To All from inland No. Calif. Right now the dynamite Daubenya aurea from So. Africa is blooming. It is the yellowist yellow soup bowl resting on the ground on two large fleshy green leaves. Spectacular. It loves the cool winter chill and the hot dry baking summer like its native high plateau. Interestingly, Mary Sue some 40 miles west of my valley can't grow it because of the mild moist coastal climate. However, her microclimate supports things that fail in my valley plus hundreds of others. Also blooming have been rhe beautiful winter So. African gladioli - scarlet and white Gl. stefaniae in Dec., red Gl. priori in Jan. and orange-red Gl. watsoniae finishing now. I am sending Mary Sue pictures taken of a blooming clump as well as lavender Morea fergusoniae. The next night neotoma fuscipes, the pacific dusky footed wood rat liked and ate both of them to the ground. Fortunately, they liked peanut butter on a rat trap even better. Goodby, Bob