A Mother's Day Treat

When I pulled some bark off a decaying Douglas-fir log, I uncovered this mother centipede caring for her eggs. This image was a startling contrast to the "bad press" centipedes usually get. Type "centipede" into any browser and you'll get mostly websites of exterminators.
I carefully replaced the bark and hoped she would carry on.
The remaining photos were taken around the Greenville Y last Thursday on my way home from Greenville. The cute little Blue-eyed Mary are getting overwhelmed by the larger weeds and wildflowers, but are still blooming in the lower tiers of roadside vegetation. When looking for these and other tiny species, I almost always discover interesting insects, spiders, and even spare change.
It was sad that my first snake sighting this season was of a roadkill. This Gopher Snake probably managed to crawl off the road after getting hit for it was in such a natural pose I thought it was alive. I'm sure it has provided a meal for ravens or vultures by now.
In a quick hike down to the raft launching site below the Y, I saw a profusion of Sierra Currant blooming and a few Burr Clover. The latter is in the same genus as Alfalfa. Later this season, when it goes to seed, you'll find the spiny, snail-shaped seeds sticking to your socks.