My first favorite month is too short. I have more thoughts and photos to share than we had days on the calendar. Because it is so beautiful, it is hard to keep my feet planted in front of the easels. When Trail Guy asked me if I wanted to go for a walk in the middle of the day, I said yes.

The wildflowers have begun. (Yes, I am fully aware that the first photo is daffodils; thank you for your concern over a potential error on my part.)

SCARLET MONKEY FLOWER?!? I’ve only seen this one other time. It was along the Mineral King Road, maybe halfway up, in July 2012. (Yes, it was a memorable sighting, but I had to look up the date.) It was much smaller than this version.

Popcorn and fiddleneck are standard early season wildflowers. They are sort of boring, except when they first appear, a harbinger of the carnival ahead.