Last month, when we visited the Botanic Gardens, we acquired this beautiful cymbidium orchid for less than $10. We see them in the garden shop and at the flower concession for around $40. Inexpensive and still as beautiful as the pricey ones.
Disappearing Airplane at the Reagan Library
Yesterday, my Mom and two of my sisters visited us. While they were here we talked about all kinds of things. At one point, photography came up and we discussed favorite photos we have taken. Well, of course, I had to show this picture I took of the now-retired Air Force One aircraft at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, in Simi Valley.
When I stood directly behind the airplane, the highly-polished metallic surface on the vertical fin made the airplane look almost transparent. I knew when I took this photo that I would get this translucent effect.
As for the Reagan Library itself, all I can say is that to call this wonderful historical exhibit a ‘Library’ sells it short of the eclectic museum it actually is.
Icelandic Orange
The Icelandic poppy surprised us with this bright orange flower over the weekend.
People as far North as Alaska have great success with these year after year. When we visited Alaska three years ago, the Icelandics were everywhere we went: Anchorage, Denali and Fairbanks.
Beltane
Known as a cross-quarter day, Beltane falls on May 5th. Celebrated long before Cinco de Mayo, Beltane marks the halfway point between the spring equinox and the summer soltice.
Archaeoastronomy.com Has a history on cross-quarter days and those cultures which celebrate(d) them. Plus they have a nice animation of the graphic seen below.
Beltane was the start of Summer, just a few days beyond May Day on the modern calendar. Fertility is at its peak as bees pollinate the flowers. Seedlings are poking through the cool soil, seeking the warmth and energy of the sun. Early Christians preferred the name Whitsuntide instead of Beltane. The pronunciation of this cross quarter is BEE-awl-ten-ah.
Spring Gold
I bought a little ‘frühlingsgold’ epiphyllum at a cactus exhibition at South Coast Botanic Garden about a year ago. In spite of the not-so-pretty leaves, it produced a beautiful bloom. Since then, the plant has been producing more not-so-pretty leaves, but it gave us this nice bloom today.
Phalaenopsis – Moth Orchid
The generic name means “Phalaen[a]-like” and is probably a reference to the genus Phalaena, the name given by Carolus Linnaeus to a group of large moths; the flowers of some species supposedly resemble moths in flight. For this reason, the species are sometimes called Moth orchids.
I just added this moth to the collection today.
