Gay Wedding Cake

This float was decorated as a gay wedding cake at the San Diego Gay Pride Parade.  It appeared that everyone was in a celebratory mood, given the recent overturn of DOMA and Proposition 8 at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Shell Ginger

Shell Ginger, Alpinia zerumbet, is an East Asian native that happens to do really well in tropical and subtropical climates.  It is one of the Gingers that grows quite well in San Diego, surviving our mildly chilly Winters (down to the 30s) with occasional browning off of the foliage.  The pink buds remind me of a shell necklace and the flowers remind me of a string of orchids!

San Pedro Cactus, Trichocereus pachanoi

A huge San Pedro Cactus, Trichocereus pachanoi, in full bloom.  The flowers open in late evening and close back in the morning, probably because it is pollinated by a moth, bat or other night flyer.  The bees, however, are taking advantage of the long Summer days to sneak in a two or three hour frenzy of activity just before the sun sets.  There was a huge swarm of bees taking advantage of some thirty or so flowers.  Luckily, they liked the flowers far more than harassing the photographer!

Wall Spider at Hasuyo Miller and Robert Farmer's Place

Really cool ceramic wall spider at Hasuyo Miller and Bob Farmer's place.  You can find out more about them at: http://www.hasuyo.com/Pages/default.aspx

Flamenco Dancer

Asian Flamenco Dancer at Liberty Station in San Diego, California.

Another flamenco dancer from Flamenco Sur, this time with a fan!

Sea Hare, Aplysia californica

Sea Hare, Aplysia californica, on a shallow, sandy flat, along with many of its brethren where they were grazing on kelp and other seaweed that was washed up by the tide.  It's called a sea hare for the two stalks that are vaguely reminiscent of a rabbit's ears as they flop around with the current.

Allen's Hummingbird, Selasphorus sasin

Allen's Hummingbird, Selasphorus sasin, drinking nectar out of a gorgeous red blossom from a Sausage tree, Kigelia africana.

February 2013 San Diego AOS Judging Results

 Bulbophyllum virescens 'Windflower' AM 82 pts.

 Cattleya (alaorii X Esbetts) 'Sunset Valley Orchids' AM 80 pts.

 Cattleya dowiana var rosita 'Sunset Valley Orchids' FCC 91 pts.

 Encyclia Cynthia 'Darkest Pleasure' AM 80 pts.

 Paph (Prince Edward of York x adductum) 'Sunset Valley Orchids' AM 81 pts.

Prosthechea cochleata 'Steve Kelepecz' AM 81 pts.

Myrmecophila christinae

Myrmecophila christinae just opening in the shade area out back of the house. This is the first time this has bloomed for me (seems to like it outside rather than in the greenhouse).

Fish Caught in a Web

Fish Caught in a web at Hasuyo  Miller and Robert Farmer's house!  They had all sorts of cute ceramic critters hanging from trees, in the garden and even on the walls!

Sweet Potato - Yam - Banana Bread

Sweet Potato - Yam - Banana Bread, just out of the oven.  I will note that it was really awesome (and particularly so for another spontaneous creation)!  Just in case you want to try it out here's a rough recipe.


Combine in a blender and blend on low speed until lightly pureed:
1 cup canola oil
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
4 bananas
2 pre-cooked sweet potatoes
1 pre-cooked yam (if your blender is not a high horsepower one, I'd suggest that you peel them first)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger powder
1/4 tsp salt


Combine in a dry mixing bowl:
2 cups white enriched wheat flour
1 cup whole wheat flower
2-3 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup ground almonds


Pour wet mixture into the dry mixture in the mixing bowl and stir until well blended in.


Grease 2 bread pans with butter and then flour
Pour mixture into the 2 pans and bake for about 70-80 minutes at 325F (preheat the oven).
Let cool and then pop out of the pan.

Begonia boliviensis hybrid

Begonia boliviensis hybrid at the San Diego County Fair.  The flowers were so brilliant, you could see them a mile off!  These were from Weidner's Gardens.

Goats Snuggle

Baby goats snuggling at the San Diego State Fair.

Pink Pig

Pink Pig resting its weary head on another pig at the San Diego State Fair.

Furry Heartache at the State Fair

Parting with the pet cow at the State Fair.  Honestly, I cannot begin to imagine how attached you would get to a pet cow after raising it by hand from when it was a calf and the subsequent heartache in trying to give it up for auction.

Skull and Rose Tattoo

Skull and Rose Tattoo, highlighting the difference between life and death and between beauty and decay.  The skulls appears to be depictions of the sugar skulls created to celebrate the Dia de los Muertos or the “Day of the Dead,” a Mexican religious holiday. Celebrating Dia de los Muertos started 3,500 as a month-long Aztec celebration honoring the dead and welcoming their spirits back for a visit. The Aztecs would often display (real human) skulls that they had collected as symbols of life, death, and rebirth.

