Blogging from Chico

I never thought I'd be blogging from Peet's Coffee Shop in Chico.  This morning we drove down Feather River Canyon from Quincy and saw lots of wildflowers at 55 mph.  Unfortunately, we have appointments to keep, so I didn't stop for photography.  Several species of Lupines are in full bloom, as are their extended family members, the Vetches.  Saw an amazing crop of Azaleas near the Rock Creek Powerhouse.  Also, lots of Red Larkspur, Paintbrush, and Filaree along the road for miles.  The most memorable, however, were the Wallflowers, Erysimum capitatum, that were concentrated between the Pulga Bridge and Jarbo Gap.  I didn't stop, so the above photo is from last year's file.  It shows why this is called Wallflower.  It's a member of the mustard family, Brassicaceae. 
I have two sets of photos on my desktop from the FRC campus - one set is Part 2 of last Sunday's walk, and the other is from a short walk on campus Wednesday afternoon.  I'll post those tomorrow as my battery is getting low and I have other business to take care of in Chico.  A slow drive down the canyon is recommended for wildflower lovers.  Be careful of traffic.  Some folks just need to get through the canyon as fast as possible and tailgating is common.