Yet Another Duck Adventure 09-20-08

I don't remember hearing about so many duck adventures in the past, but maybe it is because the Internet makes it so much easier to share this sort of story. Back in April I posted about my own experience and have had several people send me articles about similar events.

http://delquilts.blogspot.com/2008/05/heroines-0502-08.html

I received this news item today and am amazed at the intelligence of that duck. Who knew? Maybe Canadian ducks are smarter?

http://uhoh.org/vancouver_sun_ducks.htm

Someone else has flowers 09-20-08

I was checking some blogs that only have periodic posts and ran across this lovely photo from a blogger in Maine.

http://studiointhewoods.blogspot.com/2008/09/fall-flowers.html

***************************

A lovely day at Spinnaker Bay 09-19-08

We drove to Long Beach today to sort the mail and to let Corky take his walk where it wasn't as hot as Placentia - good for his Nanny, also. It was a gorgeous day.

There is almost always something going on in Marine Stadium directly behind Corky's house. Usually water skiers and boats just cruising up and down. However, there are lots of different kinds of boat races when the Stadium is closed to everything but the race. The Drum Boat Races are interesting with big canoe like boats that have a dragon on the prow and are propelled by twelve rowers keeping cadence with the drummer. The cadence increases until I wonder how they can keep up without tangling their oars, but I haven't seen that happen. There are also private events like the Toyota water craft party (employees?) and these private parties are the only time that personal watercraft are allowed. It is all interesting to observe, but I do wish they would turn down the P.A. system!

Today was just a normal day on the water, but on the grassy sidelines there were about 35 guys and 1 gal (at the far right) doing exercises under the instruction of a coach. These are students enrolled in the courses at the rowing club located to the left near the opening of the stadium. Rowing is very popular at California State University - Long Beach, which is about a mile away. This exercise was squatting and jumping up like a frog with arms spread wide. Looks impossible to me.

Here they are resting and listening to the coach who is seated facing them. The gal is again on the far right.

The seasons are definitely changing. Here is my attempt to photograph a jelly in one of the boat basins. Sometimes in the winter there are flocks of them and sometimes only a few. I'm told it depends on the temperature of the ocean and, of course, in the boat basins which are very shallow and warmer than the ocean. The brown pelicans are also back in town.

Back at Camp Del, Corky looks out the window by sitting on a box of unfinished projects - just the right height so he can watch what is going on in the cul de sac across the street.

A rather dull day! 09-18-08

A stay-at-home day, Very overcast and almost cool in the morning, although It is still very warm - 92.5F today. we did go for our walk this afternoon in the big park. The high point of the day was when Carol Bednar came to the house to drop off some books. She was going to the market, so she bought me some eggs and returned to deliver them - she is a great friend. I had discovered that the eggs in the frig are almost two months old - a little long in the tooth for me.

Here is Corky keeping an eye on me, in case I do something I shouldn't.

I turned on the TV to see what the weather would be in Wyoming for the PParents/G'parents drive from Cheyenne to Evanston tomorrow. The channel was set on ABC and it was Oprah's hour. Corky didn't think much of it, so we switched to the Weather Channel - possible thunderstorms and showers in Wyoming.

Tomorrow we will drive to LBeach again to sort and slit the mail and take our walk among the flowers, boats and water in Corky's neighborhood. Only 2 1/2 days before Corky goes home. I will really miss him, he is great company.

Blue-violet & Yellow Flowers 09-17-08

Isn't this clematis a wonderful color? Currently there is only this bloom.

The white stamens make a little blossom of their own.

And here is a closeup - the outer points are already starting to die.

For contrast here is a bright yellow Day Lily - the lilies are blooming heavily right now.

The heart of the Day Lily showing the pistil and anthers.

Plumeria Blossoms

When I lived near the beach I had great luck with Plumeria, but inland they don't grow for me. I think there is just not enough moisture in the air.

Several of the patios at Spinnaker Bay have pots of very healthy plants which are heavily blooming now.

The blossoms over lap and twist, just like Oleander blooms. The yellow is part of the petal, no stamens apparent.

Most of the plants I see on Corky's walks are white, but there are a few lovely pink ones. But this is the best I could do without knocking on their door and asking if I and my poodle could photograph in their patio!

Another tree & a pumper

A large California Pepper Tree at the intersection on the top of Bastanchury Hill. They grow quite large and live a long time. My G'mother's house in Los Angeles had one that almost covered the back yard. We loved playing in it.

Flowers and berries will be on at the same time. The flowers are closer to the tip of the drooping branches.

And the berries grow further up the branch. There is almost nothing inside the berries - no "meat". The trees are not planted much anymore, I suppose because they are so messy - always dropping leaves (too skinny to rake easily), flowers or berries. This tree is under planted with ground cover, so no raking is needed.

Just to the left of the tree is this oil pumper on the down swing. Visitors to SCalifornia are amazed to find a pumper between a parking lot and a major street, in a parking lot, in a park, or taking up half of a lot in a housing development. Most are fenced in a similar way and there are thousands in the LA Basin.

This is the same pumper going up - up,down,up,down,up,down - 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Nobody in this area owns the mineral and oil rights under their property, the oil companies snapped them up over a hundred years ago. I don't think anyone minds having them around, now that the engineers seem to have figured out how to keep them from squeaking and groaning.

Autumn Flowering Bulbs 09-13-08

On our walk today Corky and I saw these lovely white blooms. My first thought was the autumn flowering Colchicum. But I'm not entirely sure they aren't an autumn blooming crocus. If I can catch the lady of the house in, I'll ask her. She has a gorgeous garden and at one time did a business in her garage providing flower arrangements for weddings.

Quite a few years ago I was in the hospital for quite a while after a surgery and a dear friend came to visit and brought three Colchicum bulbs. I wondered what she thought I could do with them in a hospital room. She took them out of the bag and put them on the window sill, saying keep an eye on them. A few days later the bulbs had all put up shoots and in another few days they bloomed! What an amazing plant! They do better and last longer if they are planted in soil - mine lasted and multiplied for years. I dug some up to transplant when we moved, but they didn't like their location and never did bloom. In these pictures the flower stalks are coming up through a bed of violets, so you are not seeing the leaves which come on when the bulb has almost completed flowering.

In the same yard I saw this rooster hiding behind the Society Garlic and New Zealand flax. I've seen him before, but with my recent chicken exposure in SJBautista I guess I am more chicken conscious!