This brilliant spectacle was all the more poignant for its transiency. Heavy gray clouds began to darken the space.

Who was screeching? I turned and squinted; amid the architectural treetops of eucalyptus and cypress, a vulture stood in silhouette against the grey sky.

I heard three chuffy sniffs and he dropped out of sight. A moment later, his head popped-up.

It is a strangely beautiful spot. The eucalyptus are huge and out-of-place as non-natives. Seasonal miner's lettuce intermingles with lush and deadly hemlock.

Going to get fresh oysters for backyard barbecues is one of the distinctive pleasures of living in Point Reyes.

Douglas Iris popped-up along the road. A plum tree was beginning to flower.