Listman 1959 July Mr. Diablo State Park, Contra Costa Co., Calif. Rollie, Noel & I went to summit via Danville Rd & hastily Concord route. Was the S. H. Q. area road about NE ridge with Agerumacrophyllum mass of which were turning a brilliant yellow. In many spots the bushkays were either a withered brown or turning yellow; much of the poison oaks was red or dead appearing. Needless to say all of the grass was yellow. In the grassy areas the yellow flowered Star Thistle was evident only on the roadsides where it was very dense. In the old decadent Charnie areas yerba Santa was in the shoulders of the road - was fresh and dark shining tiny green. Some of the oaks were turning yellow - as sprays or small branches - these were not Q. douglasii or calata nor agrifolia - simple & small leaves. Near "Park City" Q. kelloggii - ? This has been a bad year for little rain has fallen & everything is very dry & wasdy in spite. Lots of haze today - everywhere. Fog was off the coast. High & huge cumulus hung over the entire chain of the Sierra Nevada - had a dark dusty "horizon" line obscured the E, NE, SE vistas - as a strange line & 'out of focus' below this line to the near side of the Central Valley. This area can be photographed with profit at several elevations. Black sage is part of the chaparral - no Buxbaum was seen. Poison oaks may be a primary invader of the grassy areas. There are few interesting old ranch steels along the road from Danville which could be of my real interest.