This picture of our two shotgun stocks show the heel of the gun face up. One is a 20 gauge natural wood stock, and the other is a 12 gauge synthetic stock. Both stocks are sculpted with the curves and checkering that are traditional for sporting arms like these. Personally, I like the artistic aspects of our guns as well as the sport shooting.

The South Coast Botanic Garden recently installed a pond and waterfall in the Japanese Garden area. It adds yet another tranquil water feature to an already pastoral garden.

Click the image to enlarge.

Last summer, I transplanted this amaryllis to the side of the house. This week, these two buds appeared on a flower stalk that likely will be open in a few days. The blush tells me that this must be the red/white variegated variety that produced very pretty flowers last time growing in a pot.

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Photo credit to Verna.

I am a long-time admirer of Art Deco. Mom and Dad used to collect, buy and sell antiques, many of which were art deco pieces. I learned to appreciate art deco for it’s graceful curves and stark zig-zags - it is just elegant.

I recently read a book about Long Beach Art Deco, which is a historical look at the city as it was rebuilt after the devastating 1933 earthquake. It was a fascinating account with lots of black and white pictures taken of the disaster and the emerging structures.

If you read our blog, you know that we like to visit the beaches and the harbor in San Pedro. While on a recent trip to the harbor, we toured around looking at the art deco buildings. Some of it is just beautiful, but some of it, sadly, needs more tender loving care.

One fabulous example of an art deco structure that does get TLC is the Warner Grand Theater on 6th Avenue. This building is a time tunnel to the 1930s and 1940s. I think could stand here and absorb all the wonderful details for hours. Click on the picture to enlarge.

Verna took this photo of our Devil’s Tongue barrel cactus in the back yard today. I couldn’t help but notice the patterns of the ribs and spines - they fit in with the mathematical topic of a post I wrote on the other blog about the Fibonacci series called Spiral Seashell. The number of ribs on the cactus and the direction and twists of the spines are all related to Fibonacci numbers. When the blooms come this summer, I’ll try and get a picture of the patterns on the flowers too.

Click on the image for a closer look.

Last weekend, we visited the L.A. County Fishing Access at Point Vicente. We found that the hike down from the parking lot to the beach was not as daunting as it looks from above. We’ve been there many times to enjoy the view and to take pictures from this scenic overlook. It wasn’t until this last weekend that we ventured down the path to the rocky beach below. We should have done it long ago.

On the way down and back up, we were treated to many close up views of wildflowers and unusual shrubs and succulents. Most of this is unseen from the cliffs at the top of the pathway. The rocky beach waiting below is somewhat difficult to walk on, but with good non-skid shoes it can be done after a little practice. Once at the bottom, you can feel the pounding of the surf, even though it was mild on this day. There is a constant roar as the breaking waves echo throughout the curved bay.

We’ll definitely be making this hike again. You can click on either image for a larger view.