Today, Dia de los Muertos begins on the evening of October 31st when the gates of heaven open at midnight, and the souls of the deceased children, angelitos, visit their family. They roam the earth for just one day, and then the following midnight, when the gates are opened once again, the adult souls descend and also visit their loved ones.  The skulls have long since been replaced with sugar skulls, made with a mixture of sugar and meringue and decorated with multi-colored icing, still symbolizing life, death and rebirth.

Heliconia schiedeana

Heliconia schiedeana, in tight bud, blooming in the back yard.

Moon Shot

A shot of tonight's moon.  I was really fascinated by the craters that are most visible on the edges of the lit portion of the moon where you can see the shadows cast by the crater walls.  I also wondered what made those cool star burst patterns.  Apparently, both the craters and the large star patterns are caused when an asteroid or meteor hits the surface of the moon.  The star patterns are caused by ejecta, rock debris thrown up and out of the crater during the asteroid or meteor impact event.

Cacti Blooming Everywhere!

The cacti are blooming in the back yard in full force, highlighting the end of Spring and the start of the hot Southern California Summer.



 

 Echinopsis Nancy Scott

 Echinopsis rubispinus

 Echinopsis Sorceress

 Echinopsis Syncopation

 Epiphyllum Romantic Night

 Epiphyllum Telstar

Trichocereus hybrid

Echinopsis oxygona and Echinopsis oxygona alba

The cacti have been blooming for the last month.  That includes Echinopsis, Tricocereus, Echinocereus and Epiphyllums as well as a Cereus repandus (Peruvian Apple Cactus).  Here's some pictures of Echinopsis oxygona from the back patio.



Echinopsis oxygona blooming on the back patio.

Echinopsis oxygona variety alba blooming on the back patio next to its normally colored cousin above.

Catasetum cernuum

Catasetum cernuum.  These are native to Trinidad, Venezuela, and Brazil and grow in hot forests from around 500 -5000 ft.  This one really reminded me of an octopus for some odd reason.  I really like the camo-coloring and think it might be a fun source of spotted greens for hybridizing.

Anna's Hummingbird Chicks

2 baby hummingbirds (Anna's probably) on a nest of spider webs, lichens and dried grass.  They've feathered out and will leave the nest soon.  I got there just in time to snap a picture!  Another week and they'll probably both be off on their own.

Pacific Sardines

Pacific Sardines, Sardinops sagax, swimming in a tight ball.  This sardine species is found as far South as Chile and on up the Eastern Pacific to Alaska.  They are known to breed off of the Southern California coast peaking in April and May.  Sardines are primarily plankton feeders, largely feeding upon small copepods and crustaceans (probably the source of the alpha omega oils that concentrate in the sardines).  In turn, sardines are a significant food source for a broad variety of birds, mammals and fish.

San Diego AOS Judging Results for June, 2013

 

 

 C Latona 'Nancy Ruth' CCE 92pts

 C Latona 'Nancy Ruth' HCC 79pts

 Cyrtocidium Steve Beckendorf 'Ushi' AM 83pts

 Epy Serena O'Neill 'Royal Basin Surprise' AM 83pts

 Laelia pfisteri 'Christa' HCC 78pts

 Paph Julius 'Sunset Valley Orchids' AM 84pts

 Sedirea japonica 'Bell Orchidea' CCM 83pts

Sedirea japonica 'Bell Orchidea' CCM 83pts

Laelia purpurata

Laelia purpurata, first bloom seedling.

Hooded Oriole nest and chick

Hooded Oriole (Icterus cucullatus) nest and chick.  The orioles nest in the banana tree every Spring, carefully weaving grass fibers through holes punched through the leaf.  The leaf is strong enough to hold up the nest and chick but too flimsy for a predator such as a raven to perch upon.  This chick was just starting to show a little yellow coloration and will probably be up and out of the nest soon.

Raku Art: Nine Holes

 Nine Holes, a Raku Porcelain Ceramic art piece by Pierre Bounaud.  This piece is on display at the Front Porch Gallery in Carlsbad, California.

Pierre-Yves Bounaud, the Artist, posing by his two pieces during today's opening at the Front Porch Gallery.

Red Daylily

Red Daylily blooming in the back yard.  I had a tag in there somewhere but...hey, it's pretty, name or not.

Hooded Orioles

The hooded orioles are back, nesting in the banana tree as always.  I heard the chicks peeping as I walked by the banana tree but it took me a few moments to figure out that the source of the sound was the banana tree leaf!  I am hoping that the ravens do not find them this year as the ravens raid the Spring nests on a regular basis.  Still, a nest woven underneath a banana tree leaf ought to give them some pause.