Monochrome Maniacs

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Today's Flowers - Magnolias

I've always loved magnolia blossoms, especially the white ones like the ones I've posted today. I'm fascinated by these big, beautiful blooms in the trees, some bigger than my face as I walk up to them (if I'm lucky enough to find them low on a tree).



I think they're beautiful even when they've begun to age and they become a brownish color.



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Camera Critters - Butterflies

More photos from my last trip to the Butterfly Pavillion at the History Museum in Los Angeles. I'm not even going to pretend to know for sure what these are so please correct me if I'm wrong. You can click on any image for a larger view.

Julia (?) & White Peacock (?)

Julia & ?

Cabbage white:

Buckeye:

Painted Lady?

And this little Buckeye landed on my arm and stayed there while I walked around and took photos. Some of the kids there were jealous. Na Na-na-na Na! LOL!


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Michael Jackson Dies

Image from cnn.com

I'm sure by now everyone has heard of the fact that Michael Jackson died a short while ago of complete cardiac failure. Click Here for a CNN new brief. I'm sitting watching the news that has taken over every channel as they await a press briefing but they are waiting until the entire family arrives.

How sad. How very sad. He was truly an icon in music. There was no one like Michael Jackson. No matter what anyone says, or whether anyone liked him or not, I don't think anyone can deny that Michael Jackson was musical genius.

He had a rare quality that few entertainers had in that he continued to touch each new generation that game into the world. Both children and adults were touched my his music during his entire life.

I grew up listening to this man from the time he was a boy (he's just a year younger than me). I always thought he was genius and with genius sometimes comes the slightly "off" personality. I always pictured him as the man who simply wanted to live the childhood he felt denied of, in many ways a child himself.

Michael Jackson, may you rest in peace. You will be missed.

Watery Wednesday #41

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My World Tuesday - The Corpse Flower

Thanks to Ebie over at The Main Ingredient I found out at the Huntingon Library Museum & Botanical Gardens had the Corpse Flower and that it was in bloom so I took the day went to see it. You can also see her blog about it if you Click here.


The Amorphorphallus Titanum (Corpse Flower) grows in the Conservatory at the Huntington Library (pictured above). I wasn't surprised by the number of people in attendance and that I had to wait in line.


It was like being in line for a ride at Disneyland as the line twisted and turned to accommodate the number of people and it moved VERY slowly. I was surprised at my patience.


I had to throw in the photo below because as you're standing in line mist is periodically released in the massive greenhouse and thought it's enough to make you worry about your hair-do it's still pretty cool.


And then finally I got to see the Corpse Flower standing there among the other lush greenery. It was probably about 5-1/2 feet tall and... I didn't smell a thing. I've got to say I was a little disappointed. I was all prepared to turn up my nose and just deal with the "aroma".


I think I was let down by it not having an aroma but I think the shots came out great and I left the conservatory and visited the rest of the botanical gardens, some of which I've already posted. My Waddle Waddle Quack Quack post is from the same day's photos.

You can Click Here to read more information about this flower at the Huntington Library's website.



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Mellow Yellow Monday

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Monochrome Maniacs - The Painter

I usually visit Descanso Gardens during the week. I've been able to do that since I haven't been working. But I went on the weekend and discovered that a lot of people go to sit in the Japanese Garden to paint. It made me wish I could paint. This is just one of the people I captured. They capture images with a brush. I capture them with my camera.



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Today's Flowers

These were taken at my last trip to the Huntington Library Museum & Botanical Gardens near Pasadena, California. I went to see the Stinky Plant (not the real name but I'll post it later), and I saw these water lilies in the Chinese Garden.


The shot above is just one view from the Chinese Garden. This one shows where the lily pads were located.


These were so large that if you hold up your palms and hold your hands together the flower would fill your hands.


I don't remember ever seeing one with this center before. Reminds me of a wax candle. Don't you just want to reach out with a match and light it?


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Camera Critters - Collection

I thought I would do a collection of the critters I capture but don't always post because they get pushed aside for something else I want to post. These are some of the little critters I photographed in my outings the past week or two.


Butterflies from the Butterfly Pavillion at the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles.


A rabbit at Descanso Gardens in La Canada/Flintridge above. A bird outside the greenhouse at the Huntington Museum, Library & Botanical Gardens.


Birds at Descanso Gardens.


I can't remember where this interesting little lady bug was from.


And my most favorite capture of a critter this week goes to this poor little lost doggy that some poor kid left behind at the Huntington Museum & Botanical Gardens. He was just standing there on the post standing guard in the Japanese Garden.


