Oaks Showing Fall Colors

Oaks showing some nice yellow tones for the Fall Season and Halloween. With the sun shining through and illuminating the colors, I just couldn't pass up a quick picture. Wishing you all a safe and happy Halloween and a great Fall Season!

Laelia anceps 'Rustic Canyon' HCC/AOS

Laelia anceps 'Rustic Canyon' HCC/AOS, blooming now. It's fall and the Laelia anceps are blooming. The ones grown in a lot of sun bloom a little earlier than those bloomed in shade. If you want to spread out the season, just grow some cooler and some warmer! This is one of the modern cross-varietal anceps with decent sized, bright flowers.

Wilsonara Aloha Sparks 'Edna Flame'

Wilsonara Aloha Sparks 'Edna Flame' blooming in the kitchen!

Flaming Pachyderm

Flaming Pachyderm! At least that's what I see. It's kind of a rorschach test on the fly. What do you see?

Fire display from simulated battle conditions at Miramar MCAS.

Military Skydiver

Military Skydiver with flag at MCAS Miramar.

Jet Car Versus AT-6 Wardog

A race between the AT-6 "Wardog", a WWII Advanced (Military) Trainer piloted by John A. Collver, and Smoke-n-Thunder, a jet car that shoots 20 foot flames and has a top speed of up to 400 mph, driven by driver Bill Braack.

Viewing the Blue Angels from Above

Blue Angels in 6 member formation, screeching upwards and giving the audience an awesome top view shot of the formation. It was roasting hot at the airshow but the Blue Angels were totally worth the wait! Of course, I had a HUGE smoothie when I returned home.

F-22 Raptor Stealth Fighter

F-22 Raptor Stealth Fighter, at the Miramar Airshow, flighing straight up. They are quiet, incredibly maneuverable, and can seemingly hover in mid-air!

Blue Angels

Blue Angels, at the Miramar Airshow, completing a loop in unison. Miramar is famous for having been the flight training school in Top Gun.

Greater Flamingos in the South of France

Greater Flamingos, Phoenicopterus roseus, at La Camargue in the Bouche de Rhone region of France. These wild flamingos were feeding in a lake at the Camargue Bird Park. However, they range throughout the Mediterannean and down through Africa. They can also be seen along the coast of Marseille, sifting for food in calm bays. These flamingos are a little whiter in color than the Carribean Flamingos typically seen in the zoos. However, when they fly, the underwing is a wonderful, bright pink.

Bullfrog

Bullfrog in the lily pond with minnows getting perilously close.

Cactus graffiti

Cactus Graffiti. An old Opuntia that someone carved their love into. It appears to read: Nic & A.M. I hope their love lasts longer then that cactus pad will and is not nearly as prickly...

Windowsill in Vacluse, France

Windowsill in Vacluse, France, near the Fontaine de Vacluse. If you look closely, you can see the faded remnant of fern and floral patterns on the painted walls. Each apartment had an ornamental pot with plant to accent their sill.

Christ Illuminated

A painting of Christ, being lowered from the crucifix, illuminated by the morning sun at a church in Vacluse, France.

Calla Lily

Calla Lily, Saint Chamas, France.

Fall is Orchid Show Season

Cattleya Orchidom's leopard x Lc Loog Tone 'African Queen'. Fall is the season for orchid shows (as is Spring...). While some come for the amazing plants on display, a lot of orchid growers show up to hob nob with orchid vendors and buy a few plants, sometimes from vendors from exotic locations such as Ecuador and Brazil. This lovely orchid was purchased from Billy Baker at the San Diego Botanical Gardens Orchid Show.

Cattleya (Guarianthe) bowringina

Cattleya (now Guarianthe) bowringiana blooming in the sun room. These large lithophytic orchids are native to Belize and Guatemala where they grow near streams up at around 500 through 3000 ft. They are easy growing tolerant plants that will clump into large specimens fairly easily. As opposed to Cattleyas such as aclandiae or walkeriana which are not at all fond of wet feet, these will tolerate damp potting media, probably due to their lithophytic origin. I've always loved the diamond dust sparkle on these flowers when seen in the sun as well as the sizeable clumps of flowers.

Aerangis luteo-alba

Aerangis luteo-alba var. rhodosticta. This tiny epiphyte grows on twigs in riverine valleys in the Central African Republic, Cameroon, Congo, Zaire, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda

KGB-FM Skyshow at Qualcomm Stadium

KGB-FM Skyshow at Qualcomm Stadium, viewed from the back patio.

Prosthechea radiata 'Pam's Delight' HCC/AOS

Rlc Toshie's Magic HCC/AOS

American Orchid Society San Diego October Judging Awards

Dendrobium Hibiki 'Sandra's Delight' CCE/AOS

Dendrobium Hibiki 'Sandra's Delight' FCC/AOS

Dendrochilum magnum 'Arnie' FCC/AOS

Dendrchilum magnum 'Arnie' CCM/AOS

Mtssa Aztec 'Uschi' HCC/AOS

Pacific Tree Frog, Pseudacris regilla

Pacific Tree Frog, Pseudacris regilla, cruising through the greenery in the back yard. Apparently, even the tiny bit of water in bromeliad cups is enough for these guys to survive.

Gould's Bubble Shell

Gould's Bubble Shell, Bulla gouldiana, plowing through the soft, muddy sand looking for food at low tide. Note also the slipper shells (Crepidula onyx) hitching a ride. Unlike many seashells, Bulla gouldiana cannot fully withdraw into its shell, depending on burrowing under the soft, silty sand for protection from would-be predators. These shells are quite fragile and very susceptible to crushing and bleaching, the shells being thinner than an egg shell (hence the name bubble shell). However, the quiet tidal waters were full of ones in near perfect condition that had been cleaned out by the scalpel sharp teeth of small crustaceans, needing no work whatsoever and harming nothing in the process.