First hike of the year

Well yesterday I went for not only my first hike of the year, but it was also my dog Sally's first hike ever. It was a nice day, and just chilly enough to where I hardly sweated despite the workout, but warm enough to where I was never cold.
I'm fairly terrified of heights, so being on this level of the rock cove was a bit of a trip.
It is soooo dry. Look at the trickle of this waterfall.
Why are flowers like this blooming on January 9th?