When the worm wakes up from the winter hibernation, when the soil gets softer and warmer, it means that it's March and it is time to plant and sow seeds!

A hike to the Grand View Park, aka the Turtle Hill.

The views are real, and they are spectacular!

Even the animals know, and the plants are the ones telling us: the spring is in the air, and the only thing we need to do is to get ready for it! The light is changing its tones, the days are getting significantly longer, and all the life that is coming back to life is simply exploding uncontrollably! Plum trees are in full bloom, New Zealand tea trees covered in white, pink and burgundy flowers, the daffodils are lining the roads with their happy yellow or white faces, and of course, the snowflakes!

On the first day of February I happened to be in the Walnut Creek area, so I went for a hike to the Castle Rock Regional Recreation Area. I was with two friends, and one of them knew the trails, so we started the climb on this beautiful, clear and warm Saturday afternoon.

It was really steep; at times we had to pretty much rock climb, but the views on the way, and eventually conquering the summit paid off all the sweat and tears.