Heavy with Child

rattlesnake grass

Heavy with Child

Frequent Photo

This time of year, the whole earth always reminds me of the bibical phrase “she was heavy with child.” Both plants and animals are producing young.

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This plant is known variously as quaking grass or rattlesnake grass because the slightest breeze makes it rattle.  Although it is not a native species, it hasn’t been considered invasive.

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40 Comments
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sohumborn
Guest
sohumborn
14 years ago

I want this picture! Kym it’s so perfect. I can smell the grass, and taste the pieces we pulled to chew.
Your pictures bring moments in time back to me… Thanks!

sohumborn
Guest
sohumborn
14 years ago

I want this picture! Kym it’s so perfect. I can smell the grass, and taste the pieces we pulled to chew.
Your pictures bring moments in time back to me… Thanks!

Ernie's Place
Guest
14 years ago

Pick that grass in bundles, hang it upside down until they dry. Pull all the leaves off. Arrange in a clear crystal vase. Give them to your wife.

It is way cheaper than roses, they last for a long time, and they work just as well….

olmanriver
Guest
olmanriver
14 years ago
Reply to  Ernie's Place

.

nuthin sez love quite like a bouquet of rattlesnake grass!
thanks for the inspiration ern.

Ernie's Place
Guest
14 years ago

Pick that grass in bundles, hang it upside down until they dry. Pull all the leaves off. Arrange in a clear crystal vase. Give them to your wife.

It is way cheaper than roses, they last for a long time, and they work just as well….

olmanriver
Guest
olmanriver
14 years ago
Reply to  Ernie's Place

.

nuthin sez love quite like a bouquet of rattlesnake grass!
thanks for the inspiration ern.

HumboldtBlue
Guest
HumboldtBlue
14 years ago

Lovely shot Kym, my friend grabbed this shot of a bird gathering stuff for its nest, i’m sure filled with chicks.

http://tehipitetom.blogspot.com/2009/06/sleeping-with-enemy.html

Staff
Member
14 years ago
Reply to  HumboldtBlue

The bird looks fierce! The slats focus right in on his fierce face.

HumboldtBlue
Guest
HumboldtBlue
14 years ago

Lovely shot Kym, my friend grabbed this shot of a bird gathering stuff for its nest, i’m sure filled with chicks.

http://tehipitetom.blogspot.com/2009/06/sleeping-with-enemy.html

Staff
Member
14 years ago
Reply to  HumboldtBlue

The bird looks fierce! The slats focus right in on his fierce face.

Toni
Guest
14 years ago

You nailed this one, Kym. Excellent capture.

Toni
Guest
14 years ago

You nailed this one, Kym. Excellent capture.

bluelaker4
Guest
bluelaker4
14 years ago

This may be my all time favorite. I’d have to go back and review every picture you’ve ever posted to make sure, but it is at least in the top three!

bluelaker4
Guest
bluelaker4
14 years ago

This may be my all time favorite. I’d have to go back and review every picture you’ve ever posted to make sure, but it is at least in the top three!

Mr. Nice
Guest
Mr. Nice
14 years ago

This is a good shot. Captures the soul of this grass.

Sorry to interject non-photographic comments…

Although it is not a native species, it hasn’t been considered invasive.

You are misinformed. Rattlesnake grass is definitely considered invasive in N. California, especially on the coast.

You might look at these links:

Humboldt Bay invasives.

Map of rattlesnake grass in California by county.

Staff
Member
14 years ago
Reply to  Mr. Nice

And no apology necessary. I appreciate the correction. Thank you.

Mr. Nice
Guest
Mr. Nice
14 years ago

This is a good shot. Captures the soul of this grass.

Sorry to interject non-photographic comments…

Although it is not a native species, it hasn’t been considered invasive.

You are misinformed. Rattlesnake grass is definitely considered invasive in N. California, especially on the coast.

You might look at these links:

Humboldt Bay invasives.

Map of rattlesnake grass in California by county.

Staff
Member
14 years ago
Reply to  Mr. Nice

And no apology necessary. I appreciate the correction. Thank you.

Staff
Member
14 years ago

You are absolutely right.

I’m going to have to stop posting so quickly. Usually, I fact check better but the last two days I’ve been hitting the publish button without a second look because I’ve been so busy.

Staff
Member
14 years ago

You are absolutely right.

I’m going to have to stop posting so quickly. Usually, I fact check better but the last two days I’ve been hitting the publish button without a second look because I’ve been so busy.

Kato
Guest
Kato
14 years ago

Soulful close-up, indeed! I would be happy to have this grass invade my yard– and choke out the burr clover. What do you know about the similar looking species that has teeny flower heads like the rattlesnake grass, only in a spray instead of a nodding cluster? I love them both for bouquets.

