When I first saw this photo that Verna took last week at the Botanic Garden, I thought it resembled undersea kelp (seaweed). Just for grins, I futzed with the color balance to render this illusionary kelp forest.
Roll your mouse over the picture to reveal that it is actually a large cereus cactus (one of the largest I’ve ever seen). Photo credit – Verna (as usual). JavaScript/PHP credit – yours truly.
For the last several years, we have maintained a membership in the South Coast Botanic Garden located on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The garden features plenty of activities, plant and flower shows and cultural events such as symphonies, band concerts and children’s entertainment.
Image: Verna in the Garden — click the image to enlarge.
Sometimes, we just go there to walk around and enjoy the incredibly diverse and beautiful gardens, birds and small wildlife. Such was the case last Saturday after we took our recycle stuff to the County Recycle Center, right across Crenshaw.
From the SCBG Webpage:
The South Coast Botanic Garden, “The Jewel of the Peninsula”, is located on the beautiful Palos Verdes Peninsula, in California. The garden is located 10 miles south of the Los Angeles Airport. Conveniently located to many South Bay communities, this 87-acre Botanic Garden has more than 2,000 different species of plants from as far away as Australia and southern Africa. The wide variety of plant life provides food and shelter to an abundant bird population. Over 200 species of birds are sighted annually. It also serves as a bird and wildlife sanctuary.
I made this panoramic image from about 10 single shots I took yesterday at the Botanical Garden. It took 10 to be able to get a 360° full-circle panorama. Click on the picture below to view the full panorama. Some browsers may compress the picture to fit in the window. If this is the case, then click the picture again to zoom to full size. Scroll right and left to see the circarama. Look carefully so you can enjoy the flowers and to see if you can find Verna.
This is Verna snapping a picture of a lighthouse at Point Vicente (inset – the picture she took). We have lots of pictures taken from this area. It’s very photogenic there. And so is she, I might add.
The other day when we took our Nature Walk, I snapped this panorama of the trail head just as we were starting. Click for the full panorama.
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!
