OUT LOOKS : BOOKS PUT POPPIES ON A PEDESTAL.Byline: Brett Pauly Daily News Staff Writer Spring in the outdoors is defined by blooming flowers. The definitive state blossom is the California poppy California poppy: see poppy. California poppy Annual garden plant (Eschscholzia californica) in the poppy family, native to the western coast of North America and naturalized in parts of southern Europe, Asia, and Australia. , a species so brilliant it is a centerpiece of many picture books dedicated to nature's floral pomp POMP n. A drug used in cancer chemotherapy and composed of purinethol (6-mercaptopurine), Oncovin (vincristine sulfate), methotrexate, and prednisone. . One such title that duly recognizes the poppy's glory is ``Wildflowers: Seasonal Splendors of the North American North American named after North America. North American blastomycosis see North American blastomycosis. North American cattle tick see boophilusannulatus. West'' (Chronicle Books; $18.95), which dedicates its opening spread to the orange beauty. Photographer Graham Osborne informs readers that shooting wildflowers is no picnic. Erratic weather, incessant winds, inconsistent blooms and compromised light are the bane BANE. This word was formerly used to signify a malefactor. Bract. 1. 2, t. 8, c. 1. of the backcountry back·coun·try n. A sparsely inhabited rural region. . But Osborne's travels and travails are rewarded by several stunning images in his 102-page photo essay. A barrel cactus with a flamboyant but eerily green glow punctuates the ``Desert/Interior'' chapter. A cascade of sunset-hued foxgloves highlights the ``Coast'' section. And ``Alpine'' is complemented by ``a brocade of lupine lupine or lupin (l  `pĭn), any species of the genus Lupinus, annual or perennial herbs or shrubs of the family Leguminosae (pulse family). , arnica, Indian paintbrush and mountain heliotrope'' so magnificent one can imagine the aroma. Though many of the landscapes are remarkable in their own right, the camera rightfully focuses on the flowers. Unfortunately, however, many of the locales are not identified - a frustrating shortcoming of many books in this genre. Perhaps Osborne didn't want to dilute the floral majesty with unnecessary trivia, or maybe he just didn't want to give away any secrets. Either way, more detail would have been greatly appreciated. Our rating: 3 stars Like its counterpart above, ``Wildflowers of California'' (Companion Press; $18.95) puts the California poppy on a throne - this time on the front cover. California shutterbug shut·ter·bug n. Informal An enthusiastic amateur photographer. Noun 1. shutterbug - a photography enthusiast enthusiast, partizan, partisan - an ardent and enthusiastic supporter of some person or activity Larry Ulrich's forte is the close-up. A wild Canterbury bell bends with the weight of its blooms. The stocky, succulent canyon dudleya rises like a sequoia from a thin crack in a wall of stone. White and lavender Chinese houses are stacked on the vine like an exotic whirligig. Though the frames offer few distinguishing landmarks, the captions are refreshingly complete - pinpointed down to the county, forest, park, road, trail and date. Now that's information the reader relishes. Each flip of a page reveals a new treasure, the next seemingly better than the one before. Ulrich's masterpiece is a subtle glimpse of beach evening primrose curling out among caliche ca·li·che n. 1. a. A crude sodium nitrate occurring naturally in Chile, Peru, and the southwest United States, used as fertilizer. b. See sodium nitrate. 2. See hardpan. and Ayres' snail shells on San Miguel Island San Miguel Island is the westernmost of California's Channel Islands and the sixth-largest of the eight at 9,325 acres (37.74 km²), including offshore islands and rocks. Prince Island, 700 m off the northeastern coast, measures 35 acres in area. like a graceful spider. Naturalist Susan Lamb offers a botany lesson at the outset of the 136 pages. Our rating: 4 stars As salmon season begins to pick up, anglers may want to brush up to paint, or make clean or bright with a brush; to cleanse or improve; to renew. See also: Brush with ``How to Catch Salmon'' (Orca Book Publishers; $12.95) by British Columbia author Dennis Reid. Well-written and expertly illustrated, the 230-page paperback delivers Reid's 35 years of fishing expertise with a touch of humor. ``When drift-fishing, it is not uncommon for the theme music from `Jaws' to be heard followed by the entirely unintense, uncreepy feeling of an old sock on the line,'' Reid writes. ``You reel in your prize only to find that it is a sea cucumber. . . . I can see it now: a riveting new movie, `Revenge of the Sea Cucumbers.' '' Other guidebooks can be so technical, hackneyed and stiff the reader turns away disenchanted dis·en·chant tr.v. dis·en·chant·ed, dis·en·chant·ing, dis·en·chants To free from illusion or false belief; undeceive. [Obsolete French desenchanter, from Old French, . Reid pens conversational prose without losing sight of detailed instruction, fairly beckoning us to the next paragraph, the next chapter. He regales us with tips on trolling, mooching and casting, illustrated with easy-to-understand graphics (but nary nar·y adj. Not one: "Frequently, measures of major import . . . glide through these chambers with nary a whisper of debate" George B. Merry. a photo). The intricacies of hooks, lure colors and gutting the silvery devils have only rarely been offered up with such entertaining wit. Our rating: 4 stars A much broader topic is tackled with a more traditional tone in ``Cathy Beck's Fly-Fishing Handbook'' (Lyons and Burford; $16.95 paperback, $24.95 hard cover). The Pennsylvania author takes a straightforward approach - more factual, less laid-back - in overviewing the sport. Her strongest chapter is ``Lines, Leaders and Knots,'' in which she details the differences in floating and sinking lines, subtleties in tapered lines and particulars of a dozen primary knots, each augmented by a very readable graphic. She also excels in her explanations of casting and in the section ``Hooking, Catching, and Releasing,'' though, in general, the 174 pages lack much flair, personality or appeal. Our rating: 2-1/2 stars CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: (color) A pair of photography books puts the focus o n poppies. Evan Yee / Daily News |
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