It’s been a crazy couple of weeks here. I’ve been putting in long hot days in the field collecting both data and seeds and haven’t had much time or energy to write. Don’t get me wrong, it’s been a good two weeks – I’ve gotten a lot done and that’s been very satisfying.

Today’s photos are from a earlier in June when foxtail barley (Hordeum jubatum) was in full bloom. Some of it still blooming now too, but the pastel color has left most of the heads as they’ve dried and the seeds are starting to leave the plants and enter my socks as I walk by.

Foxtail barley is a fascinating native grass. It’s a perennial, but acts like an annual in the way it quickly fills empty space created by standing water or other disturbances in wet(-ish) sites. The texture of its flowers, especially when there are a lot of them together, is pretty glorious, and always makes me want to pet them (which I often do).

These photos were taken on two successive mornings; focusing tightly on individual flowers the first day and a wider view on the second.