Today’s theme should be an interesting challenge. In the US we have state symbols of birds, trees, animals, flowers, flags, etc. Outside the US, your own country may have its symbols that represent your country and its people.
Now whether you have your own image of one may be another story.
In California we are surrounded by nature and two symbols easy to capture are the California Golden Poppy and the California Redwood.
The golden poppy is everywhere this time of year and its orange blooms are a sure sign that spring is right around the corner. These were just randomly growing on the side of a neighbor’s yard spilling through the chain-link fence.
This was taken when I had planted a live poppy plant. It thought it looked beautiful in the rain.
The stately Redwood is easy to spot in most areas of the state, but especially so in Northern California. Many people associate the redwood with the Giant Sequoia, a species found in Sequoia National Park and in the Mariposa Grove near Yosemite Valley.
The redwood species in my area’s rocky soil thrive and are known as Sequoia Sempervirens, but also thrive in Coastal California. The annual California State Fair held every July in Sacramento has an entire forest of redwoods and other trees that represent the state. Years ago, I took home a few of the free redwood seedlings. I planted 5 in my backyard and have enjoyed the mini-forest for years now.
When I planted the seedlings from pots, I never thought they would grow this tall. The oldest one, planted in 1989, is over 300 feet tall. My mini forest of large redwoods can be seen from any point in my neighborhood, and are home to a variety of birds and critters.
See more about California Redwoods here.
Grizzly bear, quail, gray whale and desert tortoise are other creatures that represent the state of California. I managed to capture a shot of this tortoise holding up bicycle traffic a couple of years ago on the American River Bike Trail.
Note: Many of you who follow me on Instagram and Facebook likely read about the passing of my mother this week. I intend to honor her in my March 22 Sunday Stills post “Favorite Place.” Thank you again for your heartfelt well-wishes and condolences.
I can’t wait to see your state or country’s national symbols.
Second Wind Leisure Perspectives 
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