On my health-walk to Tujunga Wash yesterday I was charmed to see that the California pepper trees were putting on a nice spring show. These fantastic trees were brought from Peru in 1825 and first planted by Fr. Peyri at Mission San Luis Rey. The Californios fell in love with them, ad by the time of the American conquest, the frilly green-and-pink cascades could be found outside the doors of every mission, in the front yard of every rancho, and along the streets of Los Angeles shading the adobe casas. They are the arboreal emblem of Mexican California. They are still very popular for suburban yards. Want to live like a Don? Crush the peppers on salads, season a salmon, throw them on pizza, float a few in lemonade.

You remember the story: how all the big burly bearded 49ers were so charmed by poppies as they saw fields of them heading up the Sacramento River, thinking they had found heaven. Then stomping through hill after golden hill of poppies while striking out across meadows for the gold mountains. They are “Golden Poppies,” the floral emblem of the “Golden State.” And they are more precious far to us than gold ever was.

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This strange field contains radio towers (I think) for Burbank Airport. Last year it was chest-high in superbloom, so I was told — but the next day when I went to look for myself, it had all been mowed back to grass stubble. This year they kept up a more stringent mowing regime — but look, it hasn’t stopped the poppies! They are all over that field, camouflaged as yellow grass — but they have been forced into a crouching, pygmy habit. This is the clearest illustration I’ve ever seen, of the legendary historical chestnut, “Tall Poppy Syndrome.” But that’s not all — Look, one of those “Neighborhood Libraries…” Hmmmmm…. the selection in these things is usually iffy….I’ll gamble a second or two to look under the (very thoughtful) rain tarp…Well, look, what do you know?! Praise the Viral Library!