If you're not tired of my critters you should see the cute little baby ducks in the post below this one. And if you're really not tired of critters,check out more Camera Critters by clicking on the icon below:

Waddle Waddle Quack Quack

Again, I apologize for the number of photos in this post but I'm telling a photo story. When I went to The Huntington Museum & Botanical gardens I finally got to see some baby ducks. I was walking along the path in the Japanese garden in the first photo and there is a stream along the left hand side of the photo.


I was so intent on taking shots of the water when I looked up at the where the water dropped off into a little waterfall there was mama and her babies.


Babies were swimming around having a good time, coming to the edge of the fall where I thought they might fall over with the water but they never did.


Mama was watching me carefully, sizing me up to make sure I wasn't going to harm them or come any closer and then she did something that totally surprised me.

I guess she determined that I was no threat and she began to lead the babies out of the water...


And lead them right in front of me at my feet and down the little path I had just walked up.




They just waddled peacefully down the path. I had such a good time taking shots of them!

Sky Watch Friday

As usual, I couldn't decide on which shot to post so there are more than one here. I haven't plastered this all over my blog but I've been unemployed since March of last year after getting laid off. It's been a struggle and I will testify that I give honor to God for keeping my head above water all of this time. Every bill was met and my refrigerator was always full.


Through this period it has been my photography that allowed me to get off the sofa, get away from the endless resume submissions and interviews that lead nowhere and escape "reality" and just enjoy God's green earth and all of the natural wonders in this world.


It was getting out taking pictures like this that gave me time to find inner peace, dwell on my knowledge of his love and give me some joy.


Standing on my faith was not always easy as the world around me was so negative. I had only my faith to stand on and though the wind of life blew and caused me to waiver, I never fell from the rock on which I stand. I got a call yesterday and heard the words I've been waiting to hear... "are you ready to come work for me?" My eyes still well with tears of joy, tears of knowing my God exists and that he is ALWAYS right on time.


How can anyone look at skies like this and not believe there is a God filled with love? To anyone facing any struggles, not sure what tomorrow will bring... God is there for you if you just reach out and believe. I'm off of my podium now but I just had to share this.

All of these shots were taken within minutes of each other and the rising moon stood over my shoulder as I took them. I took the shot of the moon as I stood ready to get back in my car to go home.

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Watery Wednesday #40

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My World Tuesday - Back At Bolsa Chica

I apologize in advance for so many pictures but I taken so many it really is hard for me to narrow it down to just a couple.


It was my kind of day, overcast, cloudy and actually could have rained. It wasn't until I was deep inside the wetlands that I realized if it had rained there was no place to hide from it and it was no short trek back to the car. Gratefully, it didn't rain.

White Crowned Heron & Black Necked Stilt

I hope this fella doesn't mind that I took his photo and posted it.

Long Billed Curlew & Blue Heron

Funny, when I took these photos it was from such a distance I, as well as some other people on the path, thought we were looking at babies in the nest. It wasn't until I got home and uploaded that I realized there were actually three birds in the nest and from the other side what we though we saw moving were feathers, not little beaks.

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Anise Swallowtail & Old World Swallowtail

More shots from my last trip to the Butterfly Pavilion. This is the Anise Swallowtail. What a pretty little thing this is. Since this exhibit is on display through August or September, I thought they must have new shipments brought in periodically to replace the butterflies.


They're so fragile and so short. I learned that they actually "grow" these butterflies in the museum and when they've emerged from their crysallis and have stretched their wings, they bring them down to the Pavillion. I would love to get a look inside of that room.


I thought this was an interesting tidbit of info. Like all swallowtail caterpillars, if disturbed, it will suddenly evert bright orange osmeteria (or "stinkhorns") from just behind its head, glandular structures which give off a foul odor. (Quoted from Wikipedia.)



Oops! Wait. Now that I'm looking at this, the body is a different color than the Anise. I don't think this last shot is the same butterfly. LOL! I have to go look this last one up. Okay. The one above is an Old World Swallowtail. That calls for one more photo.


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Sky Watch Friday

More of my shots from the Motocross demonstration at the Temecula hot air balloon and wine festival this past weekend. As you can see, these guys were flying and I couldn't take my eyes off the sky.


He seemed to be sitting here at the top of the ramp thinking, "I'll be up there in just a minute."




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Poor Butterfly!

I wanted to share this before I get back to trying to respond to the comments left from Watery Wednesday. I went back to the Butterfly Pavilion outside of the Natural History Museum in L.A. While walking around snapping pictures I saw this little guy on one of the leaves. In looking at the photo you'll probably think just what I did. What's wrong with its wings?


Almost immediately, I went and found one of the people that work there and asked the man if he could answer a question for me then led him to this butterfly. He gave a very thorough explanation and I only hope I can repeat it in a way that does his explanation justice. He explained that when the butterflies first emerge from the cocoon their wings are wet and folded up like this. It takes the new butterfly a while to realize they have these wings and to let them unfold. He further explained they need the sun and warm weather to help dry their wings.


