These pink Portulacas seem to get pinker every year. Portulaca, or moss rose, is a popular drought-tolerant annual. Plants are low-growing spreaders with thick succulent stems and vibrant, cup-shaped flowers.
This is a tough little shrub and blooms every late spring and summer. You can see some new buds getting ready to erupt into more pinkness. These also come in other vibrant colors including white and yellow. Click on image for wallpaper size.
Looking closely at some of the photos I took last weekend at Point Vicente, I found this beautiful brown gull gracefully soaring on the updrafts along the cliff line.
Well, that’s the name Bob gave to this pattern. We bought this shirt in Arizona last year during our excursion along Old Route 66.
The colorful pattern includes icons from Native American folklore and a variety of reptiles, birds and animals thought to be associated with the ancient Anasazi fertility and agriculture god. Like most fertility deities, Kokopelli presides over both childbirth and agriculture. He is also a trickster god and represents the spirit of music. Click on the image for the wallpaper-sized version.
When I got up this morning and let Bear out, I noticed more of the cactus flowers had opened overnight. I grabbed Verna’s camera and went out to get a couple of close ups, since these flowers fade fairly fast in the summer sun. I was surprised to see that there were so many bees up at six AM – buzzing and pollinating and gathering nectar – a regular Bee Party!
I couldn’t get in for a real tight shot because of the spikes on the cactus stalk next door, but you get the idea.
Click the image for the close-up.
During a drive on Saturday, I captured a series of images and patched them together to create this panoramic image. From left to right, you can see the new development going on at the old Marineland site and the Palos Verdes Fishing Access Cove. In the haze in the distance, Catalina Island can be seen. Click for the full-sized version.
This was a cool place to visit on a rather warm day.
Not exactly the standard chuck wagon style, though. This is a supper consisting of Fillet Mignon steaks, butterflied, trimmed and pounded then floured and fried in olive oil in a cast iron skillet. The gravy is made in the iron skillet after the steaks are done. Also seen are mashed red potatoes, sliced carrots sauteed in butter and apple juice and home grown (just picked today) Kentucky Wonder green beans with bacon bits, onions and garlic.
