Spanish moss

Tuesday morning at Bear Valley was quite foggy, a photographer's paradise. In the next week, I'll show you several photos gleaned that day.

This one shows condensed fog dripping from Spanish moss hanging from an evergreen tree.

According to http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/4h/Spanish_moss/spanmoss.htm:
Spanish-moss, also called Florida moss, long moss, or graybeard, is not a true moss. It is an epiphytic plant, which grows on another plant, but does not rely on the host plant for nutrients; epiphytes make their own food.

They are sometimes referred to as air plants because most have aerial roots; however, Spanish-moss does not have any roots. It uses its long, thin, scaly stems to wrap around the host tree and hang down from the branches. The leaves are covered with cup-like, permeable scales that 'catch' moisture and nutrients from the air and from pockets on the surface of the host. This water-trapping ability allows Spanish-moss to withstand long dry periods. In extreme dry spells, the plant becomes dormant until moisture returns.While the plant is not parasitic, it can sometimes damage the host tree by over-shading the leaves, thus reducing photosynthesis, or by weighing down and breaking the branches.

Drippy succulent

Christmas Day offered another nice set of raindrops on this succulent.

Camellia

This one perfect camellia grows by our front door.

Stony lonesome

From yesterday's sublime to today's ridiculous! Although this is certainly a labor of love, the result cannot be said to be of Asawa's caliber. And a sign in the window says that it can be yours for just $400 - it's a little 'rough' inside.

Asawa wire

Last week Elyse and I visited the Yves St. Laurent retrospective at the de Young Museum; it was fantastic but unfortunately for photographers, no photos are allowed. If you have any love of clothes or fabrics, go see it. It's there until April, I think. But there are other goodies that can be photographed and here's one I like to excess: Ruth Asawa's wire sculptures. The lighting is inspired; the only way to tell sculpture from shadow is by the color.

Rain drops

On Christmas morning, it rained; then the sun came out and everything was shining with raindrops.

Merry Christmas

Ho, Ho, Ho!
Merry
Christmas

Berries

The toyon tree, also known as Christmas Holly, sports lots of red berries at this time of the year. They are well-loved by birds, along with all the other red-berried trees and shrubs. And this one grows, guess where - along Corte Madera Creek.

Sunup

The sun came up on December 18 in an orange sky with the ever-present steam plume from the Handi Kup factory in Corte Madera appearing beside it. Hans says Take the photo so that steam isn't in the photo, but I like it because I've seen that steam plume for years. It's right beside the freeway (101) and has been there for at least the 32 years I have been living in Marin County and probably many more before that. So it's an historical photo in a couple of ways: the sun always comes up and the Handi Kup steam plume always rises.

Forest?

Doesn't this look like a wintertime forest? Actually, it is the tops of some shrubs that were severely pruned and the new shoots grew straight up - and it is now winter. They are about 2 feet tall and are along Corte Madera Creek.

Mt. Tamalpais

This is 2,500-foot Mt. Tamalpais (usually called Mt. Tam) as seen from the College of Marin parking lot about 10 days ago.

Three trees

In Master Gardener Katie's yard are three very different trees: in front, the bare tree is a gingko, the red one is a liquidambar still holding onto its leaves, and the semi-bare one in the back is a valley oak. All three are deciduous but their timing is obviously different, as are their colors. The gingko turns yellow before the leaves fall, the liquidambar red through yellow and the valley oak just turns brown.

Attack pig

In the same neighborhood as the Unidentified Flower and Spring Man is Attack Pig of which we must beware! However, if we don't open the gate, I think we are safe.

I am still receiving help on identifying the flower. Here is another answer - near the truth?

Well I can solve this one! It is a lovely five petaled California brass flower with nice tendrils and interesting markings on the petals, with a lovely blue glass center. Please feel free to consult me whenever you are stumped!

I am so grateful for everyone's help on this mystery.

Leaves

It's winter most places now - I mean, real winter with snow and cold - but here it's more like late fall. The liquid-amber trees are starting to lose their leaves, making beautiful red and yellow carpets everywhere.

