Good taste prevents me from spelling out for you what it is about spring that really excites us, but the pipevine swallowtail butterflies (Battus philenor) in the photos above will give you some idea what I am talking about. After this all too literal hookup, the female will lay her eggs on the undersides of the leaves of the California Dutchman's-pipe vine, which is endemic to California.

The California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica) is hard not to love, being our state flower and all, but to tell you the truth its floppy, orange pedals annoy me. For one, the pedals are difficult to photograph.  Secondly, they are too obviously beautiful. Like movie stars or fiscal years with never-ending budget fights, you can barely distinguish one from the next.

However, the poppy bud is really fantastic. It looks like a witch's hat.

By shooting up close and in underexposed natural light, I've made the blue dicks (Dichelostemma capitatum) above seem a bit more haunting than they really are. You'll mostly find this pleasant native of the West Coast of the United States in shady areas.

Finally, here is a rare glimpse of the Sacto Sasquatch (Sasquatchus Sacramentis). In addition to its unkempt beard, you can recognize this species by its habit of wearing horizonally striped shirts and being an annoying know-it-all.   As Ms. Sasquatch has said on occasion, "Okay, let's hear what the expert has to say on the subject."