It's almost hard to believe that she's 20 years old today but then again, Lucy and I have been through a lot together. Some re-hashing on her arrival date via texts with my son last night regarding Lucy's formal adoption into my apartment in Los Angeles puts that date around mid-June, 2006. Yes, she was just a kitten. On her first full day in the apartment, after my then 16 year old son and I went on a shopping spree at a Petco in L.A., Lucy shot like a bullet out the sliding glass door and high tailed about 20' up a tree. That's when I first realized she was going to be a handful. There's more on Lucy throughout this blog (hint: search "Lucy") and more details about her acquisition can be found in this post from her 19th birthday.
Happy Birthday, Lucy, love of my life, companion and wonderful friend.
Lucy cloaked in her favorite hoodie.
In her corner of the bed. Lucy has stairs down to the floor and doesn't leave the bedroom much these days. She eats here on the bed while her water dish and litter box are just a few feet away near the bedroom windows. Lucy maintains a healthy appetite, lately she averages about 230 calories a day. Yes, I count her calories. This image was taken three days ago.
Also taken on April 3rd.
And despite my struggling a little with low light this morning, here's one from today.
Special thanks to Junimoon whose first birthday is coming up in just a few days. She insisted on being in my lap to help out with this morning's photo selection process. It only took me 4 times as long to type.
You say it's your birthday, It's my birthday too, yeah; They say it's your birthday, We're gonna have a good time; I'm glad it's your birthday, Happy birthday to you.
This would be a "yesterday's walk report”. Yesterday being, April, 4th. Here are some pictures taken along the way...
Solandra maxima is a flowering plant in the family Solanaceae. It is also known as cup of gold vine, golden chalice vine and Copa de Oro. I have taken pictures of this plant before (of course I have) but I believe this is best image I've taken showing the contrasting colors. All parts of the Solandra maxima plant are extremely toxic. The principal toxins in the Solandra species are the tropane alkaloids scopolamine and hyoscyamine (atropine). So, despite common names, it's not a good idea to take a drink from it.
A common raven, nothing special about the image. However, I found its behavior circling a small perimeter of sky unusual. It was circling much in the manner of a turkey vulture. The only reference I could find of ravens circling in such fashion was from European folklore, stating that, ravens circling battlefields became omens of death but also protectors of sacred thresholds. Another historical bad rap for Ravens.
There is a line of pomegranate trees about 120 yards long only separated by a 40' road. 1,000s of pomegranate flowers right now.
Wind in the Trees.
It's was pretty breezy for a couple of days. That and what I see as an inherent problem with palo verde trees, they flower heavily and the branches can't support the added weight. I was considering adding a couple of palo verde trees (those and jacaranda) to the then treeless front of my property back in 2012. I had decided that I could live with the fallen flowers but after observing these trees in the local botanical garden snapping off huge portions of tree I'd say annually, I changed my mind. This panorama from March 22nd is of the same tree seen below.
But wait! There's more on the other side!
It wasn't the first time I've seen huge breaks in that tree either.
I didn't get great shots of any monarchs yesterday but I wanted to point out that I saw a lot of them. at least compared to what I find being normal. There's also been a substantial amount of native milkweed added on the campus.
No ID on this bottlebrush.
It got quite warm during the walk and I only managed 1.87 miles. I'm not too inclined to push myself once the temperature approaches 80º these days. The high for Saturday was 89.4º.
I recently had a vivid memory of when I first learned the phrase, “no news is good news.” I learned it from my sister. I can’t pinpoint the exact year, but the event is quite clear in my mind. I was about eight years old, and she was about ten. We were sitting at the kitchen table together, alone in our house. It was getting dark, and we were wondering where our mother was. She was late, and there were no cell phones back then. A lot of our concern stemmed from the tragic auto accident that had claimed the life of our father just a few years earlier. We had “go-to” people in our neighborhood, but for some reason, we decided to stick it out together. When our mother finally got home, I think we heard something along the lines of, “Sorry, I lost track of time.”
