We picked this up yesterday at the garden department in the local home improvement warehouse. It’s called Pink Eschevaria and is a succulent similar to the “Hen and Chicks” and to another unknown eschevaria we have in our garden. I know that the hen and chicks variety is native to the southwestern United States and Mexico, but some eschevaria are native to the African Continent.

Click on the picture for full-sized version.

Today, we drove down to the Palos Verdes Peninsula to take a nature walk along a path preserved in a rustic canyon. I snapped this picture of a honey bee browsing for nectar in a field of daisies. Click for a close-up view.

We’re expecting several beautiful yellow flowers this summer from this ferocious-looking Devil’s Tongue barrel cactus. One pod near the center will be the first to bloom in a week or so. I’ll post pictures when the flowers arrive. Click on the picture for a close-up view.

June 14th is a day to celebrate the Star Spangled Banner and also to recognize the anniversary of the establishment of the Continental Army on June 14, 1775.

Inspired by three decades of state and local celebrations, Flag Day - the anniversary of the Flag Resolution of 1777 - was officially established by the Proclamation of President Woodrow Wilson on May 30th, 1916. While Flag Day was celebrated in various communities for years after Wilson’s proclamation, it was not until August 3rd, 1949, that President Truman signed an Act of Congress designating June 14th of each year as National Flag Day.

The modern Army had its roots in the Continental Army which was formed on June 14, 1775, before the establishment of the United States, to meet the demands of the American Revolutionary War. Congress created the United States Army on June 3, 1784 after the end of the war to replace the disbanded Continental Army. The Army considers itself to be descended from the Continental Army, and thus dates its inception from the origins of that force. Hooah!

This is a panorama of a nearby mini-mall in Manhattan Beach, California. On the right is Houston’s Restaurant where I took Verna for a very memorable date. I frequently walk past here during my after-lunch walkabouts. Click on the picture for the full panorama.

Late last night, just before bed, we stepped out into the patio and were greeted by two fully-open cactus flowers. I grabbed the camera and took several shots. This flower is fully open with another to the right that will open later in the night or, at the latest, tomorrow evening. It has been almost two weeks since our first flower of the season, but there will be a flurry of them over the next several days. Click the image for larger view.

This is taken from our other website, where we don’t always post something political. Verna took this picture in January on a clear and beautiful day. Click for bigger.

Wayfarers Chapel

With its breathtaking Pacific Ocean view and original Lloyd Wright architecture, the Wayfarers Chapel was conceived as a respite for all wayfarers on the journey of life. Here all people may sit and be nurtured by the beauty of nature and enjoy peaceful meditation. No one realized that this simple idea would produce a world-renowned sacred site. The power of Wayfarers Chapel is a blend of the sacred purpose and beauty that people experience. This quiet beauty is emphasized by the openness and echoing of nature in the elegant glass structure.