Each year we go to Catalina for our anniversary, we like to stay in the same room where we stayed on our wedding night. That would be this one, whose balcony is seen one flight up from Crescent Avenue. In order to book this particular room, we need to reserve it at least nine months in advance.

We always enjoy the balcony, sometimes having continental breakfast while watching the boats in the harbor and listening to the chimes from the Avalon Chime Tower. In the evenings, we like to sit here to watch the street activity below, which is every bit as entertaining as anything on TV - and, there’s always a photo op, like this one of the Casino, that Bob took from the balcony Saturday night.

Click on the image for a bigger view.

When I got to the hotel room last Thursday, I went out on the balcony and took the panorama of the view we enjoyed while in the room. Click on the panorama to see it in the image viewer.

Some of the things you can see from the balcony is the chime tower, the Casino, Avalon Harbor, Shops and Crescent Avenue. In the distance to the left you can see Holly Hill House with its cone-shaped gazebo roof and, further up the hill, the Wrigley Mansion.

We didn’t blog over the last several days since we were on our annual pilgrimage to Avalon, on Catalina Island, the place where we were married. When we’re there we like to stay in the same hotel and the same room, if we can get it. This year we did. While we were getting ready to depart this morning, I snapped this picture of Verna who was on the street below our balcony.

Last year, I was in temporary quarters on my way to an office location in a facility we mockingly call the “Dog House.” I spent the next several months working at that location until some work came up back at the facility where I spent most of my time over the last 9 years. I found out that I’m going to get a nice office when the arrangements for the move are complete. It has a nice view, too, looking out over a beach community shopping center and a park. Click for the larger view.

Coming soon a flower that smells like decaying flesh and attracts flies. When these pods open, put it somewhere you want the flies to go . . .

Verna hates this thing but her Mom gave it to me and she tolerates it. Stay tuned.

I got a gift today. This is the ribbon from the gift box displayed on my little S&W 442. I think it’s a pretty picture - a golden ribbon on an ebony revolver body with rosewood grips on a hardwood background.

Next week, I may post a picture of my gift (hint - think ‘ten year wedding anniversary’).

This Bishop’s Cap barrel cactus sports more open flowers than we’ve ever seen in the ten years we’ve had it. We first bought this in a four-inch pot in Phoenix during one of our trips through there and now it’s in a much larger pot and grows bigger each year. Click image for bigger.