Beautiful Sunrise

It's gonna be hot this weekend

Massive Planter

We found this huge planter for cheap the other day.  Originally cast for a Las Vegas hotel, the size is a bit big but the deal was too good to pass up. 36" diameter and solid concrete.... WL and I could barely move it, let alone lift it into the back of the Saab.  Somehow we didn't breakdown and this morning, we cleared away a tree and some bulbs that WL has always hated.  We poured a small concrete pad for the beast and are figuring out what to plant in and around it.

Banco in Situ

Mantis Feeding

Every morning it's a search for where our mantis is today.... and what color.  While in the eaves, WL fed our guy some caterpillars.  He was hungry enough to snatch the stick from the hand.  Doing some pruning on the Spanish Broom out front, I spied a younger version, also munching on caterpillars.

After the Storm

We recieved the painting "After the Storm" yesterday.  Artist Anna Meunch is married to friend Toshi Ozawa.  They reside in Switzerland with their adorable son.  Anna paintings have a whimsical Wes Anderson feel to them.  Peaceful and serene with a splash of wit. Her continuing studies in Islamic arts and traditions also influence her work.  Much more can be learned and seen on her website Apothecarie Artistique.

Gaffer63: Norton Simon
Gaffer63: Anna's Work

Banco in Situ

Duck Amok

While at the Huntington Gardens today, we ventured into the Japanese Garden.  A beautiful waterfall was at the entrance.  We spotted a duck who seemed to be caught in the swirling waters.  He tumbled down the stream and was dunking his head looking for tasty algae.  A rough way to get lunch but he seemed determined to get a good meal.

Huntington Gardens

We spent the afternoon at the Huntington Gardens with friend Allison.  Got a lot of ideas for our gardens and had lunch in the Chinese garden.

Fidel's Is Back!

It's been an excruciating 3 weeks while Fidel's Pizza closed for summer vacations.  Started dreaming of a pie a few days ago and was there on Monday to get their signature sausage/chorizo pizza.  Banco has been missing the crusts.......

Banco By The Sea

 A few more pics from our excursion to Long Beach last week

2X Briese

We mounted both our Briese lights in a lift last week for a crane shot.  Perhaps not quite what they were designed for but our talent looked good.

Mantis Molting

A mantis using the oregano patch as a place to discard unwanted bits of old exoskeleton

Afternoon Kitchen Light

Waiting for the Light

We had some down time while waiting for sun to be in the perfect spot.

Poolside Conference

Ellen and underwater camera operator Mateo discuss an upcoming shot