Dog Days of Summer

The last warm days of Summer are slowing fading into Fall and everyone, even here in La Redonne, France along the Mediteranean, is trying to get in some sun and oudoors activities before heading back to a dreary Fall/Winter of work. This photo was taken on the last day of the 6 week French Summer vacation. This group of divers at La Redonne, France were, waiting for a scuba boat to take them out to the dive spot.

Moth in Motion

This one is for you science buffs. Remember that Darwin discovered an orchid in Africa (an Angraecum) with a long nectary. He had predicted, based on this nectary that there existed a moth that had evolved a similarly long proboscis to reach down into that lengthy nectary for food.

This moth (in Carry le Rouet) was buzzing around like a hummingbird, hovering from flower to flower. In the picture, you can see that it had a long, coiled proboscis that it would unwind to sip nectar from the bouganvilliae flowers. In similar fashion, there is probably a flower in the south of France that has a similarly long nectary that this moth regularly feeds on for which it evolved the long proboscis.

Cold Water

This old man was trying to get his dog to come into the ocean with him. Admittedly, the water at Carry Le Rouet (in the South of France, along the Mediteranean) was pretty nippy. That didn't stop this older gentleman from trying to go on a swim with his dog. The big furry dog, however, wanted nothing of it.

The Seaquarium

Fish are hard to take pictures of in the wild unless you can find one that's curious enough to stay close to the camera. Not so in the Seaquarium in Camargue where the fishes have nowhere to run. However, they ask that you not use a flash so it helps to have a digital camera that is capable of taking low light pictures. This picture is of an Apogon kuderni.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Seaquarium. Of course, I enjoy most aquariums. I wanted to see what the native mediteranean fish looked like. Ironically, there were many of the same fish genera that I've seen in the Pacific including things like goat fish, morays and trigger fish. They're not as flashy as their Pacific cousins but are still quite pretty.

French Wilderness

I had thought that Europe, after thousands of years of civilization, would be jam packed with people. Cities would be butting up against each other and wilderness would be all but gone. However, what I found in the South of France was huge expanses of rugged, mountainous terrain, large tracts of whispering pines, wild flowers, waterfowl and all sorts of wildlife. Beyond the castles and the people, the countryside was very lush and beautiful.

This huge powder-blue dragonfly cooperated, albeit briefly, by posing on some dry kindling. There were also golden-yellow dragonflies that shimmered in the sun, deep rich red dragonflies and more butterflies than you could shake a stick at. If you go to Europe, by all means see the castles, but save time to hike in the forests and wetlands as well. You will be glad you did.

Sentier Des Ocres

There is a Provence hiking trail called Sentier des Ocres where the sandstone is banded in amazing shades of red, yellow, white and orange. The sandstone has eroded over the years and leaves the pathway covered in red-orange sand. As for me, I left with sneakers full of red-orange sand and orange toes on my white athletic socks. The path is lined with lush pines, chestnuts and wild flowers and is an easy hike from the parking area, providing some very dramatic and colorful views.

The Eyes of St. Lucy

At one of the beaches, a woman in a wet suit had been diving for mussels and turbo-snails. The operculums gleamed a beautiful orange-brown in the sun. She told us they were called the Eyes of St. Lucy (les yeux de St. Lucy) and were used to ward off the "evil eye." The snails, she said, where great boiled and served with aiole (kind of a garlic mayonaise sauce).

Off to the Coast

We went to Carry Le Rouet, a small town along the Mediteranean coast, with a nice harbor. There are a few beaches further along the coast all of which were very popular today. I'm told that they get much more crowded in the Summer although they seemed quite full as it was. The water was fairly cool, perhaps in the high sixties, and was a beautiful, clear blue. A cool ocean breeze kept the air very comfortable in spite of the cloudless skies.

Pont Du Gard

The Pont Du Gard was built by the Romans around the middle of the first century A.D. The lower level is a bridge large enough for cars. The upper level was a large aqueduct that went from mountain springs all the way to Nimes. The structure itself is immense and the scope of transporting and putting in place all of the huge stones that it is composed of is simply mind boggling. Few structures of this magnitude graced the Western World once the Roman Empire departed from the South of France.