I would like to dedicate this post to my sister, Kris, because I love her and because I'm tremendously proud of her.
Despite alternating nags from my left side tensor fasciae latae muscle and my left side quadratus lumborum, it was a pleasant walk, albeit short (1.65 miles). The music was wonderful, and since the kitties wouldn't let me sleep, I had plenty of time to get ready and leave the house ahead of schedule. I’m usually awake by 4:00 AM anyway, but I’m just not generally inclined to shower, dress, eat, and hydrate on top of the usual morning kitty duties. Temperatures for the walk ranged from 63° to 71°F. Here are some pictures from today.
Saturday, March 28.
Hong Kong Orchid Tree (Bauhinia × blakeana).
Turk's Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus) a common understory shrub where it occurs in Texas and is an important food source for female and juvenile ruby-throated hummingbirds (Archilochus colubri) and black-chinned hummingbirds (A. alexandri). Each individual flower lasts two days but contains more nectar on the first day. I see black-chinned hummingbirds here but they're not especially common. I'm well out of range for ruby-throated hummingbirds. I had never seen this plant before. The flower is about the size of my pinky fingernail.
Pelargonium sidoides, commonly known as the African geranium or South African geranium. Both images are from the same plant but show drastically different colors.
Penstemon heterophyllus, 'Margarita BOP'. The BOP stands for "Bottom of the Porch," where the original seedling was found by the nursery that discovered the cultivar.
Monarch butterflly on Clytostoma callistegioides, or lavender trumpet vine.
Monarch butterflies on Verbena bonariensis, commonly known as purpletop vervain, tall verbena, or clustered-top vervain.
Globe artichokes (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus). The tallest of which was about 7 feet. I had no idea that artichokes grew that tall.
All of the above images were taken at or near the campus arboretum. From there I walked to the botanical garden but I didn't get any pictures I care to show. For the most part I sat on a bench and went Zen. I did see male Allen's hummingbird, Laukki. In fact he flew right at me and hovered about 6 feet above my head as I sat. Two thoughts crossed my mind, is he greeting me, or am I about to get peed upon?
For the second time in as many weeks, in precisely the same spot in the garden, The Moody Blues, The Story in Your Eyes came up on my phone's shuffle play. I was introduced to The Moody Blues by my sister. She had the album, Days of Future Passed and I remember listening to it with her in this very room, probably just a few months shy of my 12th birthday.
Today was a drive to and walk from walk. The drive is only to a spot 1/2 mile from home, but it allows me to take off from a spot closer to where I'd rather walk and take pictures. I only managed a 1.56-mile walk this morning, but as late as bedtime last night, I wouldn't have thought that possible. On Friday afternoon, I had jammed my bare left foot into a bedroom door frame and experienced an accelerating level of pain where one might think they're going to pass out. Fortunately, the bed was right there. It was an anniversary event of sorts. In March of 2025, I did something similar in the kitchen. That time, I went full stride with my naked left foot into a firmly planted kitchen chair leg, pushing that chair leg solidly between my fourth and fifth toes. That event surely involved a fracture; recovery took a good eight weeks. I've concluded that Friday's incident would most likely be diagnosed as a grade 2 sprain, a partially torn ligament, noticeable swelling, and significant bruising. I have my toes “buddy-taped." Yesterday, I walked 1.06 miles, and that was a mistake. Today was modestly manageable.
Here are a few pictures taken on today's walk.
Sunday, March 22nd.
Parkinsonia florida, the blue palo verde. This is the first thing you will notice walking into the local botanical garden. Absolutely stunning.
Not knowing how well I would do with the walk and considering the issues I had on Saturday, I had skipped going through most of the arboretum, which is near the entrance of the campus. It was just a slight detour for me to get off the beaten path and head directly to the garden. Since spring has officially sprung, even though it has felt a lot more like summer for the past week, I wanted to see if there was an up-tick in hummingbird activity. Hummingbird central is the one and only Eremophila 'Fairy Floss' (racemosa x maculata) bush inside the garden. I counted five hummingbirds vying for that territory. I was most interested in spotting my friend, Laukki, a male Allen's hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin). Laukki spends most of his time chasing away other hummingbirds.
