It took a flat tire!

I usually don't pay a lot of attention to California Poppies.  That's because I see them mostly while driving 55 mph on my way to looking for something else.  Plus, I can't help but think of them as a sort of California cliche, material for tourists' post cards.  However, this afternoon I got a flat tire while delivering my recyclables to the transfer station.  I pulled over to change the flat and found a patch of nice-looking poppies just a few feet from the car.  I stared at them for a while, thinking about the shiny, black beetles that will show up eventually for a meal of pollen.  But, I didn't take any pictures.  I wanted to get to the service station ASAP. 
The tire-changing folks were too busy to do the work right away, so I left the car and started to walk home.  I didn't get far before spotting this nice poppy growing through the pavement in the parking lot of the tire place.  It was actually quite beautiful.  From now on I'll pay them more attention.