The area below is used for kayaks, swimming and sunbathing in/near the warm, placid waters. Above, is a new visitor complex with a restaurant, ice cream shop and museum (ie, you need never be far from your Perrier, LOL).

Ancient Roman Ruins

Glanum is the site of an ancient city which has both pre-Roman and Roman structures. On the site, you can see the remains of temples, water systems, roads, public baths, a gathering area (forum), stores and houses. It is quite amazing how much of the structures have survived the 2 thousand plus years to tell their story today.

The Pope's Palace

Le Palais des Papes, the Pope's Palace is in Avignon and is one of the best preserved and most spectacular of the ancient structures. The Papacy was originally based in Avignon prior to moving to Rome at the behest of other contituencies. There was even a period where the church split into a dual papacy, one in France and one in Rome, both excommunicating the other. The disagreement was eventually settled with both claimants backing down in favor of a new Pope.

Wild Flamingos!

With it's ancient civilizations, old canals, towering castles and huge churches, it came as a little of a surprise that there are still many wilderness areas in France with gorgeous birds, wild flowers, butterflies, dragonflies and all sorts of wildlife. This flamingo is apparently the same species that is found all throughout the Mediteranean and down through Africa, a bit paler than the Carribean species but equally beautiful. In the bogs in the Bouches de Rhone area there are huge flocks of these casually feeding on small crustaceans. There are also beautiful wild swans.

Plateau Albion

We drove up to Plateau Albion and Mont (Mount) Ventoux. Along the way, there are many old churches and castles. France is rich in history and has seen thousands of years of civilization, the traces of which are everywhere. It seems that every small town has a historic church or old castle. It leads one to wonder what it was all like in the time of Christ when all these amazing structures were new and the Romans were power.

Aix En Provence

Aix was a central point of Roman activities in France. It has many surving structures. As part of more recent construction, it has many charming fountains, many of which are hundreds of years old and covered with huge growths of moss and maidenhair ferns draping gracefully from the sides. Others, such as this central fountain contain stunning statues and captivating jets of water.

Fontaine Moussue

The Fontaine Moussue is an 18th century fountain covered with a thick living layer of moss (hence the name, mossy fountain) and maiden hair ferns. It is on the Place Crousillat and has surrounding trees planted at the end of the French Revolution and at the end of World War I. This fountain is in Salon and is covered with ferns, moss and small flowers. The water trickles constantly down the sides and base. It was originally a saucer-shaped fountain but years of calcium and moss deposited to become the current mushroom shapped mossy fountain.

Salon de Provence

I'm off to Salon de Provence. It's too late for any sprucing up in French. My little Berlitz book is just going to have to do. Hopefully, the flight is uneventful and quiet enough for some sleep. No idea if I'll be able to post for a bit so...pictures when I come back anyhow. A prochaine, mes amis.

Guiness Book of Records

The folks at the San Diego Ukulele Festival were trying to break the record for most people strumming the ukulele at once. Of course, the same people set the Guiness book of records last year with around 150 strummers so I suppose it was all just in good fun. Everyone was there. Grandparents, little kids, singles. Everyone seemed to be having fun grabbing their little piece of history. As for me, I was having just as much fun taking the picture although I was tempted for a little bit and I did have my uke with me. As you can see, the day was gorgeous and just perfect for this kind of mischief. Wish you were there...
-WH

Time Flies

This is the crowd gathering at dusk to see the fireworks in Lahaina, Maui on the 4th of July. It was a warm and humid and the ice cream shops were doing well that day. The fireworks were actually worth the wait as well but that's a topic for another post.

For those of you with really good eyes, the gentleman on the left's shirt says "I love hot moms." People put the funniest things on T-Shirts don't they?

Waikiki

This is the view from Diamond head, Oahu. The top of Diamond head still has a few pill boxes (gun emplacements) from World War II that overlook the ocean and provide a little historical perspective.

The park below is lovely Kapiolani Park, named for Queen Kapiolani, sadly the last reigning queen of Hawaii before being deposed by American sugar plantation owners. Along the water, you can see the Natatorium war memorial and the cruisy Queen's Surf followed by the high rises and white sand beaches of Waikiki. If you could see further still, you would see the airport and Pearl Harbor. So, do you blame me for getting home sick once in a while?

