Seiko Honda F1 Chronograph in Nature

This garden was started 40 years ago but had really been cleaned up in the last 10 years. We came here about 20 years ago to select plants for our own yard. 

We hired the native plant gardener to come along with us. He provided useful commentary such as "That one starts as a gallon-size plant, and before you know it, it's larger than a VW bus." 

The ground was dry. But we were amused that all the benches with scenic views seemed to be already occupied -- by the dew. 








There is a great disparity in the plant life around here. It ranges from soft and fluffy, to dangerously spikey, from tiny to immense. Remember now it's almost the last day of November and there were flowers everywhere.

If you know where to look:









Two of the larger flowers in the garden



And the smallest



This plant looks completely dead, but at its base are plenty of tiny green shoots, showing it's about to burst back into life





No aquatic birds today but there were plenty at work on the flowers. I completely failed at catching a hummingbird though, so you will have to settle for this fat little guy



who obligingly switched directions a couple times without changing his location on the wire



This is a California Live Oak. It and the Torrey Pine are our most majestic local trees.





At the other end of the plant spectrum are these tiny flowers







Ouch!



An owl box, with rat-proofed supports stands in front of the Torrey Pines.



This is Fr Junipero Serra (seen in yesterday's walk also). He led the exploration of upper California and the founding of the chain of Missions from here to San Rafael (north of San Francisco) where the Spanish ran into the Russians who were coming down from Alaska.



My wife had been examining the ground which she said might have some kind of fungus invasion. Then she shrieked: "It's FROST!" Frightening, isn't it? In San Diego.

She said "That's it, time to go I am freezing"

On the way to the car we passed under another chubby seed-eater.

We survived!




Cazalea

PS - Notice my Honda truck to match my watch