Nature Where I Live: San Francisco: Tree Climber

Raccoon Climbing Monterey Cypress, Golden Gate Park

I've been re-reading The Secret Language of Cells by Jon Lieff, M.D. (and it's still information overload the second time around). In "The World of Neurons" chapter, Lieff writes, "Despite a tremendous amount of research, there are many challenges in understanding neuronal networks. No one knows yet how a unified subjective mental experience arises from these vast neuronal connections.... Thus far, a center for unified subjective experience has not been found."

When I read that, my first thought was, "Maybe it doesn't exist." I mean, we obviously have an ego that gives us a unified subjective experience, but that ego isn't a material "thing" the way our bodies are. Like the Buddhists say, our subjective experience is mostly habits of thought which we treat as if they had actual substance, when in fact thoughts are more like diaphanous specters which we can dispassionately observe, alter, clarify, judge, and so on.

Electromagnetic photons pinging cells in our eyes and zapping signals to cells in the brain -- heck, it sort of sounds like a pinball machine. And really, all the trillions of cells in our bodies do their thing on their own, instinctually, keeping our digestion going, our heart pumping, our immune system functioning, and so on. It's all completely materialistic biochemistry. Yet somehow a dance of molecules has turned itself into plants and butterflies and birds and raccoons and Olympic athletes. Is consciousness a result of biochemistry, or is it the other way around?

Anyway, let me know if you figure it out.

Meanwhile, three days after my recent Sun Dog post, which referred to a coyote, we saw an actual sundog (parhelion) out our back window, a fairly rare sight for San Francisco since ice crystals are required for the sun to pull one off.

Sutro & Sundog

The resting raccoon could have just stayed put and I'd have mosied along after snapping a photo, but it got spooked after a couple passed by with a dog (which seemed not to notice the raccoon).

Problem Solved

Tree-climbing Raccoon

Cabbage White Butterfly Among Sourgrass Flowers

California Towhee

The towhee flew into the tree as I approached on the trail, then soon flew back down to continue eating what I assume to be flour spilled to mark a walking or running route.

This was a first for me at Mallard Lake.

Golden-crowned Sparrow in Red-flowering Currant

I stopped by the big Salvia gesnerifolia (which apparently has no common name) near Elk Glen Lake. The Anna's and Allen's hummingbirds had staked out opposite sides of the bushes and spent more time chasing each other than feeding on the tubular scarlet flowers.

Stern Hummer

Meanwhile, an orange-crowned warbler feasted unmolested. I wonder why it was nibbling at the base of the flowers. Maybe that's where the bugs hang out? Could they extract nectar from the outside?

Although they do eat nectar and fruit at times, insects make up more than 90 percent of their diet.

There were actually two Allen's hummingbirds using the Salvia bush (and nearby red-flowering currant). This one took a break from the action to get its feathers sorted out.