THE LAKE YESTERDAY

When I went for a walk around the lake yesterday the reflections on the water were so pretty.  Since it's Sunday and a football day, I will be heading out to do a solitary hike later on.  Not sure where I will go but I have to continue to get out while the weather is dry and temps in the 50's.

Found out that the "dam" project which has been going on for about a year will, if the weather cooperates" be complete in January 2019.  That means that the water levels can rise again without the lake having to be lowered while they were building a new dam.  It will be great to see the lake looking all healthy again.


MAGYAR WRITES:

sun speaks
these stories across the pond
reflection

CHANDELIER PLANT

I saw this particular photo on the web but the image was posted without the name of the plant.

I did an image search but it wasn't clear what the name of it was.  There are many types of succulants and this particular plant was difficult to identify.  I finally did and here it is -...

I love the name and the beauty of this plant is amazing.


Mother of Thousands (Kalanchoe daigremontiana), also known as Maternity Plant, Devil's Backbone, and Mexican Hat plant - to 20 inches, A fun, unusual plant. It has lance-shaped, gray-green leaves that produce baby plantlets all along the edge of the leaf. The plantlets drop off the "mother" plant and root into the soil in the pot below, producing more plants. In winter, tall flower spikes rise above the foliage and bear clusters of bell-shaped, dangling, salmon-orange flowers.

Maybe I've seen one before in nurseries but never up close like this.  The geometric design is wonderful!

HAD TO SHARE THIS PHOTO

  Nature is amazingly beautiful and I love the fact that talented photographer's can capture this kind of beauty.  This, I believe is a Preying Mantis but I never saw one this beautiful with the various colors so I could be wrong.

I just did a google search and this is the photographer,

IGOR SIWANOWIZC

Here is a LINK to his photos

another good link for pics from Twisted Sister, a favorite website of mine.

Phylliidae || Leaf Insects || Walking Leaves

this from MAGYAR

camouflaged dancing
 among this trees leaves 
phylliidae

 step to step
within the fallen
 a leaf walks

FALL DISPLAYS OF COLOR AT THE LAKE

 The first few pics are of the house, two houses down the road from me, and then when I walked up our road from my house looking down so many of the trees at the lake are gold now.  Then the trees over at Lake Arrowhead by the village had amazing colors.

It's hard to stay home and not take my camera out for a walk.

Are you getting a lot of color in your area?

A SURPRISE VISIT TO THE BIRD FARM IN RIVERSIDE

We were driving to a city down the mountain to have dinner with one of our sons when we got there early and had to waste some time.  We drove up and down this one avenue and realized that we were near the area where the bird farm is that we have visited a few times.

To spend some time while waiting to meet with him I got to enjoy some time there and took a lot of photos so I have "models" to draw when doing my parakeet paintings.

                     perched high and waiting
                     Greenish yellow birds watching
                     human eyes looking

One area of the store had a room where parrots were out in the open sitting on their branches.

It was a nice visit and I was surprised how many "senior citizens" came in there just to interact with the parrots.  

BEAUTIFUL SCRUB JAY

I tried to do a haiku and it escapes me.

Haikus welcome.  I'll put them on my post.

We use to have many scrub jays visit the yard.

Only Stellars' jay come by now.

I FIND QUAILS SO PRETTY

Ever since we have fed feral cats I don't see them anymore.  They are wise enough to move on.

I use to watch them for hours especially when they would bring their 10 young ones around with them.  They would cross the deck outside and the babies would follow.

A STOP AT A LOCAL NURSERY WITH MY CAMERA

The "Corral" is a really great nursery up in Rim Forest a few miles up the highway and I'm always tempted in spring and then fall to stop in and take my camera for some photos.  I took these the other day and then realized how fond I am of cone flowers.  I've never tried planting or growing them but I think next year I'll make sure I plant some.   They might be my new favorite plant along with pansies.

What is your favorite plant?

Not sure what these are below.

How can one NOT love pansies!  They are a favorite also.

THE GARDEN IN WASHINGTON - MY SON AND HIS FAMILY'S HOUSE

We recently visited my son's house and here are some garden photos.  Erin is an amazing Garden caretaker ..and then she cooks what she harvests.

They added even more this year - another section of the garden which is several berry patches - and the main garden is incredible and extremely productive in its' veggies.  I could spend every morning sitting at that table enjoying the big sky above and the beauty all around. They planted approximately 20 fruit trees a couple years ago and some are already producing fruit.  I love being at their place in Washington.  The first photos are inside their new green house - something I always wanted when I owned a home.

HELLO-

I returned back home last night after a trip to the beautiful state of Washington to visit family.  I settled in this morning with my laptop to catch up and happened across this amazing clip.  A seal slams a boater with an octopus.  Just had to share this.

Seal slaps a kayaker in the face with an octopus from r/gifs

LOOK AT THIS BEAUTY

I saw this photo on the internet and there isn't a name associated with the caterpillar that I could find but it said it was on a poppy bud.  Wow what a beautiful creature.

A haiku by Magyar

this life's search
absorbs the nature colors
changing sky

PYGMY SEAHORSES

I love discovering new things.  This creature is amazing. An "artist" must have created this!!

link to article

ONE OF THE SMALL MOUNTAIN TOWNS NEAR WHERE I LIVE

I love a trip once every two or three months up to Green Valley Lake.  The lake is small but pleasant to walk around and at just about 7000 ft - the weather is somewhat cooler than where we are...also it's much colder in the winter than at 5000 ft so I prefer living where I do but I love it up there.

Here are just 2 photos from the other day and I plan to put up more.

The sky was filled with high monsoonal type clouds and it was a perfect 70-ish degree day.  Gotta go back soon and spend more time up there.  It only takes probably less than a half hour to get there.

This is probably the smallest little town I've been in besides "Harmony" California.  This is even smaller with one realtor office, one general store, a little bar/cafe and maybe a few other buildings.  You certainly don't spend time shopping when you visit this area.