Take a hike she said.
So, I did.
She and I and six other gals at Point Reyes in the rain, hiked to
I saw taller than I am Cow Parsnips.
Finally, up close, I was able to differentiate their bigger than a large-man-hand-five fingered fuzzy leaves from the feathery carrot top leaves of poison Hemlock. Both have convex white umbels. Both grow in dense wild areas. Apart from the leaves being very different, the Hemlock has distinguishing reddish purple blotches on its stalks. Knowing the difference could save a life.
In my twenties, I heard about a boy on the beach where Malibu Creek let out onto the sand at the base of a cliff. His family watched from their picnic blanket with pride as their ten-year-old son fashioned a flute from a reed that grew along the creek and began to blow it, making a whistle like sound. They were horror struck when he keeled over. At the lifeguard’s directions, they rushed him to the closest medical facility. On the way, the boy died. The family were in shock, disbelief, and grief-struck. Autopsy showed concentrations of Poison Hemlock in his mouth and trachea. That stuck with me. Socrates’ mandatory “suicide” is chalked up to drinking Hemlock. Potent poison. Glad to know the difference!
The day after hiking to the beach from the Hostel in Point Reyes, we hiked at Abbot’s Lagoon and again all the way to a different beach along the less than peaceful Pacific. More Hemlock, more Cow Parsnip, purple Irises, 
orange Monkey Face Flowers, red Paintbrush, 
Coastal Poppies,
Thimble Berries,
and plentiful bird species greeted and delighted us.
Male Quail was keeping a watchful eye as chicks foraged in the underbrush.
Volunteering to help remove invasive species at Half Moon Bay a few years ago, gave me better perspective on just how invasive and persistent Hemlock is. Ditto Ox Tongue’s pretty yellow flowers on prickly prickly stalks springing from ouchy ouchy leaves. Gloves mandatory.
Tujunga wash is a tried and true favorite place to hike. Recently, friend Julie and I hiked, on another rainy day, and marveled at the sound of rushing, gushing Tujunga Wash. Everything was in bloom. Including human hubris.
This has been a Super Bloom year. Golden Poppies Purple Lupine. Bees are happy. No glyphosate in the wild. We hope.
Point Reyes Book Store had this in the window:
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