I went out this morning to water the flowers and got this nice shot one of the new flowers from the Santana Hibiscus we got last August. I just misted the plant with the water spritzer and these nice little droplets accented the colors.

I know, it looks fake, but it’s the real deal. Click on the image for the 800×600 view.

All these are just popping out in one of the planters. Clusters of two and three on a stem of these nice little miniature daffodils. Several new ones just today.

When we brought this beautiful yellow ranunculus home from the garden shop a couple weekends ago, it was just a bud. Since that time it has been opening up and looked very lovely today when I was taking photos in the garden.

This is a Split Rock succulent. It’s related to the lithops (living stones) succulents - both are native to South Africa. Pleiospilos nelii is the scientific name for this interesting little plant. Living stones mimic their natural surroundings to an astounding degree - they evolved to resemble smooth rocks - presumably to avoid detection by herbivorous predators.

Because of their compactness, drought tolerance and low maintenance, living stones have become very popular as houseplants and garden accents. The split rock, shown in the photo to the right, lives on the patio and is currently producing its annual flowers. Click on the thumbnail photo to see the full-sized image.

Below is a close-up photo of the beautiful flower as it opens to gather sunlight. Click the image for the 1024×717 pixel close-up.

I took this interesting photo while visiting Point Vicente. I liked the way that the foreground frames the lighthouse - sort of like a window.

This is the hardware we took to the range today for our weekly target practice. Nicely packed in our new Pelican Case model 1450, (from top left, clockwise) Glock 30, Glock 26, S&W 908, S&W 442 and S&W 686.

We acquired the case a couple of weeks ago. As you see, it nicely holds these five compact firearms. The case is rugged, watertight, dust proof and has stainless steel hinge pins and padlock hardware. We didn’t have to modify the foam that shipped with the case although it accommodates removal of ‘cubes’ to fit any custom shape.

After some rainfall the other day, I captured this nice image of water droplets still clinging to these jasmine buds. In a week or so, there will be thousands of little white pinwheel jasmine flowers.

This beautiful sugarbird daffodil just opened a couple of days ago. I love all of our daffodils, but this one seems special, since it is the only one that has white petals and an orange cup.

Listening to both the Democrats and Republicans is pretty boring stuff. It starts out with every candidate’s over use of the personal pronoun - me, me, me - I, I, I.

Especially boring is the empty rhetoric from the Obama campaign . . .

• we need change . . .
• Washington broke . . .
• this administration . . .
• Iraq war . . .
• change we can believe in . . .
• real leadership . . .
• clean environment . . .
• save our schools . . .
• healthcare reform . . .
• get guns off the streets . . .
• get that woman some water . . .

Paleeeeze, Barack - say something with some substance! You’re even boring my dog!

A light overnight rain left sparkling drops on the flowers in the garden. I was out early with my camera to get some pictures. I think that this photo of these daffodils is one of the better ones I took today.

This past weekend, I took some video while Damsel was shooting at the range. Apparent in the videos was the flash associated with firing. Also apparent, is the concussion and report. I did some research and found these interesting characteristics associated with Muzzle Blast:

Muzzle blast characteristics

The muzzle blast is often broken down into two components, an auditory component and a non-auditory component. The auditory component, the sound of the muzzle blast, is important because it can cause hearing loss or give away the gun’s position, while the non-auditory component, the overpressure wave, can cause damage to items near the blast.

Auditory

• Sound - The sound of a gunshot can be loud enough to produce hearing loss, and with big guns such as artillery, that danger can extend outwards a significant distance from the muzzle. Muzzle blasts can reach levels of 140 decibels, which can cause permanent hearing loss even with brief and infrequent exposure.
• Overpressure wave (concussion) - The overpressure wave from the muzzle blast of a firearm can contain a significant amount of energy; in artillery, the force of the muzzle blast can cause damage to surrounding structures and vehicles. Residual pressures at the muzzle can be a significant fraction of the peak chamber pressure, especially when slow burning powders or short barrels are used.

