Crackle Glazed Stoneware

The other half is getting quite good at making pots and bowls. Here is one of the really beautiful ones. I like the antique, crackled, blue-glaze look to it. Maybe we can even collect enough of them to have a little show sometime!

Catch the Monkey

Monkey Flower is a small shrub that grows in Southern California in the dry canyons. The flowers come in various shades of bright orange and red. I found this particular monkey flower in a shaded area with the sun backlighting the flowers so they just glowed. Sometimes it is the little things that make us happy.

Something Furry

The sun was shining brightly this morning with barely a hint of clouds. There was just enough cool ocean breeze to keep it from getting hot without getting chilly. Not being ones to waste good weather, we decided to hike the Mission Gorge trail and check on the Spring wildflowers. There were a host of flowers, mostly daisies in various shades and sizes, various plants in the pea family as well as big swathes of mustard that turned the hillsides bright yellow. I also found this odd vine with these strange furry seedpods or perhaps flowers, I'm not sure which. In any case, the sun was shining on them, highlighting the white translucent hairs in a delicate way so here they are in all their glory.

Tough Feet

Are our feet tougher when we're younger or when we're older? Or perhaps, our ability to ignore hot, sun soaked lava rock is better when we're younger? Or our willingness to hop off of lava rocks into the ocean? Either way, you wouldn't catch me hopping around on lava rock bare footed. Nope, those feet are way too used to those soft, cozy shoes of mine to get away with running across lava rock. I don't remember wearing shoes very often in grade school, however. Maybe there is something to it after all?

Nighttime at the Barking Crab

Boston is full of seafood joints; my only regret is that it was that I arrived too late at night to try any of them. Alas, I had to settle for a few pictures. Here's a picture of the Barking Crab, a huge tent-sized seafood restaurant. Admittedly, I have no idea if their seafood is top notch or not but the colors of the tent and the reflections off of the dark night waters made for a nice picture.

Snowy April

I just flew back in from Chicago. It was snowing something fierce over there. Driving back to the airport was a minor adventure although, were I not driving, I'd be tempted to say that it was really beautiful, with the snow coating the windward side of the trees in big, wet, white, sticky flakes. Unfortunately, the flights were all backed up at O'Hare and there were hoards of really cranky people all over the airport. Just as I was wondering if I would ever get onto my flight for San Diego, the snow turned to rain and the flights started to get out again. I'm home and happy to be in warmer weather again. Hope you all had a wonderful Wednesday.

Boston by Night

It was cold and frosty out. Nippy for April. However, after a long flight and a quick dinner, a quick, brisk walk along the Charles River was in order. So, I gathered up my trusty faux suede jacket (yes, no cow died for this jacket) and headed out into the cold. Overall, the shopping/walking area that the concierge promised turned out to be a broad walkway and a few restaurants along the Charles including a Chinese retaurant (quite dark and very closed), a bar, a crab shack and a lobster wholesale place. The lights of the tall skyscrapers glowed in the night haze and reflected off the river in a myriad of colors and, admittedly, it was refreshing to get out of the hotel and get a little exercise. Not surprisingly, given the frosty weather, the hotel looked all that much more welcoming and warm on the way back.

Hippo Ballet

The hippos was doing lazy circles in the pond. It literally lept through the water, each step gliding gracefully through the water as if flying. Round and round, with each loop the heads of the spectators followed, synchronous with the hippo's turns, as if mesmerized by its movements, cameras, camera phones and other gadgets at the ready. It went on like this, a few people coming and going and the hippos doing his lazy loops.

Meanwhile, I'm in Boston. The hotel has pictures of ships and naval battles decorating the walls. The oceanfront is very modern, covered with skyscrapers and broad walkways with long rows of lamps that penetrate the cold Boston Spring evenings. The lights penetrate the night, lighting even the nooks and crannies under the piers. Under one pier, there were huge torrents of water falling down from pipes below what appeared to be a lobster warehouse. I'm guessing that there were huge tanks inside full of succulent lobsters waiting to be shipped to stores nationwide.

Duck's Day Out

It's dreary and drizzly today. It's a good day to nap but also a good day to hang out at the zoo and check out the animals. The birds, in particular, were very active, flying every which way.

The ducks have notably had a very productive spring. The mom of these ducklings apparently hit the mother load. These ducklings were drinking runnoff out of a crack in the pavement and seemed pretty oblivious to the curious children trying to touch them.

Happy Easter!!!