Go Jump off a Bridge

Go jump off a bridge. Some people take those sayings more seriously than others. This guy was standing on the wrong side of the railing looking down into the not so deep water below debating whether to jump off or not. I was seriously wondering whether I was going to have to call an ambulance but youthful craziness won out. He jumped, feet first, shortly after this picture and emerged apparently unscathed to join his friends. Notably, none of them decided to try this crazy bridge jumping stunt so they were probably thinking the same thing I was, which likely just further encouraged the jumper to jump. Ow.

The Wonders of Modern Photography

Having just come back from Maui, I had all kinds of pictures of beautiful beaches. I figured I'd spruce this one up for the faithful audience.

Meanwhile, back on the ranch (no, not literally), I had another stressful, demanding day at work. It's pretty normal, really, and you ironically get used to it (or end up with bleeding ulcers). Wish I could be there on that Maui beach though. Perhaps someday.

One in a Million

Do you ever feel like you're standing all alone in the midst of a crowd? Perhaps the only one to stand up and tell the big boss something he doesn't want to hear? Or perhaps the only one willing to fight for a cause? Maybe the only one to be friends with someone that's unpopular? Sometimes doing the right thing can be truly lonely. The rewards are seldom large and sometimes downright unpleasant (like being laid off for explaining why the business plan is fatally flawed). Sometimes it makes you question whether doing the right thing was really the right thing to do in the first place (sheepish grin). Come the end of the day, that's a matter between you and your conscience.

I Thought I Saw a Figon

Is it a fish? Is it a dragon? Perhaps a Drish or a Figon? Either way, this little statue at the Red Carpet Club was pretty cool. With all the new restrictions I went to the airport extra early just to be safe and ended up not encountering too much in the way of lines so I spent my time sipping hot chocolate in the frequent flyer lounge instead.

Blue Jellies

Blue Jellies are cool to watch as they pulsate through the water. They remind me of poisonous mushoom on the prowl. Fun to look at but not fun to brush against.

Living the Life of a Seal

Some seals have to worry about becoming shark food but not this seal. This rare Hawaiian (indigenous) Monk seal lives a cozy, well fed life at the Waikiki Aquarium. Due to the expansion of construction and human activities, these seals are rarely seen in the Main Hawaiian Islands any more, preferring the peace and quiet of the Northern islands to breed and raise their pups.

Something Fishy

A yellow damselfish being friendly in Hawaii. This is one of a few solid, bright yellow coral reef fish. The other two that come to mind are the yellow tang and some angler fishes. Overall, taking these pictures is much easier when the subject comes to you!

A Little Luxury

Chandeliers are not the most common sights anymore. They used to be standard fare in any hotel of note. However, these days, everything has gone marble and brass with inset lighting. Admittedly, it's still impressive to see a huge crystal chandelier like this one at the Century Hyatt Tokyo. You can watch the chandelier as you go up the elevator through the clear glass walls and then, as the elevator passes above the foyer, you get a view of the Tokyo skyline.

Serious Sushi

The Japanese take their Sushi seriously! This very large stuffed tuna was mounted over the door of a very popular sushi restaurant in Tsukuji-Shijo, Tokyo. The interior was decorated with large photos of fisherman with similarly huge Tuna as well as a large fish aquarium with live entrees that periodically get added to the menu. Just a half a block away is the fish market, the likely source of all of that tasty fresh fish, with high stacks of foam crates full of iced fresh fish from all over the world.

This fairly large restaurant (2 floors) was packed, apparently because they are very reasonable with good quality. Notably, the retaurant across the street was not full. So, good quality at affordable prices makes a difference.

Tokyo Skyline

It was rainy and cloudy in Tokyo. The rain kept the air relatively clean and smog free. The clouds swept through in huge streaks like puffy white railroad trains. The gleaming skyscrapers glittered in the gloom like huge castles rising out of a forest of buildings.

That was yesterday. Today, it was hot and sunny and the crowds were out in their usual Tokyo masses. It was nice to settle down to a little sushi and ice green tea after a long day in meetings and subways. Hope you are all fine & have a happy Wayward Friday!