Spring Man

Hans worries about the monsters in his neighborhood (see his blog of December 15 at http://hansroenau.blogspot.com/) and I had reason to worry too when I walked on a certain San Anselmo street. I got away as quick as I could, though not before I captured his image for you. Be careful if you walk there; he could spring after you without warning; even though he is restrained, the restraints don't look very strong.

Several people offered an ID for the flower yesterday, but there seems to still be some uncertainty since there were several scientific names offered:

It's a blue-eyed coppernicus! Very rare in California.
It's an azure-eyed copperwireus. I thought everyone knew that flower. Glad to help!
Could it be a Metalicas Meanderus?

Looks like a hand-made metal flower of the can do better variety.
See the big eye in the middle--it is what we call an alien flower.

I guess I'll have to go with the person who offered to have her Master Gardener friend look at it (even though two MGs were stumped already)!

Unidentified flower

On a walk in a new (to me) neighborhood, I spotted this garden full of many plants and flowers, including this unusual one. When I asked Master Gardeners Katie and Susan what is was, they just threw up their hands! A mystery.

Nothing

Oh, I forgot one more cruise photo that I just must show you. At dinner one night our two older granddaughters Nina and Marissa replied to the waiter that they wanted nothing for dessert. And that's what they got: Nothing!

Sunrise

One last photo from the Birthday Cruise - a sunrise. Again, no fiddling with the picture, except to lighten it a bit, since photos on this blog appear darkr than the original. After this we'll get back to other things.

One hour later

As promised, here's the sunset one hour after yesterday's photo. And no, I did nothing to it!

Cabo sunset

On this trip the skies were gorgeous most of the time; sunrises and sunsets alike were almost too spectacular to believe. A while after we left Cabo San Lucas, this was the view at 3:45 pm. Tomorrow I'll show you the same sky an hour later; you'll think I doctored it!.

Rusty

In Mazatlan we saw another interesting boat, this one a working fishing boat. It's quite colorful but mainly because of the rust. I pray they are not at sea when the bailing starts!

Bright colored houses

Many houses in Mazatlan, as in much of Mexico, are brightly colored.

What a way to make a living!

Acapulco isn't the only Mexican city with divers. In Mazatlan, we waited and waited for this diver to actually do the deed. I don't whether he was waiting for the right waves to fill his landing spot, or he was working his courage up. From our vantage point it looked like a foolhardy act. BUT - he did it and didn't hit any rocks. Whew!

Man in a boat

Shortly after we arrived in Mazatlan around 6 AM, I noticed this boat coming across the bay, to cross in front of our moored ship. The man in the back was rapidly leaning down and up, as if he were rowing - but the boat had a motor that was obviously working. So what was he doing? As the boat came closer I could see that he was bailing water as fast as he could. In the photo you can see the water and the bucket. Too bad it's not a movie!

Leaving Puerto Vallarta

We left Puerto Vallarta in the early evening just as we did in Los Angeles, but it was clear not foggy. And there were a couple of big lights to shine across the water.

Market

Near the pier wherever a cruise ship docks there is an open air market, all the shops selling similar items, either clothing or jewelry. Puerto Vallarta is no exception - here's the biggest, most colorful shop.

Birthday people

On our third night on the cruise, we had the big birthday dinner for Dick and Celeste. And here they are, looking lovely in their candle tiaras. Celeste was kind enough to let me have this photo from her camera (have to give proper credit, you know!).

Looong hallway

The Sapphire Princess is a pretty big cruise ship, almost 1,000 feet long. Our cabin was not far from the bow of the ship and the dining rooms were way aft; so we got our exercise just walking back and forth to meals. This is the hallway stretching aft to apparent infinity!

Land Ho!

Our first sight of land was Cabo San Lucas but we didn't stop there at this time; we continued on down the coast to Puerto Vallarta. Cabo was our last stop on the way back to LA.

First sunrise

The first morning of our cruise we woke up as the sun rose and the sky was full of clouds, yielding this scene of the sun trying to peek through.

Happy Birthday

We got to our stateroom and unpacked. When we came out to explore the ship, the Birthday Fairy (Celeste and family) had been there and decorated our doorway for Dick's birthday. They were very quiet - we heard nothing! All of this remained there for the whole voyage; I'm sure a lot of people used it as a landmark to find their own cabins.