The bunny rabbit commeth,

He bringeth rabbit joy;

With chocolate eggs and candied chicks,

He's quiet and shyly coy,

Walk softly, says he,

And carry a stout basket.

Happy Easter to all,

And to all a good year.

Pontiac GTO

We stayed at the Renaissance Center in Detroit. It was gusty and icy cold outside with a light dusting of snow. Inside, however, it was pretty comfy and, as it turns out, there was a scattering of really cool old cars from the General Motors Heritage Collection. I managed to snap a picture of this one just as it was being wheeled off the floor. I'm pretty fuzzy on my old cars, mostly remembering fishing poles held up by twine and some triangular tail fins that reminded me of a shark's dorsal. However, I think this one is a Pontiac GTO. Real cool. I only wish I could have heard her rumble.

Airborne Sunset over Chicago

Sometimes you get those photo moments when you wish you had your camera. I was flying from Chicago to Detroit and the plane had just taken off from Chicago. As we rose above the clouds, the snow disappeared and you could see fluffy white clouds that extended as far as the eye could see. The sun was a deep red-gold ball illuminating the clouds as if threatening to dive in head first. Unfortunately, the seat belt light was still on and the camera was in the overhead. It was sooooo close, oh soooo close. Just as I got the flight attendant's attention and pulled out my camera, the plane banked to the right. What you see is the last glimpse of a glorious sunset at extreme angle over the tail of the plane, with the sun reflecting between the double panes of the window.

White House Reflections

As long as we're looking at photos with still, reflective water, here's one of the White House. I really enjoyed having all those big, still pools of water to add that extra flair to the photos! Of course, you're only seeing the ones that came out.

Washington Monument

The Washington Monument has a really long pool of still water in front of it facing the Capitol. It makes for great parallel lines and reflections in either direction. The red leaves in the water add a little character for the time of year. It was moderately empty as it was late in the day and a little nippy.

Reflections of Evolution

This is a fun picture that I call "Reflections of Evolution." In the reflection, you can see rays of light, each representing possibilities for the future and the past. All this, while the fossil reptile looks on, perhaps in wonder at where life has gone and will go. Overactive imagination? Perhaps. But it's all in fun.

Gorgeous Weather

It's shorts weather again. Of course, some people say it is always shorts weather in San Diego. Either way, love is in the air; the flowers are all in bloom; and the lines in the garden shop are triple length. I, for one, have a brand new tomato plant. The pot probably cost more than a bushel of tomatos from the farmers market but I figured it was a long term investment and it was nice looking. Plus, there is nothing quite like vine ripened tomatoes! That is except for, perhaps, tree-ripened peaches! Yummmm... This year I bought bird netting and we will see if I can keep the birds off of the peaches or not. Last year they bit each peach once so I wouldn't pick them and then ate the peaches at their leisure as they ripened. Smart little guys.

David Laurito

They had an art show at The Center today so I popped on in to see if there was anything I couldn't do without. I ended up with a really cool picture of a water fountain consisting of a cardinal with three pigeons sitting on him with the words Pontif XI in the background by David Laurito. It's pretty hilarious but hard to explain in words. I linked in some of David's photos just in case you'd like to see some of his work.

Tyrannosaurus Rex

There he is, King Dino himself, Tyrannosaurus Rex. He is the reason I visited the Smithsonian Natural History Museum. Not some poor, tired stuffed lion. Rather, a huge pile of bones that conjures up even huger and scarier thoughts about what he was when he was alive. Although, if you look at him just right, he does kind of look like a big chicken with teeth. Hmmmm... Maybe there is something to birds having evolved from dinosaurs after all.

Washington Monument

It was dark and overcast on Saturday evening. The well lit Washington monument surrounded by its ring of illuminated US Flags stood out quite starkly against the purple-gray skies. Every now and then steam from a vent at the base would snake up the sides of the monument in an eerie, ghost-busteresque sort of way. It made for quite a show.

Stuffed Lion

I couldn't help but feel sad for this stuffed lion. He and all the other beasts in the museum that were once real, live, magnificent creatures were doomed to watch through glassy eyes the crowds that daily gawk, there at the Smithsonian, there in perpetuity. Once the king of the beasts, there he sat, frozen for all time, mane neatly brushed, posing as if about to roar but never to roar ever, ever again, no more ferocious than a stuffed animal in a toy store. The dinosaur bones were cool. The jewels incredible. However, the stuffed animals were just very, very sad.