We have an area along the side of the house where we don’t often go. We have a few shrubs and flowers over there, one of which is an epiphyllum. I think it had flowers a couple of years ago, but I don’t quite remember. I went out there this morning to check on something unrelated and was pleasantly surprised by this gorgeous white flower.
It’s really, really hard to pick a single image from the 125 pictures I took today in the South Coast Botanic Garden on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. I’ll show this collage of sixteen images, but none of them do justice to actually being in the garden.
I’ll post a couple of full-sized images later this week – they were all very beautiful.
And I now have taken possession of my new best little friend. After the long wait and finally taking delivery, I went into the range and promptly put 50 rounds through this little beauty. Not only did I put the rounds through the gun barrel, they actually managed to go through the target at (more or less) where I was aiming. She’s got quite a kick for a little lady, but I just love shooting this lightweight, compact firearm. When I slip her into my pocket she disappears from view, and you would never know she was there — until I whip her out. No hammer to catch on my holster or pocket either. She’s ready in a flash!
Can you say Happy Dance?
Congress recently polled at a miserable 14% approval rating. With their political feeding frenzy and blatant disregard for public opinion, I suggest this:
You might also consider signing the “Secure Our Borders – No Amnesty” petition and the “We Win, They Lose – No Surrender” petition. Both links currently at the top of the left sidebar.
These striped gazanias certainly add a lot of color to the patio. This is one of several annuals that we recently added to the the outdoor floral collection. Very pretty!
We have selected a fellow Bear Flag League member, Ridgecrest Blog as this week’s Weblog of the Week (WOW).
Quoting David, the proprietor, it’s about “A South Dakota boy blogging about life and stuff in Ridgecrest, a small town in California’s upper Mojave Desert. Ridgecrest is not the end of the world. But when the wind blows just right… you can smell it from here.”
David writes about his family, twins and all, and mixes in enough political sage stuff to render a blend of anecdotal humor and perspectives on the world. Quoting his FAQ page, “I’m not writing this for you. I’m writing it for me. If someone else besides me finds some enjoyment from it – great. If you find it boring and mindless then I’m sorry you chose to waste your time here being bored.”
We haven’t been bored yet. We’re happy to name Ridgecrest Blog as our Weblog of the Week.
Sleeping computer nerd graphic shamelessly stolen from Ridgecrest Blog
UPDATE: Ridgecrest Blog Responds.
. . . about Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere, that is.
In April, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled that the Environmental Pollution Agency must consider Carbon Dioxide (CO2) as an air pollutant!
Now, as you may know, the gas CO2, is critical to the growth of vegetation on our planet; plants ‘breathe CO2 and exhale oxygen’ as it were. Animals, including us, do exactly the opposite – breathe oxygen and exhale CO2. You know what happens when animals are deprived of oxygen, so you must have a clue what might happen to CO2-deprived vegetation.
The current editorial at CO2 Science addresses that scenario – that is, an actual scientific experiment that documents what happens when cucumbers are deprived of CO2 (The following has been excerpted from “Carbon Dioxide: A Vital Atmospheric Resource Under Siege“):