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.

An Orchid That Smells like Chocolate Mint!

Stanhopea occulata, blooming in the back yard. This somewhat variable orchid species is named for the red eye-like spots that cover the flowers. I can alway tell when there's an occulata blooming as there is a powerful chocolate-mint fragrance that carries a good 20 feet. The pendent flowers sometimes get caught in other baskets or in the growing media as they attempt to burrow down to hang below the plant (in nature, below the branch that they are growing on). This one was stuck in another basket. I would have never even known it was in bloom had that powerful chocolate-mint fragrance not alerted me to the blossoms. I feel kind of like an orchid sniffer dog...

Spotted Spreadwing, Lestes congener

Spotted Spreadwing, Lestes congener, resting on a banana leaf in the back yard. These little carnivores live near still water and, not being especially strong fliers, are often found resting on nearby foliage.

Anna's Hummingbird

Anna's Hummingbird, Calypte anna, resting on my apricot tree.