Kato
Guest
Kato
14 years ago

Soulful close-up, indeed! I would be happy to have this grass invade my yard– and choke out the burr clover. What do you know about the similar looking species that has teeny flower heads like the rattlesnake grass, only in a spray instead of a nodding cluster? I love them both for bouquets.

olmanriver
Guest
olmanriver
14 years ago

i try and avoid having to weedwhack twice by pulling up all the taller grasses by hand first, but the rattlesnake grass i always leave…us invasive newcomers types have to stick together.
that is a lovely shot kym.

olmanriver
Guest
olmanriver
14 years ago

i try and avoid having to weedwhack twice by pulling up all the taller grasses by hand first, but the rattlesnake grass i always leave…us invasive newcomers types have to stick together.
that is a lovely shot kym.

heyitsmurf
Guest
heyitsmurf
14 years ago

that is a great shot and the caption is quite fitting….love it

heyitsmurf
Guest
heyitsmurf
14 years ago

that is a great shot and the caption is quite fitting….love it

Ben
Guest
Ben
14 years ago

I have seen a species of rattlesnake grass which has tiny pods. It’s really kinda’ cute. Almost all of the grasses we now see were introduced when cattle arrived. Wild oats is another example. Is it considered invasive? The old grasses were often bunch grasses like Oat Grass and the cattle found them so good that they wiped them out. Now the bunch grass we see is usually Harding Grass another introduced species. It would be nice to try bringing back some of the old species now that areas like Salmon Creek are no longer heavily grazed.

Staff
Member
14 years ago
Reply to  Ben

I didn’t know the area had two types of bunch grass. Here I’ve been wandering around joying in the beautiful native california bunch grass and horrors, I could be looking at Harding grass or something equally newcomer!

Ben
Guest
Ben
14 years ago

I have seen a species of rattlesnake grass which has tiny pods. It’s really kinda’ cute. Almost all of the grasses we now see were introduced when cattle arrived. Wild oats is another example. Is it considered invasive? The old grasses were often bunch grasses like Oat Grass and the cattle found them so good that they wiped them out. Now the bunch grass we see is usually Harding Grass another introduced species. It would be nice to try bringing back some of the old species now that areas like Salmon Creek are no longer heavily grazed.

Staff
Member
14 years ago
Reply to  Ben

I didn’t know the area had two types of bunch grass. Here I’ve been wandering around joying in the beautiful native california bunch grass and horrors, I could be looking at Harding grass or something equally newcomer!

silverstar98121
Guest
14 years ago

I want to know how you got the background that color.

Staff
Member
14 years ago

That is the grassy hillside behind it. I took the photo using my 55-200 lens on flower preset. That tends to blur out the background if the light conditions are right. Then during processing I used CONTRAST to pull the grass forward but the effect was so slight I think you could only tell if the two photos were side by side. And I added warmth to the temperature–essentially a golden tone.

silverstar98121
Guest
14 years ago

I want to know how you got the background that color.

Staff
Member
14 years ago

That is the grassy hillside behind it. I took the photo using my 55-200 lens on flower preset. That tends to blur out the background if the light conditions are right. Then during processing I used CONTRAST to pull the grass forward but the effect was so slight I think you could only tell if the two photos were side by side. And I added warmth to the temperature–essentially a golden tone.

archiearchive FCD
Guest
14 years ago

We have the same invasive grass in Oz. We call it Blowfly Grass because it sounds like a big blowfly buzzing around. Lovely image. Thank you for sharing again.

archiearchive FCD
Guest
14 years ago

We have the same invasive grass in Oz. We call it Blowfly Grass because it sounds like a big blowfly buzzing around. Lovely image. Thank you for sharing again.

Bunny
Guest
Bunny
14 years ago

This takes me back to my first spring here at Astrinsky’s on the Ave. in Phillipsville. It was 1974. I came from Pasadena and every day was a new learning experience with many new birds, plants, trees, animals, etc. I started a big scrapbook with all the different grasses I kept finding. I was fascinated. Rattlesnake grass was one of my favorites. Thanks for the memory.

Bunny
Guest
Bunny
14 years ago

This takes me back to my first spring here at Astrinsky’s on the Ave. in Phillipsville. It was 1974. I came from Pasadena and every day was a new learning experience with many new birds, plants, trees, animals, etc. I started a big scrapbook with all the different grasses I kept finding. I was fascinated. Rattlesnake grass was one of my favorites. Thanks for the memory.

Staff
Member
14 years ago

Bunny when I first moved up to the top of Salmon Creek I used to draw all the new flowers I found. It was a way of really seeing them.

Staff
Member
14 years ago

Bunny when I first moved up to the top of Salmon Creek I used to draw all the new flowers I found. It was a way of really seeing them.