TimeOut

We walked today near the Big Bay (as our Visitor's Bureau likes to call San Diego's Harbor). This body of water is ringed by tourist hotels, the airport, Navy and Coast Guard facilities, and surprisingly, lots of foliage and wildlife. Today I will present what we found in groups of similar items...

The title of my post reflects (1) this enormous BIRD OF PARADISE plant which we have never noticed before. You can see the blossoms are high in the air.

My wife gets the credit for finding this, while my sights were aimed lower.

at this batch of flowers.

These bright yellow flower-bearing ornamental trees have become very popular in San Diego. We think it's called Senna Spectabilis or golden cassia.

Walking along, we came to another set of trees with bright yellow blossoms.

And some marsh grass called Oioi, or Apodasmia similis.

This is a Mexican plant called tradescantia pallida, or Purple Heart

The African Tulip tree, or Spathodea campanulata.

Here we have a blooming Arbutus unedo or strawberry tree.

This is called pickleweed or ice plant. Latin name Carpobrotus (many variations)

I think that we have seen enough plants and it's time to move onto (2) birds in paradise aka San Diego.

The yellow guys and this blue one are land birds (my wife is looking up their identities)

but most of what we saw and heard were sea birds. Big ones. Again, hence the title of this post - Big Birds of Paradise.

I can show more of the birds if you like but it's time to move to another subject (3) Insects. I haven't seen a stink bug in a loooong time. He went into a defensive position:

then calmed down and walked between my feet.

This beehive had taken over an irrigation box. I suppose gardeners get used to this sort of thing and open them very carefully. Judging from the pollen, I think they have been visiting the golden cassia trees.

Time to move onto  (4) Architecture. This very unusual building is actually a sewage pumping plant. Next to it on the left (unseen) is a detention facility where the TSA takes you if you are deemed a threat to the airport (maybe the stink from the sewage is pumped into the cells?).

I liked the colorful bus and hotel against the colorless, almost invisible sky.

Time to wrap it up with (5) a few of the vehicles we came across. This trailer in the hotel parking lot had two motorcycles that had just sold at auction. I'll put some more detailed photos in the Auto section, if you are interested.

Which of these siblings do you prefer? Tahoe (white) or Escalade (black)

Finally, we end our land vehicle spotting with a California maxim: IF IT DON'T GO, CHROME IT (although the hood scoop implies it might GO better than stock).

This huge dragon boat definitely goes, although in this case it seems to be missing on one of its 6 cylinders.

Look out ducks.

The US Navy ✓ insisted on some coverage, so here's their photo, including in one shot the security boat, tug, barge, and North Island airfield.

I'm worn out from this walk which actually wasn't that FAR but it was DENSE with things to see. I'm ready to sit down for awhile.

We drove home and what did we find on the porch but a gift from the generous first-time tomato growers next door!! What will I do with all these tomatoes?

Cazalea

PS - almost forgot the vintage Seiko watch photo!

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