Sometimes, they don't learn to stretch their wings out before they become hard and if they become hard before they have completely unfolded, this is what happens to them. This little guy will never fly. It will have a more difficult time finding food and because it can flutter its wings to attract a mate, chances are it will never mate. This little guy will never look like the one below.

Watery Wednesday #39

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I wasn't sure what to post this week - flowers, leaves... I opted for both.


If you visited last week you might remember my story that as I was walking around Descanso Gardens the sprinklers came on and I had a field day taking shots of the flowers sprinkled with water. These are more of those shots.



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My World Tuesday - Those Flying Machines

The annual hot air balloon and wine festival was held this weekend in Temecula, California. It was a 75 mile drive for me. I've always wanted to go and this was the first year that I actually found out about it in time. Still, I debated on going because the pocket strings ore really tight. I decided last minute to go. I was really hoping to catch the hot air balloons. I didn't really care about the wine.


Imagine my disappointment when I finally get there and there's not a hot air balloon in sight. I realize now that they were only there in the the morning for morning flights. It's possible they were there all day Saturday but either way, I missed them all together.


Since I went alone and was my own designated driver, no drinking wine for me. Besides, what I noted was $8.00 a glass. I think some booths were giving samples but you had to find a glass. LOL! I just wanted to take pictures but I met a few creative people and then guess what I found! They had a motor cross stunt show and let me tell you I had a ball. Apparently these are the best guys and I called them the men on those flying machines because let me tell you, they were flying!!


These guys were amazing! The tricks they did on these bikes were... well, let me say my heart caught in my throat several times and I was just on the ground watching.


I have so many shots I want to share but I'll limit it to these and trust me, this is a few compared to how many shots I actually took.

I've never had much interest in motor cross before but it was so much fun catching these guys in the air and I was so impressed with their skills I may actually have to start looking for some motor cross events to attend.




There were maybe 6 or 8 of these guys and I wish I knew their names because my hat is off to them for a great show and balls of steel. LOL! These men on those flying machines were awesome!


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Mellow Yellow Monday - Yellow Centers

I thought my Mellow Yellow Monday shots would focus on some flowers with a sunburst of yellow as their centers.





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Today's Flowers - Wooly Blue Curls

My photos for today's meme are called Trichostema Lanatum - Wooly Blue Curls. I wish I'd remember how to use the manual focus on my camera. Whenever I need it I can't remember how to get to it. I needed it for these because the lens kept wanting to focus on the background and not the flower. Urrrggghhh! LOL!


Anyway, I've always like the soft curl of the stamen and the lovely colors. Oh! And can you see the hummingbird in the first photo? :-)




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Monochrome Maniacs

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Camera Critters - Turtles

These are the turtles of U.C. Riverside's Botanical Gardens. There's a small pond towards the back below the higher level where the rose garden is. There were a lot of turtles lined up on the log and then several climbing the side of the hill. They made a terrific sounding plop in the water as I walked up, scared them and then dove in the water.





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Sky Watch Friday - Rancho Santa Ana B.G.

Happy Sky Watch Friday to everyone! These are a couple of shots of the sky over Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Garden in Southern California. Look there are clouds!! I say this because more often then not the sky is just blue without a cloud in sight. Kind of makes for a boring sky watch.


Currently we're cloudy with thunderstorms but I'm too chicken to go out to my favorite spots since there are so many trees and a woman was killed yesterday when lightening struck a tree she was walking under in a neighborhood. I'm staying home.


If you'd like to see more photos from Rancho Santa Ana B.G. there are some in the post below this one.

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A Day At Rancho Santa Ana

Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Gardens is one of the places I visit but I don't mention it often because I don't go often even though it is the closest botanical garden to me. It's not as "pretty" as some of the other botanical gardens but it is definitely rich with nature.


It's one of those places that have previously worked on donations but they've just recently changed that and are now charging admission. See, if people just made donations it would have been cheaper. Now you've got to pay. I watched many people just walk by that little donation box like they didn't see it.


You can click on any of these photos for a larger view. I would suggest clicking on the bird below or you'll miss the beak full of worms! I didn't realize I captured that until I edited the photo.




It's not that I don't like Rancho Santa Ana, I do. It's just that when I go I'm never sure what kind of photos I'm going to come out with - no guaranteed flowers, no guaranteed birds, not much water. I've never come out empty and it's always a very good walk.







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Watery Wednesday #38 - Jewel Drops

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The other day I mentioned that I went to Descanso Gardens and while I was walking around the water sprinklers came on and I had a wonderful time taking photos of the drops of water it left on the flowers. These are a couple of my favorite shots from that day. I was saving them just for Watery Wednesday.


This little flower was no bigger than my thumbnail and I just love the way the drops look like jewels.


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