Fall Wildflowers (Deukmejian)

Birthday Cupcake

Ever since 1992 (or maybe it was '93) when I kept ruining Bradley's photos of Trajan's Column in Rome by poking my head into the frame at the last minute, he's been hellbent on revenge. Here, I was trying to capture the poetry of this solitary red velvet birthday cupcake (from Auntie Em's, my favorite), when BP dove in, almost breaking his ribs on the dining room chair. Later, I got the picture I wanted (sans hubs), but I ended up liking this one better. (Maybe he feels the same way about all those Trajan's Column pics with my little head in them, too?!)

Green Lynx Spider

I'm pretty sure this is an adult female Green Lynx spider, Peucetia viridans. She's humongous, with an abdomen the size of a grape, only shaped exactly like the buds on my Rose of Sharon, where she resides.
Green Lynx in North Carolina (Eastern variation): http://bugguide.net/node/view/10094.
Green Lynx in San Diego (Western variation): http://bugguide.net/node/view/33666.

Green Lynx Spider on my Rose of Sharon bush.

Green Lynx's abdomen = same shape/size as flower buds.

Green Lynx in her original position.

Before I noticed her, I was marveling at this strange web nearby. I don't know if it's the Green Lynx's or somebody else's. Weird, isn't it?

Web of the Green Lynx spider?

Nuttall's Woodpecker

Adult male Picoides nuttallii. "A small woodpecker confined primarily to the oak woodlands of California." — Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Nuttalls_Woodpecker/id.
You can listen to the "Typical Voice" of Nuttall's Woodpecker there, too.


When this guy started pecking at the tree over my head where I was sitting in the back yard, I thought at first that he was an Acorn Woodpecker. We see them pretty often. The white markings on his back gave him away, though. Now that I look at the images online, the Acorn and Nuttall's don't look very much alike: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Acorn_Woodpecker/id.

Frog on a Lily Pad

Bradley took this picture of our medium-sized frog sitting on a lily pad this morning before the frogger hopped into the water, making a little mini-croak as he/she did.

Green Grasshopper Nymph

I believe this is a Bird Grasshopper (Schistocerca) Nymph on my Mum plant. Its body has the same velvety texture as the Mum's leaves.

Herb Garden

Mom gave me the remainder of her Watercress seeds (thanks, ma!), and I finally did away with my past prime Swiss Chard to make room for the newcomer. I've never grown Watercress before, so wish me luck.

Pictured and labeled are the current members of my herb garden along with other plants (non-edible) that I grow nearby. This spot on my patio gets filtered shade throughout the hottest part of the day, so the potted guys do well here. This time of year, they'd burn up in full sun, even though their instructions call for "full sun."

In the upper picture: Thyme, Chives, Ginger, Basil, Sage, Parsley, Peppermint, Watercress (to be), and Spearmint along with non-edibles including Jade, Coral Bells, Mums, Ivy, Creeping Jenny, Agapanthus, and various succulents. (Click picture for larger image.)

In the lower picture: Herbs that grow in other parts of the garden. Rosemary (the creeping, trailing kind), Oregano (recovering in a shady spot from getting roasted while I was away), Curry Plant (not the curry one cooks with — it's sold as an herb anyway, smells delicious), and Fennel (has quickly grown to about six feet tall and is mingling with tomato plants).

Western Conifer Seed Bugs

Leptoglossus occidentalis. A Leaf-Footed Bug in the "True Bugs" category. Also known as "The Walky Bug" and "The Flick Bug." And here's an awesome page (in French, but so what?) on all kinds of Leaf-Footed Bugs.

My guess was that these are Stink Bugs, but that is not the case, though they will stink you if you mess with 'em. Or so they say. I'm happy not to know first-hand.

Various websites say these guys like to suck sap out of trees like Pines, Spruces, and Pistachios, but lately I keep finding them on my Red Yucca's developing seed pods. Perhaps they provide yummy, nutritious sap? Red Yucca plants are poisonous to humans, but for buggy-bugs, maybe not. The seed pods, if not good for food, are apparently just peachy for doin' it.

Last, a picture of Red Yucca flower stalks with developing seed pods and even some impossible to distinguish Western Conifer Seed Bugs. The stalks are now taller than I am — like, seven or eight feet high. A great plant. Great plant.