I took the dog up to Fremont Older yesterday by myself, cuz Roya is getting ready for science camp (so jealous!). We did the usual hike - up the Cora Older trail, over to the Hayfield trail, and then up to Hunter's Point. It was a beautiful clear day, and you could see the whole bay area - awesome.

Elliott was being his usual crazy bunny-hopping self, and at one point, he found a patch of long fresh green grass, and laid down in it for a short rest. There were a ton of blooming wildflowers, and I'll mention one in particular: Gnaphalium californicum. Here's a picture:


Pretty ordinary, right? Well, in case you go hiking with your dog, and he or she tends to barrel through grasses and plants beside the trail, here's something to note. 

This plant makes your dog smell like maple syrup. 

Yup. 

I woke up this morning to my dog jumping on my bed, thinking that someone, somewhere was making pancakes. 

Seriously. 

Can I get a Hell Yea for Google, folks? :)