I am interrupting our European trip journal with a wild flower report, California Poppy.
My little girl in a small Poppy field
Our beautiful State Flower
California Poppy, also named Cup of Gold or California Sunlight, is native to the United States and Mexico. It is the official state flower of California.
California Poppy is hardy
Due to an unusual warm winter this year, we missed the massive blooms of our State Flower in the desert of Southern California. California Poppy festivals are normally held towards the end of March. This year, the flowers already peaked two weeks ago! 
A small field of California Poppy
I managed to capture some California Poppy flowers in a regional park not far from our house. That’s better than nothing for this year. 
I need to collect some seeds to grow them in my garden. :-)