Rainbow over Hastings- March 2, 2009. Photo by Anna Brownson.

Rains stop. Start again. Repeat.

Here we are at the end of February, looking at the long-term average of 15.34" to date, and we have 12.57". Not exactly a drought breaker. Well, this is not all that bad, considering we have had exactly 6" of rain in February. The isolated showers of early March would drift past on the strong breezes, leaving intervals of sunlight and sometimes a rare rainbow. Anna caught one.

Finch Creek, March 3, 2009.

Our flowers are emerging, with the white milkmaids, or toothwort (Cardamine californica) are as often, the first to show up. Spring showers have been going on and on, and now Finch Creek swells at times to overflow the crossing, but most days it just fills the culverts. No steelhead have been seen, but the flow has only gone on for a few weeks. The giraffe's heads (Lamium amplexicaule) are also flowering along the roads. Turkey vultures are back and oak buds are swelling. Spring is soon.