For me, a sure sign of spring in Northern California is the appearance in March of expansive fields of wild mustard. I was in Santa Rosa for a couple of days earlier this week and as I drove along Highway 12 through the vineyards of Napa and Sonoma, I wondered where all the yellow wild mustard was, seeing only a few patches here and there. When I was almost to Santa Rosa, a huge field of yellow suddenly popped into view. It was rainy and overcast and the clouds clung low to the hillside but the yellow seemed electric. I had only one lens with me, my 24-120mm, so my options were limited. I didn’t go wide open because of the telephone wires and houses nearby and I didn’t have a tripod or place to prop the camera so I didn’t get the kind of shots I really wanted but I like what I did get. I had only a few minutes alone to appreciate the gorgeous sight. The acres of endless yellow attracted a few more people to the view that morning. I ended up taking some photos for a young family while they stood enveloped by the mustard. I wish I had those shots for my blog but I took them using their camera. Two other cars stopped and iPhones were snapping photos of people surrounded by yellow. The young family offered to take my photo but I assured them I was a behind the lens person!
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