Resting Butterfly, With Sun-kissed Wings
All Photos by Enchanted Seashells
Silent Sunday: Resting Butterfly With Sun-Kissed Wings
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Category Archives: Photography
Totally Wordless Wednesday: Pure Ivory, A Virtuous Lily
Pure Ivory, A Virtuous Lily
Photo Credit:
Princess Rosebud @Enchanted Seashells, Confessions of a Tugboat Captain’s Wife
Wordless Wednesday: Tulips
Dripping Caves Hike: Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park #SoCal
A few days before Christmas, we picked up Angel Boy (my son– and yes, we still call him Angel Boy even though he’s thirty-two-years old!) from the John Wayne Airport in Orange County.
We drove RIGHT BY South Coast Plaza but my mind was too excited to see my baby to care about stopping at Chanel or Valentino or Cartier or Gucci or Harry Winston….HARRY WINSTON!!
Crap, did I just miss an opportunity to check out Chanel???
Sigh, a mom’s gotta do what a mom’s gotta do.
Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park is a jewel of solitude and natural beauty in hectic Orange County.
It comprises approximately 4,500 acres of wilderness and natural open space land. Originally, part of the Juaneno or Acajchemem tribal land, it later was owned by Don Juan Avila, Louis Moulton, the Mission Viejo Company, and now is under the jurisdiction of OC Parks.
Within the park lands are mature oaks, sycamores, and elderberry trees, two year-round streams, and over thirty miles of official trails. Many rare and endangered plants and animals make this park their home. This park is designated as a wildlife sanctuary.
To get to the main trailhead for Aliso & Wood Canyons Wilderness Park, exit the 5 freeway at Alicia Parkway and head towards the ocean.
Of course it was imperative that we feed the child. Whether they’re four or thirty-two, the first thing they think about is FOOD! I had prepared a huge amount of food for the hungry traveler and we ate it at a picnic table near the entrance to the trailhead, under a canopy of old shade trees. He ate a couple of his favorite sandwiches: tuna with celery, apples, nuts, avocado, tomatoes, cheese, and lettuce — along with Lentil Cookies, Snickerdoodles, Veggie Chips, Persimmon Bread, and an apple and an orange. We never fail to marvel at the AMOUNT of food Angel Boy can pack away…and that doesn’t include the nuts and raisins for the hike.
What’s up with that kind of metabolism?
He eats so much and burns it all and needs to eat again every couple of hours or so. This is just his normal — I once took him to an endocrinologist to make sure his levels were OK, and we learned that he’s just an extremely efficient food user. All I can say is that he didn’t get that from me.
After almost eight miles, we drove home — exhausted –but in a good way, and restored by the fragrance of Southern California buckwheat and sage.
Of course it was time for dinner and another feast of epic proportions: the stuff of mom-joy, that’s for sure.
Great blue heron.
A hidden pocket of water.
More water, rushing over rocks.
A gorgeous meadow and hills, but look at the houses on the hill.
So close to civilization!
Fairy-like foot bridge.
Another cool cave.
Some leaves DO change color in SoCal!
A happy mom ‘cos my Angel Boy was home,
even if only for a few days.
Beachy December Festival of Light and Color: Photos
Even though it’s the beginning of December and was the fifth night of Hannukah, here in Southern California we enjoyed a brief summery Sunday before a massive winter storm barrels down the coast from Alaska.
A late afternoon beach walk in Carlsbad…magnificent sunset, boats, seagulls flying home. Not such big waves, though I bet the winter storm will bring plenty of surf energy.
Maybe that’s why I get so excited for the WordPress snow to appear.
It’s the only snow I see unless we go skiing!
These photos have not been retouched. This is exactly what it looked like. AMAZING, right?
When a Zygocactus Blooms, It’s a Sure Sign the Holidays are Coming!
Whether you call it Christmas Cactus or Zygocactus, it’s really a Schlumbergera hybrid.
Today at Casa de Enchanted Seashells, we’re packing up to drive the eight hours it takes to get to Sacramento so I can testify at the Fish and Wildlife hearing on Friday to protest the delisting of wolves from the Endangered Species List.
