The Wayward Hawaiian

Street Art

2019-09-11T00:58:00.001-07:00

The neighbors have paid a painter to paint public utilities and curbing. It's really brightened up the normally drab green utilities.

Cymbidium atropurpureum

2016-08-28T00:17:00.000-07:00

Cymbidium atropurpureum, is a native of Southeast Asia, where it grows in forests up to 5000 ft. The flowers are nearly black and cascade downwards in pendant inflorescenses, making a both striking and graceful display.

Dragon Fruit Blossom

2016-08-21T22:18:00.000-07:00

Dragon Fruit blossom on the epiphytic jungle cactus Hylocereus costaricensis. This plant originates in Central America where it was cultivated for food. It is also called Pitaya roja or red-fleshed pitaya. Hylocereus polyrhizus is a synonym. The fruits are sweet but slightly tart, have red, shiny exteriors covered with green bracts. The flesh of the fruits is a dark pink with tiny black seeds. In nature, these beautiful, noctunal flowers are pollinated by bats and, if they open early enough, also by bees. The flowers open in the evening, being fully open by around nine or ten at night, and are typically wilted by the next afternoon.

Electric Blue Acara

2016-08-14T22:26:00.001-07:00

Electric Blue Acara. Newest fish in the tank. Do you think it'll eat the java ferns?

Wow, Crazy Bee-Eating Spider!

2016-08-07T00:53:00.001-07:00

Spider and hapless bee, enmeshed alive in spider silk, all in a blink of an eye, as she spun the bee round and round, coating it in the toughest netting to return tonight for a living feast. She set a huge, strong web right next to a patch of blooming ice plant and was reeling in bee after bee in a steady wagon train of future meals. You would think she'd get tired of wrapping bees after a while but she never tired and never wavered. As for those mounds on her back? I'm not sure but perhaps they're eggs for future generation of spiders? Yikes.

August San Diego American Orchid Society Award

2016-08-02T22:06:00.000-07:00

(Slc Orchidom Leopard X C Mark Jones) 'Arnie' HCC/AOS

San Diego County Orchid Society Summer Show AOS Awards

2016-07-31T01:08:00.000-07:00

Encyclia Lee Ward 'Feuerbach' AM/AOS

Eulophia petersii 'Captain Peters' HCC/AOS

July 2016 San Diego Judging Center American Orchid Society Awards

2016-07-24T11:36:00.000-07:00

July 2016 San Diego Judging Center American Orchid Society Awards

Cattleya Dean's Flair 'Sunset Valley Orchids' AM 85pts

Cattleya Leoloddiglossa 'SVO Speckled Blue' FCC 90pts

Cattleya tenebrosa 'Windflower' AM 85pts

Cattleya warscewiczii 'Fatima' HCC 78 pts

Laeliocatarthron Silver Maker 'Sunset Valley Orchids' AM 80pts

Paphiopedilum Ap Philip 'Seagraves' AM 80pts

Paphiopedilum Carolyn Butcher 'Arnie' HCC 78pts

Paphiopedilum Crouching Tiger 'Piedmont' HCC 78pts

Paphiopedilum Temptation 'Seagraves' AM 80pts

June 2016 AOS Awards for San Diego Judging

2016-07-24T11:24:00.000-07:00

June 2016 awards given at the San Diego American Orchid Society Judging Center

Cattleya warscewiczii 'Fabio Nahas' AM/AOS

Cattleya Zip 'Red Velvet' AM/AOS

Enanthleya Purple Martins 'Arnie' HCC/AOS

Phrag Living Fire 'James Wright' HCC/AOS

Rodrumnia Cherry Hollow 'Very Cherry' AM/AOS

A Garden for the Hummingbirds

2016-06-12T20:47:00.000-07:00

The Hummingbirds are back in full strength and having some natural nutrients in their diet is always a good thing. As it happens, I found myself at the nursery today and a bunch of Salvia species and hybrids and a little hysop found its way into my garden to provide the hummers a little bit more than just sugar/hummingbird food mix that I put into the feeders.

Hummingbird Hysop

Pineapple Sage

Salvia 'Amistad'

Salvia urica var compacta

American Orchid Society Awards for the San Diego Region for May, 2016

2016-05-29T18:27:00.000-07:00

American Orchid Society Awards for the San Diego Region for May, 2016

Ansellia africana 'Rainbow Valley' HCC/AOS

(Blc Willette Wong X Pot Mem Jim Nickou) 'Arnie' AM/AOS

Encyclia Rioclarense 'Arnie' AM/AOS

(Laelia praestans x Laelia crispata) 'Brazil Treasure' AM/AOS

Myrmecocattleya Mem Louise Fuchs 'Purple Rain' FCC/AOS

Paph Jolly Holiday 'Seagraves' AM/AOS

Phal Haur Jih Fancy 'Cherie CT #2' AM/AOS

Phal Haur Jih Fancy 'Cherie CT #3' AM

American Orchid Society Regional Judging Awards for the San Diego Judging Center, April, 2016

2016-05-29T18:14:00.000-07:00

American Orchid Society Regional Judging Awards for the San Diego Judging Center, April, 2016

Brassavola nodosa 'Big Deal' AM/AOS

Comparettia x maloi 'Windflower' AM/AOS

Paphiopedilum wenshanense 'Arnie' HCC/AOS

Phalaenopsis Sogo Rose 'Arnieberry' AM/AOS

Renanthera imschootiana 'Feuerbach' AM/AOS

Tolumnia velutina 'Isabella' CCM/AOS

March San Diego American Orchid Society Awards

2016-03-05T00:07:00.001-08:00

Here are the awards from the March American Orchid Society Judging in San Diego, California.

