Ron Siemens is surrounded by wildflowers as he takes photographs in a field near Arvin.

The hills around Bakersfield, Calif., definitely are alive with wildflowers. If you haven’t visited the foothills, do so quickly before the blistering Central Valley heat melts the flowers away. I was out taking photos in the hills above Arvin, on the border of the massive Tejon Ranch. The number of wildflowers was nearly rivaled by the number of “viewers” and photographers.

In a photo posted here, Ron Siemens of Bakersfield seemed to be engulfed by wildflowers as he takes a photograph in a field as part offered through the Levan Institute for Life-Long Learning at Bakersfield College. The institute offers low-cost enrichment classes to local people in the boomer and beyond age bracket. Information about the institute and the class schedule can be found at http://tinyurl.com/yje43zg

The Kern County Board of Trade has launched a wildflower blog at http://tinyurl.com/yzc6b9z where you can find information and a map noting good viewing areas. More information can be obtained by calling 661.322.WILD

It’s times like this that makes it great to live in Kern County, which is the San Joaquin Valley’s southern-most county, separated from Southern California by the Tehachapi Mountains.

(Photos taken by John Hardisty , who also is in the Levan Class)