Now that I’m back in the Manhattan Beach office, I can take my after-lunch walks down past the Marriott Hotel. I paused last week to take this three frame panorama from the northwest corner of the property.

Click for the big panorama.

We happened to drive through a section of Old Torrance last Saturday while we were out running errands. On our way through the area, I snapped this photo of a classic Tudor style home. Most homes in this area were built in the 1930s and vary in their architectural styles from Craftsman to Spanish Revival to Tudor and more.

Click on the image for the full-sized view.

I looked up some history about the Tudor style on Answers.com:

Tudor style, descriptive of the English architecture and decoration of the first half of the 16th cent., prevailing during the reigns (1485–1558) of Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI, and Mary I. It is the first of the transitional styles between Gothic Perpendicular and Palladian architecture, the other two being Elizabethan and Jacobean. The rise of new trading families to wealth and the enrichment of court favorites by Henry VIII with lands and riches derived from his suppression of monasteries resulted in the building of many manor houses. In these the fortified character of earlier times gave way to increased domesticity and privacy.

Although the great hall still remained the focus of the establishment, its importance now decreased with the introduction of other rooms such as parlors, studies, bedrooms in greater number, and quarters for dining. Rooms frequently were fitted with oak paneling, often of linen-fold type; walls and ceilings received rich plaster relief ornament; and articles of furniture came into greater use. Domestic exteriors exhibited Perpendicular features in modified form, notably square-headed, mullioned windows and arched openings of the four-centered or so-called Tudor type. Other characteristics were the use of brickwork combined with half-timber, high pinnacled gables, bay or oriel windows, and numerous chimneys of decorative form. Principal Tudor examples are parts of Hampton Court Palace, begun in 1515, and many colleges of Oxford and Cambridge. Noted country manors include Sutton Place, Surrey; Layer Marney, Essex; and the splendid Compton Wynyates, Warwick.

We went to the Botanic Garden today for the annual Orchid show and sale. After visiting the show, we took a stroll through some of the garden. I got this panoramic image of Verna strolling on the lawn in the courtyard. Scroll right to see the gazebo at the other end of this calming scene.

My sister emailed this photo of our Grandmother today. I’m not sure where this was taken or when - it’s a new one to me. Ilda was part Cherokee and Creek and loved all things Native American. She’s been gone for over 10 years but we all still miss her.

One of my favorites is this Santana Hibiscus. This bloom came out today and I just love this color. Click to enlarge.