footprint is 1" long, has four toes and claws. Can anyone identify the animal by this footprint? I would love to know what I've been feeding all year! My guess is it's a rabbit print, but I really have no idea.

Do you know what this plant is?

Do u know what this plant is? Small pink blossoms, light grey foliage, almost like a sage. (The plant behind it is sage) It grows wild in the Southern California hills - so it's a California native.
Please let me know.

A locust that looks like a leaf

Can you find the locust in this photo? This was crawling on our Mandarin Orange tree this morn. I love how its tail or wings look just like a leaf. They even have leaf veins on their wings!

Pollinators Attack!

Check out this video of Hummingbirds, bees and larger birds eating the bees feast on the freshly opened blooms of a 30' tall, Century Plant Agave! The miracle of winged pollination.

Salvia clevelandii Blooms

I've only recently discovered this wonderful, low water use plant, the Cleveland Sage. It has a dark red stem, grey leaves and amazing merry-go-round blooming head. Salvia clevelandii pairs well with a dark contrasting background like Ceanothus which is a drought tolerant plant as well.