Dendrobium Greta Snow 'Charley's Favorite' AM/AOS

Restrepia lansbergii 'DMH' AM/AOS

Jackrabbit on the Run!

2016-01-29T21:16:00.001-08:00

This large Jackrabbit, Lepus californicus, was entertaining a wonderful couple who were nice enough to point him out to me, prior to him bounding off into the bushes. As opposed to those cute little cottontails, jackrabbits are quite large, super fast when on the run, and are actually in a different genus. Here, at the Tijuana Estuarine Reserve, they have desert cottontails, Sylvilagus audobonii, also known as Audubon's cottontail.

Female American Kestrel Falco sparverius

2016-01-26T05:21:00.004-08:00

Female American Kestrel, Falco sparverius, at the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve, resting on barbed wire while scanning the grass below for grasshoppers, lizards and other small prey. It always amazes me how birds leisurely lounge on barbed wire without ever apparently getting poked. I've even seen birds on Chollas cactus (for example, the cactus wren), which is no small feat.

Broad-Winged Hawk

2016-01-26T04:39:00.003-08:00

A Broad-Winged Hawk, Buteo platypterus, hunting for rabbits, mice, lizards and other small prey at the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve. This particular, rather large hawk appears to be staring directly at me, or perhaps my small dog which was walking with us, deciding if we were an appropriate meal. With some relief, I note that it decided that we were not.

Huge Flock of Wintering Willets

2016-01-12T23:56:00.001-08:00

A huge flock of Willets (Catoptrophorus semipalmatus), in their Winter colors, adopts a Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) or two and a Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa), all rising up in unison forming a zig zagging cloud of wings, confounding hungry hawks. Tijuana Estuarine Preserve, San Diego, California

The Nightmare Goatfish!

2016-01-10T23:41:00.003-08:00

Bandtail Goatfish, Weke Pueo in Hawaiian, with a small Papio (Jack in English). Small papio will hang out with goatfish, often eating small shrimp and other critters scared up off the bottom the by the goatfish, which grubs in the sand. This particular somewhat uncommon goatfish is rumored to be hallucinogenic, if eaten (particularly the eyes and guts...bleah), causing nasty nightmares. I'd bet it's caused by something that this particular goatfish eats. Weke, pronounced veh-keh, is the generic name for goatfish in Hawaiian. Pueo, if I recall, was owl in Hawaiian, perhaps alluding to the weird nightmares it causes when eaten. As for me, I think it's one of the more beautiful goatfish and would just as soon leave it to live a long and happy life in the ocean.

Happy New Year!

2015-12-31T14:46:00.004-08:00

Happy New Year! May 2016 bring you happiness, health and success.

December American Orchid Society Awards for the San Diego Judging Region

2015-12-08T22:31:00.000-08:00

Cattleya trianae 'Supreme' HCC/AOS

Clowesetum Maeve 'SunsetValleyOrchidsFreckles' AM/AOS = Clowesia Rebecca Northern X Ctsm. Mark Dimmitt

Ctsm Millie's Frilly Dragon 'SVO Frills' AM/AOS

Ctsm spitzii 'SVO Gold' FCC/AOS

Phragmipedium Don Wimber 'Amazon Sunset' HCC/AOS

October American Orchid Society Awards for the San Diego Judging Center

2015-12-08T22:23:00.003-08:00

Gomesa colorata 'Jenny' AM/AOS

Gomesa colorata 'Jojo s Firecracker' HCC/AOS

September AOS San Diego Awards

2015-12-08T22:16:00.002-08:00

Cattleya (Laelia) colnagoi_Windflower CHM/AOS

Cattleya jenmanii_Kimberly Burzell AM/AOS

Vanda falcata_Feuerbach CCE/AOS

Monaco/Monte Carlo and Cannes, France

2015-09-26T11:36:00.004-07:00

Cannes and Ile Sainte-Marguerite

Cap-d'Ail, Monte Carlo/Monaco, and Roquebrune-Cap-Martin

Venting gas at the refinery at Etang de Berre/Marignane. It was burning, every time I passed by; I don't know if it burns 24x7x365 but it seems to be a constant presence.

Carry le Rouet

2015-09-26T11:30:00.001-07:00

Some shots from Carry le Rouet, France.

Pup resting on the beach while sitting on his master; you can see a tiny bit of knee to the left.

Odd two tailed plane passing overhead.

Flock of Egrets

Fossilized scallop from an ancient seabed. Do you suppose there is a tectonic plate being forced up?

Cutest lab-terrier mix. Mom was this tiny terrier and dad was a very persistent black lab. He was up for adoption as his owner was moving into a small apartment and didn't have space for a lab mix.

The Carry le Rouet lighthouse under cloudy skies.

An old, unused boat ramp.

Chateau de la Barben

2015-09-21T02:32:00.002-07:00

This photo of the Chateau de la Barben was shot from the road, looking towards the castle. This mediaeval fortress, mentioned as early as 1069, belonged to King René of Provence in the 15th century. It was, at some point, sold to a merchent family (who sold furs and pelts) that supported the King, and was altered and extended in the 16th and 17th centuries. The keep was burned at the beginning of the French revolution and the family, who supported the King, was executed (beheaded) later during
the revolution. Restoration work was carried out in the 19th and 20th centuries and the castle remains run and maintained by private owners who conduct tours, cater out events and run a
hotel at the site.