My friend K. and I took our first ever hike together — unless you count tromping up and down hills in San Francisco, which we used to do at Christmastime. It was a pretty easy walk, just over two miles, in a place I’d never been before. Three gravel pits near a river have been turned into small lakes, and the trail passes by two of them and loops around the third.
As soon as we set off from the trailhead the distinctive late summer scents of live oak and fennel and redwood filled my consciousness. It was midday, and the warmth of the air brought out their special essences and melded them into that perfume that is one of the best things about the hot season; it makes me feel at home, and quite wealthy.
We saw large clumps of Rough Cocklebur, a new one to me; poison oak (of course), and — elderberries! I had just told a blogger last week that I never see elderberries unless I go to the mountains. And here were gobs of them. I wasn’t prepared to gather the berries, and it probably is forbidden anyway, as they are growing on public land. I didn’t even “gather” a photo, but you probably know what they look like.
The chicory wildflowers were the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. Usually they are fading or for other reasons not very photogenic when I see them. This is the same plant from which the root is used to make a drink that people use as a coffee substitute. I have developed a love for the drink, hot or cold, that I brew from chicory that has been gathered and roasted by someone else.
My favorite discovery of the afternoon was Floating Primrose Willow, Ludwigia pepoides which was growing all around the lakes and out onto the water in broad swaths. [update: in my original title I called them “willow flowers” but Linda pointed out that in so doing I gave the impression that they are willows — they aren’t at all, are in a family of aquatic plants sometimes called water-primroses.]
K. and I hope to make a habit of our hikes together; neither of us can seem to make it happen if we are trying to go alone. We loved this outing so much. May God help us to continue!
Gladsome Lights 
Just for clarity — your title suggests that the flowers belonged to a willow tree. They got their interesting name because of the shape of their leaves, which resemble willow leaves, but they’re firmly in the primrose family. I suppose that’s why the name usually is hyphenated: primrose-willow. They are a species we share. I’ve only found three (and maybe four) of our considerable number of Ludwigia species, but every one of them has glorious flowers — I’m so glad you found these!
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Hmmm… yes, my title is misleading…
Probably I unconsciously avoided using the primrose word because of my experience this month with a species of helianthemum that confusingly has Primrose in its name… but in this case I chose the confusing part!
I’m going to change it. Thank you, Linda!
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A walk shared is a pleasure doubled.
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Having a friend to walk or hike with helps to be accountable to your goals. Looks like a lovely trek!
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Those chickory blooms are especially pretty. It sounds like a wonderful walk and a good time for both you and your friend.
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The potency of scent that makes one feel at once at home and ‘quite wealthy’ 😄 – I love this and know just what you mean! Free gifts from the forest. Isn’t this just a magnificent home we share, this planet?!
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It makes me happy that you understand, and have the same experience with your own set of evocative smells. If I were to come where you are and get introduced to them, I wouldn’t feel *at home*, but I know my senses would be invigorated and my mind aroused.
Do you have more than one place where the scents make you feel at home? When I travel to my childhood home and smell the very different blend there, in a different climate, I am pleased in a nostalgic way, but not at home in the same way, as I feel here where I’ve been now most of my life — 50 years!
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Pardon my delay in responding, dear Gretchen. Been gallivanting! Yes to the enjoyment of senses and knowing what’s home (and not). It’s been a long, long time since I was home-home (you know what I mean!) but there is no doubt in my mind at all the imprint would be animated faster than thought.
You’re right to point to climate and there’s also the quality of light and vegetation (and absence of pollution) that influence scent environments, right? I find I love the smell of tree green, especially when it’s a little damp. I love the scent of artemesia which grows as weeds here, and there are certain blends of incense I’ve encountered that I’m very partial to (I especially love when I smell it on a beautiful kimono of a friend of mine … or in the corridors in my building from someone’s clothing or when the priests visit for family memorial ceremonies). All that …
But, yes — the smell of home-home, that is really something … and I find myself in a state of wistful longing which I shall now indulge for a moment. x
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I haven’t grown artemesia for a long time, but just your mention of it brought a whiff of its special scent to my mind — that surprises me, because I certainly can’t call up most olfactory memories at will.
Thank you for sharing ❤
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Pretty Primrose-Willow flowers. Sounds like you and your friend found a lovely place to hike. I can’t help wondering if the earth quake and awful storm in S Calif. affected you.
Hopefully it didn’t.
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You reminded me that I meant to write about that storm! We didn’t get any rain in our area, but we’ve had an unusual amount of cloudiness and then wind. Farther north, where my daughter lives, they got more rainfall, from being on the edge of the system…
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What beauties you have found on your hike. I think I’ve tried to grow chicory in the past just for those delicate blooms, not realizing they are the same as chicory in or instead of coffee.
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