Tokyo Wildlife

Hello from Tokyo! Even in the midst of Tokyo Airport, among the steel girders, glass and concrete, there is wildlife. This swallow was part of a pair of birds flying back and forth to feed two tiny hatchlings on an iron girder above the bus stop. It was dreary and rainy outside and the birds offered a nice change of pace.

Orchid Judging

It was a banner night at orchid judging with 5 orchids awarded. This one, a bifoliate (2 leaved) Cattleya [Lc. Allen Condo 'SVO'], had a spicy fragrance and flowers that were as hard as cardboard with a waxy sheen. Overall, a good time was had by all and it was nice to get away from a very stressful day at the office.

Summer Blooming Orchids

The summer blooming orchids are popping up on the balcony and it is really relaxing to stare at their amazing colors and enjoy their fragrances. The pictured orchid is a sweet smelling Encyclia alata that was being visited by ants, likely for the sugary secretions that it exudes on the stem. Perhaps ants are the pollinator. There were also three more Stanhopeas with those wonderful bird-like flowers that remind me of space ships from a science fiction movie and that produce some of the strongest frangrances in the orchid family.

Extreme Measures

I forgot the camera at home and found myself at the beautiful Huntington Botanical Gardens without my favorite toy. Not to be totally left in the cold, I resorted to extreme measures: the camera phone. Albeit, it doesn't take the best nor the most consistent pictures when you're used to Nikon but, it occasionally comes through in a pinch. Here's a picture of a water lilly with a reflection of the glass panes centering the flower in a bulls eye. Wow.

Downright Owl Tired

I'm exhausted. Actually, I've been pooped all day. The weather has cooled down enough to turn off the air conditioning and open the windows. However, last night at about 4am, an Owl flew up to enjoy a lovely perch on top of the lamp post outside my window. Now, owls can be deadly quiet when they want to be but this little guy/gal was hooting up a storm. I swear this owl was louder than my music alarm in the morning.

So I hear "hooo hoooo hoooooo hooooooo", seemingly louder the longer I try to ignore it. I roll over, try the pillow over the ears thing but this is just one LOUD owl. So, at this point, I'm wide awake and thinking that any owl that has that kind of persistence might just hang around for a portrait photo or two. So, I sleepily grab the SLR and the super dooper flash and carefully sneak out of the house, careful not to make too much noise so as not to scare off our very vocal owl before I get my picture.

After some looking around, I see a dark sillouette (aka lump) on top of the lamp post. This is in character as the owls do tend to look for a high spot to perch on while looking for food (or while keeping me up as it may be). The camera is having a tough time focusing but this little camera has a little beam for range finding and soon enough, we have focus. Then, POOOOOF! Big flash! It takes my eyes a little while to readjust to the dark as I look to see if our owl friend stayed around for a second photo but alas, the owl flew off to darker/quieter outposts which, admittedly, was for the better since I really needed to get back into bed to salvage what was left of last nights sleep. I check my camera screen to see if the owl posed or not and voila, there he is in full yellow and red-eyed glory. Tonight, however, I intend to sleep.

The Beach at Del Mar

This is the view from the patio at the Poseidon restaurant in Del Mar. The waves looked like they were running around 2-3 ft (pretty decent) and there were more lifeguards in that spot than I have ever seen on a San Diego County Beach. I'm guessing the City of Del Mar has no funding shortages. All in all a gorgeous day. The food at the Poseidon was awesome as well.

Hunting for Hippo

Everyone was waiting so patiently to look at the hippo. Meanwhile, the hippo was looking at me!

It's really fascinating watching the hippos gallup underwater. How something that big can be so graceful underwater boggles the mind. They're probably pretty buoyant underwater, having just the right density to get traction on the bottom and still be able to effortlessly glide through the water. Perhaps they can even regulate their buoyancy like fish do? I'll leave that last one to someone more versed in hippo trivia.

Tyranosaurus Snack

This passing Tyranosaurus has taken a fancy to some of the spectators at the pride parade, possibly fancying some of them as a mid-day snack!

This year, they had different companies sponsoring huge inflatable animals (there was also a shuttle). Admittedly, the animals were pretty lifelike. Rex here is enough to make even the toughest parade participants take a second look.

Otter Nap

Hahah. Pride is over and it's back to furry critter pictures. Of course, I have over 300 pride pictures so they may still show up. Hmmm. But not tonight. Tonight is for the otters.

