This is the first bloom this year from one of our cereus cactus plants. This one was still opening when I got this shot last night. Its the first of many more to come on this cactus (one stalk has five flower pods, another three and most others with one or two pods. More photos will come later, I’m sure. Click picture for larger view.

When I go for my after-lunch walks, I often walk through a nearby mall where I pass a variety of landscape items, some of which are very interesting. This tropical tree (looks sorta like a banana tree) produces flower pods that resemble, but are twice as big, as birds of paradise. Click for a larger view.

Taken yesterday while I was barbecuing and Verna was watering the garden. Click to see the full-sized panorama.

Today, we started out our day with a great breakfast. After that, we began preparing our afternoon meal. We made cole slaw and got it into the ‘fridge to chill. Then we started the baby back pork ribs slow cooking in a special barbecue sauce the crock pot. Everything else could wait until almost meal time. With time on our hands, we decided to go to Sharpshooter and rent one of their Springfield 1911 .45 caliber pistols, just to try it out. Image: Verna firing her first .45 caliber rounds. Click for bigger view.

After target practice, we did a couple of errands and then returned home to continue with the barbecue stuff. We took a couple of ears of corn that had been soaking in their husks and put them on the BBQ to roast. After a while of sitting on the swing it was time to get the ribs out of the crock and onto the grill. At the same time, we shucked the corn and put them back onto the grill to brown up a little with butter and pepper brushed on. If I do say so, this meal was as good or better than the well-known BBQ chains out there. Image: the results of our labors. Click for a larger view.

In recognition of the Memorial Day Holiday, the folks at our local Lowe’s arranged these petunias in their garden department to resemble Old Glory. I thought it looked pretty and was a nice patriotic gesture. Click the picture for a bigger version.

One of our stops today was to briefly visit the Bonsai Show sponsored by the South Coast Bonsai Association at the South Coast Botanic Garden. This is a picture of a Shimpaku Juniper, one of many beautiful exhibits on display.

For a couple of years, we have been posting about Reggie, the alligator. Now, it appears that he has been relocated to the Los Angeles Zoo. Before the capture, one of my colleagues took this shot of Reggie floating serenely on Lake Machado in the Harbor City District of Los Angeles.

Photo credit & © Des Wong (used by permission)

Life was getting good for Reggie the alligator.

The scaly, 7-foot-long abandoned pet had basked in his own legend on the shores of Machado Lake for nearly two years.

Sightseers by the hundreds came to get a glimpse of the creature that had eluded professional gator wranglers over the months.

But about 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Reggie’s luck simply ran out.

Read the rest of the story about Reggie’s capture (South Bay Breeze):

Continue reading » Alligators in the Sewers - The Epilogue