Image - Damsel firing (top) the Glock 30
         and (bottom) Smith & Wesson 686

Non -auditory

• Muzzle glow - Muzzle glow is a reddish glow that is visible before the bullet leaves the barrel. Muzzle glow is created by superheated gases that have leaked past the projectile and have exited the barrel.
• Primary flashes - The primary flash is caused by propellant gases exiting the firearm behind the bullet. Although amongst the brightest of the flashes, the heat of the primary flash dissipates quickly and thus is no longer visible.
• Intermediate flashes - The intermediate flash is caused by shock waves created by the high speeds of the escaping gases and projectile, and appears as a reddish disc shape in front of the muzzle.
• Secondary flashes - Secondary flash appears farthest from the muzzle as a large white or yellow flame. Secondary flash is caused by the mixture of fuel-rich gases and oxygen in the atmosphere surrounding the muzzle.
• Sparks - Following the dissipation of the muzzle flash, partially unburnt powder or other heated materials can be ejected from the muzzle and appear as sparks.

Not apparent in the images above is the report and concussion. Both the .45 and .357 have a loud report and although the flash appears less intense in the .357, the concussion is significantly stronger than the .45.

U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) led the charge in the U.S. Congress where she, and 54 other Senators, along with 250 U. S. Representatives and Vice President Dick Cheney signed on to one of the many amici filed in the D.C. vs. Heller case. Senator Hutchison also authored an article containing rationale on how the D.C. Gun Ban affects the entire nation.

In the article, Senator Hutchison concludes:

The U.S. Supreme Court has the perfect case to affirm an individual’s Second Amendment right to self-defense. Though gun-control advocates have questioned this through the years, Congress never has.

From the Freedman’s Bureau Act of 1865 to the Property Requisition Act of 1941, Congress reaffirmed the solemn position of the U.S. as a defender of one’s right to protect his being and his home with an operable firearm. I hope the Supreme Court will affirm the individual right to self-defense with a firearm so that it is clear and unambiguous.

It is an opportunity, perhaps, of a lifetime.

Meanwhile, Texas Solicitor General R. Ted Cruz, organized the Solicitors General from 31 States in filing another amicus brief. The 31 states filed a brief explaining that “the individual right to keep and bear arms is protected by the United States Constitution and the constitutions of forty-four states.” The 31 amici states also note that “the District of Columbia’s categorical gun ban is markedly out of step with the judgment of the legislatures of the fifty states, all of which protect the right of private citizens to own handguns.”

Ted Cruz will argue the States’ rebuttal to the petitioners ’state militia’ before the Supreme court. Alan Gura, one of the attorneys arguing the case on behalf of Heller, has allotted time for Ted to engage the Court’s attention.

Gura, in his post The States Weigh In speaks highly of R. Ted Cruz, while allowing as how the U.S. Solicitor General, with their failure of principle and logic, can get their own time for arguments.

The opportunity to collaborate with so many old friends is among the many perks of working this case. Among our amici briefs coming this Monday, we expect a brief from over thirty states, voicing support for the individual right view and rejecting the Petitioners’ “state militia” theory, authored by Texas SG Ted Cruz. I’ve known and respected Ted for many years for his legal (and poker) acumen. Considering the significance of this brief, we’re delighted to consent to Ted’s request for ten minutes of argument time. [Ted and I had discussed dividing argument time at the D.C. Circuit stage, but we did not have enough time to divide.]

Of course, we would not begrudge the U.S. Solicitor General’s desire for argument time as well. However, considering his position is adverse to our clients, it would be inappropriate for him to detract from our argument time. Accordingly, we suggest to the Court that should the U.S. Solicitor General desire argument time, he be granted such time in addition to, and not instead of, the parties’ time.

Thanks to Senator Hutchinson and Ted Cruz - and also to many other significant Respondents Amici, there will be a lot of energy working to save our basic second amendment freedoms.