So why are short naps called cat naps, anyhow? Why not call them otter naps? This otter is napping in the sun, all curled up and comfy with his paws over his face. Truly an otter's life.

For those hyper observant among you, there is a second critter sharing the rock. Kudos to anyone that can figure out what it is! I am, of course, accepting guesses as of now...

Festive Atmosphere

Everyone was in a good mood. Ironically, the hot (100F), sunny weather finally broke and gave us some cloud cover, dropping the temperature down enough to be comfortable. These nice people were kind enough to pose with their very festive balloons.

Are You Proud?

What is Pride about anyhow? Is it about being free to hold hands in public without getting bashed on the head by a 2x4? Is it about having access to civil marriage and all the rights and responsibilities that are associated with civil marriage? Is it about being able to live your life in peace without being harrassed and discriminated? Or is it one big party? An opportunity for politicians to lobby for your vote? An opportunity for companies to ask for your business? An opportunity for charities to ask for your dollars? I suppose it is all of that and perhaps just an excuse to get out of the house and enjoy a nice parade. Everyone loves a parade. Happy Pride.

Happy Pride!

We were walking down the street and the neighors said, "Happy Pride!" to which I replied with a surprised look, "it is?" They, of course, had this appalled look on their face as if I was totally clueless (which admittedly, from a social events perspective, I generally am...). In redemption, I'm packing up Bessie (the camera) and heading down to snap a few pictures for you. This one is from '98. Eek. OMG!

Mushrooms are Neat

It's always fun to see what popped up in the yard overnight. There was a mushroom in one of my pots that seemingly sprang out of nothing overnight. I suspect that the hot, humid weather is very mushroom friendly and this little mushroom was lurking in the potting mix. Whatever the case, it was fun to snap a picture of and quite pretty. It's probably poisonous as a pufferfish; however, any mushroom experts out there are invited to weigh in. The true color is a teensy bit lighter (grin). We'll see if it's still there tomorrow.

Stanhopea Days

Stanhopea flowers are fragrant enough to smell from a household away and are strangely beautiful in a "from outer space" sort of way. They come in all "flavors"; for example, some smell like chocolate mint while still others smell like mothballs. They bloom once a year and last a few days but when they bloom, they work really hard pumping out frangrance. The fragrance attracts the large bees that pollinate them. Each Stanhopea is pollinated by a different bee species and has a different shaped lip to funnel that particular bee past the pollen, having evolved for just that bee. They are fascinating to say the least. Besides, I know of no other single flower that can be easily whiffed at fifty paces. Thank goodness, most of them smell nice.

Patience is a Virtue

It's summer and summer means that my cactus does it's annual splurge and blooms. It blooms a whooping once a year and the flowers stay open for all of a day. Admittedly, when it blooms, it's really something special. This year, it had two HUGE blossoms (bigger than your hand) that are sparkling white with that awesome avocado green starburst center. I suppose it was worth weeding around all those prickly spines although I would have been really bummed if it had bloomed while I was on business travel. Overall, I'd say the cactus still rates two thumbs up.

Fleeting Moments

Sometimes precious things are fleeting, like a dragonfly on a leaf, staying for a moment and then flying away in as fast a blur as they arrived. Life seems that way sometimes or perhaps our youth, at least. When you're there, it seems like an eternity and yet, in hindsight, only a moment. Is it just a trick of perspective or was it really just a moment?

The photo is of a beautiful cobalt blue dragon fly resting on a taro leaf in my back yard early this morning.

Rock Jumping Stunts

I was chatting with a lady at Seven Sacred Pools as I was about to do a backflip off of a rock into one of the pools (pool #2, if you must know). Just before I flipped, I said, "what Mom doesn't know, won't hurt her!". I said it in jest of course. However, she, being a Mom, was not amused as her kids were jumping off of rocks as well(without a scratch I might add)!

These kids in Kihei had a running dare to see who could do the most outrageous thing off of that rock. This one did a handstand. Another did a spread eagle belly flop and the third (seen standing to the right) did a modified belly flop holding his feet and hands together backwards (you'd have to see it...). It made for some good amusement watching but I'd hate to be the one that had to pull one out of the water if they missed.