However and whatever…
I’ve got a new black suit, AMAZING heels, and a speech that I hope will make a difference, ‘cos that’s what it’s really all about.
While we’ve been getting ready, I noticed a magnificent plant blooming and crying out for attention.
My bright little pot loves to sit in our kitchen window for most of the year; when I see the red buds at the tips of the leaves, I know it won’t be long before the massive butterfly blooms emerge.
I love to say “zygocactus” like ten times in a row cos it feels so good as it rolls off the tongue, plus it’s really easy to grow!
You try it. It’s neat, huh?
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Schlumbergera truncatus blooms closer to Thanksgiving while Schlumbergera bridgesii blooms closer to Christmas, but through hybridization there is a certain overlapping of blooming times.
This is the most intense pink; the flowers feel kind of waxy or fleshy.
Schlumbergera are epiphytes (tree-dwelling) originating in the mountainous rainforests of Brazil.
It’s excellent as hanging basket plant on a sheltered patio, or can be brought indoors in a bright area with excellent airflow.
Think about how lovely a blooming plant will be as a gift to bring joy for many years.
I’ve had pretty good success propagating these beauties by snipping a cutting at the natural “joint”, letting it dry out for a couple days, and then planting in sandy soil, keeping it only slightly moist until roots appear.
Don’t make the same mistakes I did by letting it get too wet or it’ll rot and die.
The next time you hear from me, I’ll be in Sacramento, meeting other wolf advocates and giving my two cents worth to a panel of Fish and Wildlife members who have blood on their hands from the senseless deaths of hundreds of beautiful wolves.
However, they have yet to hear from Princess Rosebud.
Related articles
- How To Care For A Christmas Cactus (proflowers.com)
- Holiday Christmas Cactus! (pm27.wordpress.com)
- Feds hold public hearing on wolf proposals (azdailysun.com)
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Wordless Wednesday — Moose Tracks — Don’t Murder Animals
Is it really Wednesday already? On my way to a Pilates class, here’s my contribution:
Moose Resting in Tall Grass in Grand Tetons.
He didn’t move all day. He was about ten feet from the trail when we began our hike and four hours later, he was still there. We watched him for a while, admiring his rack (ha ha) and wondered how anyone could kill such a beautiful creature and mount the antlers on a wall for decoration.
It hurt our heart and soul to think that if this lovely animal wandered off the protected lands of Grand Tetons National Park, he’d be slaughtered.
If I was anti-hunting before this trip, I have become (if possible) even more militantly against animal murder.
At the risk of offending anyone, I’d like to suggest that hunters have sociopathic tendencies. That opinion was derived from an animal rights group and it resonates with me.
I guess this wasn’t so wordless after all.
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Sunday Blues
Happy Father’s Day
Happy Baby Daddy Day
Happy Deadbeat Dad Day
There are only a few blues in my garden — I wish I could successfully grow hydrangeas, but I think the soil would need a major overhaul.
I found these blues on my morning tour (to see if any more sick squirrels came to visit.)
Lily of the Nile, also known as Agapanthus…
against a backdrop of neon-pink Sweetpea Bush.
An artichoke that didn’t get picked in time to eat.
Lots of unpicked artichokes.
The only other blue is the flower from Ajuga, a ground cover.
Related articles
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Heron on House
We live near a lagoon and some of it is still pristine, offering safe nesting sites for sandpipers and snowy egrets and Great Blue Herons like the one in this picture. I saw him as he flew overhead and landed on our neighbor’s house. He was kind enough to wait there long enough for me to run in the house for my camera.
As I’m typing, I hear the song of a red-tailed hawk circling my yard and off in the distance a rooster crowing. Early Sunday mornings are AWESOME. I hope your day is just as tranquil!
Related articles
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Good Morning, Morning Glory!
This morning glory is the most exquisite shade of purply-blue, winding around a eucalyptus tree near our little pond and waterfall. 
I actually dug the holes and poured the concrete myself, one of my projects undertaken when my Merchant Marine captain was away. He installed the pond motor, but I did 90% of everything else. It is a very positive feeling, like I can do just about anything if I try. That’s probably my personal credo; always try or you’ll never know if you could do it or not!
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Enchanted Seashells | Princess Rosebud 