undercover

the soul of the land
wears
a shroud of grass

In the coastal hills of California, the shades of the grass mark the seasons. During the rainy winters, the hills turn to vivid green velvet. You want to reach out and pet them, to feel their lush texture under your fingers.

As the dry season progresses, the grasses die and are bleached in the sun. The hills turn gray-green, then reddish green, greenish brown, dun, and then through all the shades of gold from bright to so pale it's almost white.

As the grasses die, they reveal the native plants that still hang on despite the invasion of European grasses. Adapted to our long dry season, these plants know how to manage their moisture, biding their time until the greedy grasses lose their grasp.