Date: Wednesday, Aug 5, 2026
Time: 6:15 – 8:15 pm
Location: Yosemite West
Well, y’all keep surprising me with new monthly get-together destinations.
Our next monthly meeting (Wed. August 5) is going to be at my house to (hopefully) watch the evening primroses open in real time. If something happens – like the deer eat all the evening primroses – I’ll pick a different spot to meet up near here.
In order to line up the timing of the blossoms, we’re also going to push our meeting time back to 6:15 PM. This will also give people extra time to drive up here. The show starts around dusk, and sunset will be at 8:15 that evening.
If you don’t already know, here’s why evening primroses are so cool.
Also, since this is a private neighborhood rather than a public area, RSVP is required. I’ll send out my address and directions to just those people the day before the event. Parking options may be a short walk from our house, so we don’t have too much of an impact on my immediate neighbors.
(or email me at [email protected])
The Plan
(Assuming there are evening primroses to be seen. We just lost a plant to the deer last night. Deer know that evening primroses bloom so that deer can feast on them.)
The first part of the evening will be our chance to get to know and journal the plants themselves. By early August the plants will have been blooming for more than a month, so in addition to flowers, there should also be seed pods giving us a wider view of how the plants reproduce.
If you are new to nature journaling, and would like a quick introduction, please arrive promptly at 6:15 to give us plenty of time to chat before the flowering display gets going.
The flowers begin to pop open around dusk, and there is always much anticipation about which flowers will open first. Once they start to open, it’s often one flower shortly after the next. If we’re lucky, that’s also when the White-lined Sphinx Moths will make an appearance, like small furry hummingbirds, swooping in to drink the sweet evening primrose nectar.
Once the buds have opened, we’ll take some time to share our observations and (if you like) the pages of our nature journals. Then, as we usually do, we’ll pick a location for the next month’s meeting and talk briefly about other upcoming events, before wishing each other safe travels (except this time my personal travel time will be extra short).
What to Bring (as always)
- Something to write with and on. I usually have some extra stuff if you forget, or just want to experiment, but a bit of printer paper and a pen or pencil is also just fine! The goal here is to slow down and observe the natural world around us, and put our insights and questions on paper. Although not necessary, having some options for color is also fun – whether that’s watercolor, colored pencils, pastels, or markers.
- Clothing layers. As usual in Yosemite, we’ll expect the temps to dip as the sun gets low in the sky, so come prepared with a few extra layers if you think you might want them. Remember, it’ll be cooler up here in Yo West than it is the valley or Wawona.
- Headlamp. The show takes place in the fading light, and I don’t expect it to be fully dark by the time we’re done, but you may wish to have a little extra light with you anyway.
- Mosquito Repellent? (optional) I’ll also have some to share.
- Your Curiosity and Wonder. The last thing on the list, but the most important.