Here's Laukki perched on twigs from the eucalyptus tree that overlooks the Eremophila.
This female Anna's hummingbird is the only other bird I saw getting away with some nectar from the Fairy Floss. The "floss" clings to all the beaks.
Berberis bealei, also known as leatherleaf mahonia, Beale's barberry, is a species of evergreen shrub native to mainland China.
That was on my way out of the garden. There was a brief moment where I needed to decide on a right or left-hand turn. Turn left and the walk would have been just over two miles. I turned right. I didn't think pushing my luck with the bum baby toe would be a wise decision. I'm glad I got out; the music on my head was wonderful. By engaging in physical movement and experiencing nature, I moved from a place of mental, linear chaos back to a calm, centered state of being. Kitties welcoming me home kept the mood upbeat. My thanks to Lucy and Junimoon.
To Vit too... A quick update on feral friend Vit the cat. Vit was seriously injured sometime between February 9th and the 10th. A head injury, right side causing significant swelling. He ultimately got 17, 100-130mg, 1x daily doses of amoxicillin, and he was doing much, much better. There has been a large scab on top of deep tissue damage, and it was taking forever to fall. On Thursday, the 19th, he had apparently tried to kick off the remaining portion near the base of his right ear. The situation was non-negotiable; he needed to go back on amoxicillin ASAP. I got some mixed and was able to get it into the last of his Friskies before he finished, but he decided to leave. Since Thursday, he's had three daily doses of amoxicillin. Just as a reminder or if you have no idea what I'm talking about. Here's Vit with Juni as a kitten before she was fully adopted and on board indoors. I'm about 98% sure Vit is Juni's dad.
Spring emerging from winter, a "reawakening" because it represents a literal and metaphorical shift from a period of cold, dark dormancy to one of vibrant life, growth, and renewed energy. This transition is marked by both ecological changes and personal, psychological rejuvenation. After months of winter, plants, trees, and greenery "spring" back to life from the ground. Bulbs poke through the soil, buds appear on trees, and flowers bloom.
Wildlife emerges from hibernation, and animals, such as birds, return, filling the air with sound. Humans often experience a boost in mood and energy, shedding the "winter blues" and increasing their activity levels. It is a time for fresh starts, setting new goals, and feeling a renewed sense of hope.
Spring, a symbol of transformation, serves as a metaphor for personal growth, resilience, and the ability to heal or start over, often described as a "rebirth" or a "phoenix" moment.
With these thoughts in mind, here are some photographs I took on my walk today. I was looking not only for things of beauty, close up, I was also looking inside myself for that renewed sense of hope.
Sunday, March 8th.
A monarch on grevillea.
Peach blossoms.
Santa Ana winds had rolled in a couple of days ago. It was very windy. I held my subjects still a few times.
Indian plum blossoms.
California poppies (Eschscholzia californica).
Anna's apple blossoms. Last year I got a hold of a couple small apples from these trees and managed to germinate two seeds. However, they remain only a few inches tall on my patio table.
A honey bee on lavender.
Oleander buds and blossoms.
Pomegranate (Punica granatum) fruits and flowers.
Yellow Lady Banks' Rose (Rosa banksiae 'Lutea').
Bougainvillea.
Cactus flowers just starting to bloom.
Apache Plume (Fallugia paradoxa).
Ceanothus 'Concha' California mountain lilac.
Confetti Bush (Coleonema pulchellum).
Grevillea curviloba.
Grevillea paniculata.
Grevillea, notice the bee photobombing in the first image.
Grevillea levis.
Melaleuca radula.
High vibration go on To the sun, oh let my heart dreaming Past a mortal as me Where can I be?
