Snow in San Diego!

It snowed in the foothills of San Diego. Snow seems a bit out of place for San Diego at the end of February but it made for a spectacular view!

The Things We Do to Get a Picture

Photographer snapping a picture of the Old Mission Dam, now swollen and overflowing with rainwater. Her husband was patiently watching over the todler in the interim. The dam was built to provide water for a sawmill and for irrigation at the Mission San Diego de Alcalá.

Pleurothallid

A pendant flowering Pleurothallid species at the Huntington Botanical Gardens.

Lovers at The Huntington

Lovers at The Huntington Mausoleum. Sometimes, I wonder what it must have been like to live in such opulence!

LA Traffic

Los Angeles Traffic complete with cell phone tree!

Can Law School Give You Grey Hair?

Warren Hall, University of San Diego School of Law, University of San Diego. Yep. That's where I spend my time! By the way, can law school give you grey hair? I swear I'm getting grey hair from the stress of worrying about the California Bar.

Spotted Redshank

Spotted Redshank, Tringa erythropus, (Winter Coloration) at the Mission River Preserve. This little migrant spends its Summers in Alaska and its Winters in Southern California and Baja. It is identifiable by the white wedge on its rump.

Huntington Conservatory

The Huntington Conservatory at the Huntington Botanical Gardens. I suspect it was designed to look like an original conservatory that had long since been removed. The conservatory has two wings and a central rotunda. The rotunda goes down about a story or two into the ground with a beautiful pool in the center filled with tropical fish and surrounded by flowering tropical vines. The sides of the recessed area have tropical flowering trees, vines and orchids. Mists rain down on regularly timed intervals and huge fans keep a gentle breeze blowing constantly. It is truly an enchanted space.

Tulip Tree Blossom

Tulip Tree or Japanese Magnolia, Magnolia soulangiana at the Huntington Botanical Gardens.

University of San Diego Reliefs

Dove Relief, University of San Diego. I was snapping pictures of some of the beautiful reliefs that adorn the buildings at University of San Diego. This one, of a dove, was on the Church and signifies the Holy Spirit of the Trinity.

The Things That Follow Me Home...

Aloe alooides. The Aloe are blooming like fiends and it's a great time to go out and...buy some more! This is the time of year when you can actually see what their flowers look and oh what fun it is! This one followed me home. I love the contrast between the dark nectar and the bright yellow flowers. The bees and hummingbirds love them too!

Heirloom Tomatoes at the Farmer's Market

Heirloom Tomatoes for sale at the farmer's market. Tomatoes in February is one of the benefits of living in a relatively warm, subtropical climate.

Phalaenopsis I-Hsin Sesame 'OX1178'

Phalaenopsis I-Hsin Sesame 'OX1178'. How do you know if someone has a LOT of orchids? When they given them clonal names like '0X1178' instead of things like freckles or spotted tiger, you know they have a LOT of orchids. Imagine if we started naming our kids like that? '007' could be setting a precedent!

The Immaculata

The Immaculata at University of San Diego. I figured, after all these years attending Law School at USD, I ought to snap a picture or two. Here's one of the Immaculata. Also featured is that funky, wind-blown norfolk island pine that gives it all just a bit of extra character.

Sinister Looking Old Kiawe Tree

Kiawe Tree, Prosopis pallida, Hanauma, Hawaii. It had a gnarled, twisted look that just reminded me of those old, twisted trees that attacked people in the scary movies. Or perhaps, it was just the stray mongoose that slinked up the trunk like it was his own private ramp up the cliff top. Either way, it looked like fun to snap a shot of. For you botanists out there, Kiawe is a species of mesquite that is native to Peru, Columbia and Equador, but was introduced to Hawaii as animal fodder (as was Haole Koa).

Puffing Away...

Porcupine fish, Diodon holocanthus, Hanauma Bay, Hawaii. This little fish was doing his best to stay out in front of me and just would not look into the lens. What's a diver to do?

Lesser Goldfinch

Lesser Goldfinch, Carduelis psaltria, on my persimmon tree. These have a more southerly distribution than the American Goldfinch and are particularly fond of thistle seed (actually Nyjer). They're quite gregarious and will crowd a sock full of thistle with perhaps 10 or 15 birds.