Another Hot Day

The weather was in the high ninety's again. It was very tempting to stay in and avoid the head. However, I gave the air conditioner a little rest and headed out to the mall for a little bit in search of picture frames and mat. As luck would have it, the $40 picture frames were on sale again for a whooping 40% off. That meant that I could stock up! Shop, shop, shop!

I also needed to replace pretty much all of my shoes. My last pair of tennies bit the dust hiking through the a'a lava fields in Kehena, Maui. A'a is the razor sharp, pointy lava where your shoes really earn their keep. Turns out my old running shoes were absolutely shredded by the time I'd been through the lava field twice (but my feet were intact -- a good thing). So, it was off to Nordstrom's rack to check out the discount shoes. Three pairs later (two pairs of running shoes and one pair of dress shoes for work), I was really beginning to wonder if I was going to hate myself come credit card time. Nevertheless, I managed to find one last item in the mall before heading back home and stoking up the air conditioning.

The picture is from the cliffs above Black's Beach in La Jolla, California.

Bat Rays

It was 99F today. HOT. I could hear the whine of air conditioners as I watered the yard this morning. I was hoping the water in the yard would cool things down at least a little bit. We were toughing it out with the windows open but, at 2pm, the power went out. That was the last straw. It was Beach Time!

When it's hot in San Diego, it seems that half the city goes to the beach. Parking is horrible and there are huge mobs on the sand, on the boardwalk and in the water. It's not bad if you get there early in the morning but by afternoon, it's packed to the gills. So we opted for the infamous Black's Beach instead of the more accessible Mission Beach or La Jolla. Black's requires a lengthy hike down a steep sandstone cliffs that can be slippery and trecherous at times. Needless to say, Black's never gets quite as crowded as the mainstream beaches.

I like Blacks because it has more wildlife. In the winter, when it's pretty empty, there are huge flocks of birds and sometimes there are dolphins surfing in the waves. Today, there were Bat Rays. If you stood in one spot, you could see up to 10 or more hovering over the sand within any 20 foot radius. They were about a foot long, probably babies feasting on the plentiful clams and crustaceans in the shallow tidal surge to fatten up before they risked the open ocean. They were actually pretty cute and a lot of fun to watch. You did have to WATCH to make sure you didn't accidentally step on one (major downside of wading with Bat Rays); however, if you were careful, they provided great entertainment.

Pet Egret

The cattle egrets at the hotel in Maui were very tame. You could drive by and they would barely flinch. This one was slowly stalking through the ground cover, every now and then snatching up a fat bug. I followed him for about 50 feet, snapping pictures with my portable camera, watching him dine on tender bees and grasshoppers. The egrets were there every afternoon and were fun to watch. In the morning there were two small quail-like birds who also prowled the parking lot for a quick meal; however, they were pretty camera shy and will not be gracing these pages.

Molokini Atoll

There have been books written about Molokini atoll full of dozens of pictures of myriad swarms of brightly colored fish. Thus, when I went to Maui, it was on the list of attractions I had to see. In addition, I had my little mail order underwater pocket digital camera that I really wanted to try out underwater to see if it made much of a difference over those semi-disposable underwater cameras that they sell at Walmart.

Molokini crater is the last remnants of a sinking volcanic crater just off the coast of Maui. About half of the rim is still above water and the crater slope has turned into a beautiful coral reef. The water, however, is deep and possibly more suited for scuba diving than snorkeling but there are lots of brightly colored fish, if generally at a distance. Given that I grew up in Hawaii, I'm generally comfortable skin diving and spurned those nasty little floats they were handing out to the (other) tourists and dove right in with my trusty little digicam.

The picture above is a school of chromis (and a stray wrasse) that were hovering above a large coral head, glinting in the filtered sun. As for the camera, I definitely recommend digital. As opposed to the disposable where I had to develop each roll, only to find that onely one in 20 or so pictures was decent, the digital probably brought the percentage of decent pictures to around 70-80% and the rest I deleted. The number of truly memorable shots likewise went up. That being said, I suspect that a really good digital setup with external strobe would likewise improve even more above that. We'll see if I spot for a case for the digital SLR or not. They're awful expensive , big, bulky and more suited for scuba than skin diving so I may just live with the budget digicam for now. Stay tuned.