The Quadrantid meteor shower, which peaked last week, remains visible on the eastern horizon after midnight should the skies be clear. Venus has been a brilliant evening star but will seem to disappear as it moves closer to the sun; by Jan. 15 we will see it again as the morning star.

Local creeks are full of water and welcoming the return of coho salmon and steelhead trout, along with a rare chinook salmon sighting. It always amazes me that these fish make their way from Tomales Bay along Lagunitas Creek to various tributaries, such as Devil’s Gulch—a distance I can drive in 15 minutes. They must navigate through rocks and branches against the pounding flow of water. Look for flashes of red, indicating a coho, and the sideways flaps of their tails as they splash in the water. They are in search of quiet pools and riffles in which they will build gravel nests, or redds, and lay their eggs.

The cycles of rain and sun have prompted some early blooms, and purple Douglas iris and sprays of wild roses are blooming near Commonweal. December seems early for these flowers, but I am also seeing domestic blooms like daffodils at the Point Reyes library and paper-white narcissus along Highway 1. As we endure frosty mornings, the vibrant green grass reminds us that spring is around the corner.