California Critters

 

Even though I was only in California for three days this last August, I did manage to spot a few "critters" living close to the ocean.  The first one I encountered was this cute little rabbit who emerged from the shrubbery to say hello.

Next was this hawk who quite literally, flew right over the top of my head and landed in this scraggly tree. He was a good sport and stayed put long enough for me to take several shots of him.  

I zoomed in to take a photo of this rock that sits out in the ocean and attracts lots of birds.  I nicknamed it Pelican Rock but it appears it is the cormorants who are in control here.  There is just one pelican in this whole flock.  

There is a restaurant in Laguna Beach that has this colorful, mosaic globe on its patio and on one occasion I passed by when this seagull was using it as a perch.  Since diners take their food out on this patio to eat, I'm pretty sure he was eyeing anything he might steal from and unsuspecting diner.  

This seagull found a great spot where he could hunker down in the warm sand while keeping an eye for any activity in the water below.  

This fellow is the resident tortoise who resides in the greenhouse at Sherman Library and Gardens in Corona Del Mar.  I usually see two of them in this little indoor pond but on this occasion only one was in sight.  

This isn't a wild animal (as far as I know) but he was happy to smile for me as I approached.  He and his human were out for a walk along the beach when the two of them sat for a brief rest.  

It's always fun to run into "critters" when I'm out enjoying the views.  

New York, New York

My friends Julie and Dave are in New York right now and their messages from the Big Apple are reminding me how much I love that city's skyline, especially at night.

I love seeing that skyline as much as I enjoy just roaming those streets between the canyon of very tall buildings.

You can't beat New York for the sheer drama of architecture on a grand scale.

The trees in Central Park are dwarfed by the tall buildings around the park on every side.  

It's a city like no other!

Childhood Memories

 

I dug out some old photos for today's post.  I was feeling a bit nostalgic when I found some old photos from my home town.  This is the house I grew up in and that's my dad looking out the front window.

This is how the old house looks today or at least how it looked the last time I was there.

Just guessing from the food on the table, this must have been an Easter celebration.  Mom always baked a ham for Easter and a turkey for Christmas.

This would be one of the schools I attended.  

That tall building is where I worked my first job.  That's where the Illinois State Bank was located.  

I saw many movies at the Washington Theatre.  

And, I spent many hours in the Quincy Public Library.  The building has been turned into a museum now but it was a great library when I was young.  

Just a few fond memories from my childhood home in Quincy Illinois.

Archery Summit

 

At the end of July, I was in Oregon to attend a wine event called International Pinot Noir Celebration.  The Willamette Valley in Oregon is known all over the world for its pinot noir wines.  One of the events I attended was at a winery called Archery Summit.  

I had not been to this winery before but this visit helped me discover another picturesque spot in this area.

The name, Archery Summit was well deserved.  It sat at the summit of a hill which gave the winery spectacular views in every direction.

Our group was greeted with a taste of one of their wines.

The group attended a wine-making session inside the winery, learning how many Oregon wines are grown and harvested and developed into world-class wines.

We got to tour the winery with all of its tanks and barrels and pipes and hoses.  The size of the winery was very impressive.  

In addition to all those stainless steel tanks, there was a series of caves where oak barrels were stored for the aging process.

There was even a little tasting spot located in the caves.  In addition to the lectures and tours, our group also was treated to a chef-prepared lunch.  I'll post about that in a future post. 

A Garden Art Show

 

Sherman Library and Gardens is a must see for me every time I travel to southern California and this year was no exception.  Once again I visited these wonderful gardens and once again they had a summer art show on display.

This time the art exhibit was called "Inspired by Nature" and it featured the work of mosaic artist Irina Charny.  

The piece above is called Enormous Butterfly Wings and to the right is one of two cocoons hanging near the butterfly.

Scattered among the many plants were beautiful mosaic designs in all shapes and sizes.  

Above is a Purple Circle and to the left is a panel called Flying.

Above is another disc, this one in multi-colors.  To the right is another panel called Bad Hair Day.  

This last one is called "Angels".  It reminded me very much of the works of artist Marc Chegall.  

It was another great opportunity to enjoy the garden and some new art works at the same time.