What’s a Poppy Reserve without poppies?

A real treat, if you enjoy gazing at dry, parched hills.

But most visitors to the California State Poppy Reserve in the Antelope Valley expect to see poppies around now. And, this year, there are almost no dazzling displays of the state flower, due to a lack of rainfall.

So Chief Ranger John Crossman is hearing some complaints.

“Some people who saw the poppies last year found it hard to believe they were in the same place,” Crossman said. “Last year, there was a profusion of color in the hillsides--it was the best year in the past decade. This is the worst. But that’s the way nature is, peaks and valleys.”

So, write off the season, poppy fans: It’s wait until next year.