California, The Golden State

It is now the middle of the summer here in California, and the state has fully turned golden! When we first moved here last year in July, all the grass-covered hills were dry and golden, which seemed strange to me. As the time passed into the rainy winter, all of the hills sprang into life, as new tiny buds of grass transformed the hill sides into a bright fresh neon green. By January, California was the green state. Then, in April, the green started giving way to gold again, with the hill sides completely turning golden by July. Here are some pictures I took of the golden wild grasses this past weekend:



The redwoods in the mountains of Castle Rock State Park contrast with the golden hill sides of wild grasses.





The Pacific Ocean at Ano Nuevo State Reserve.


Wild grasses blow in the ocean breeze at Ano Nuevo State Reserve.