One of the most beautiful flowers in our collection of succulents (and all of the flowers are beautiful), is the Devil’s Tongue Barrel Cactus flower. These waxy, delicate, yellow flowers emerge from the most hostile-looking array of spikes and hooks that protect the flesh of this cactus. We don’t know if the flowers have any fragrance because who wants to put their nose close enough to tell?

Click on the image to enlarge.

This is one of many, many gardenias that have appeared this summer. I only wish I could send the fragrance over the internet because it is so lovely. Click image to see a close-up.

Every once in a while, I take a look at the webcams on Catalina Island. There are several of them, some in Avalon and others in more remote places.

Pavilion Lodge Cam
Casino Cam
Catalina Landing Cam
Two Harbors Cam
Two Harbors (360° view)
Isthmus (360° view)
Interior (360° view)

If you’re a Catalina junkie, like we are, you will enjoy vicariously visiting the island on the links above. The clickable image is a screenshot (reduced) of the Casino Cam taken on a clear evening. If you get Catalina wanderlust when you click over, it’s at your own risk! I know that I get the urge to go every time I look.

This garden knick knack has been hanging in the patio for a couple of years. Today, I photographed it and when looking at the image, it occurred to me that it looked like ancient Native American pottery. In black and white, it even adds to the effect. Click the image to enlarge.

The tiger lilies have been blooming for a while on the patio. This is not the first picture I have taken since they have been blooming, but it is one of the prettiest. Click image to enlarge.

Pretty soon now, we’re going to embark on our Summer Vacation. Our summer trip will be a little shorter this year, since we’re also planning another late summer excursion to Reno - more about that later. In the meantime, we’re going to head up the California coastline to beat the heat inland and to experiment with towing a 24 foot travel trailer.

Since we very much enjoyed renting a Cruise America motorhome for the last couple of outings, we decided we would rent a travel trailer this time. Primarily to let us park the trailer and head out of the campground in the SUV for day excursions (something we were unable to do with the cruiser without breaking camp down) and secondarily, to see if a travel trailer could be in our retirement future.

It’s been a number of years (double digit for sure) since the days when I drove a tractor with a trailer behind, and even more time has passed since I worked on a flight line hauling everything from line equipment to large aircraft. I’m pretty sure I’ll be OK with this little 24 foot rig.

In the Google® map above, you can see our proposed route via US-101, SR-1 and a little of I-5 on the way home. We will be posting photos from the road. Stay tuned.

Our Gymno-Something gave us yet another pretty flower today . . .

Click for big.