It’s impossible to count the times I’ve crossed the bridge over The Ditch. Every day of my K-12 career. There’s a lot more wildlife to be seen here now than there ever was when I was growing up.
August starts at The Ditch…
Category: photography
Unexpected treasures…
The lovely city gym/pool building in Huntington Beach.
And this awesome tree in the parking lot.
It’s like a work of art.
Amazing.
A trip to the library…
Huntington Beach Central Library is really beautiful.
Wetlands mural.
It’s got so many awesome spaces and architectural detail.
Monarch and photobombing dog…
Alfie didn’t appreciate the butterfly-watching.
What, besides lilies, were in the garden in June?
Daisies…
…zinnias…
…honeysuckle…
…bottlebrush…
…nasturtiums…
…borage…
…roses…
…dahlias…
…and gladiolas!
And yes, my allergies were awful. It was worth it.
At the Great Race Place…
The place looks great with the new paint job.
It’s an art deco palace.
The entry to the saddling enclosure and jockey’s room.
George “The Iceman” Woolf, an all-time great, and rider of Seabiscuit in his match race with War Admiral.
This guy’s name is Montana, and he got me a nice payday. Thanks, Montana!
…and down the stretch they come!
At the local art supply emporium…
Good news is always welcome. Even if it literally comes from a dumpster.
It’s looking into my soul!
I need to brush up on my photography skills.
I never get tired of looking at marbled art paper. I am easily entertained.
He’s not shy. Just a little koi.
The Icee cup makes it.
…and my favorite, the kingfisher. It’s a good group of murals.
Shipley Nature Center…
Shipley is a park within a park, set aside to be more wild and natural. I haven’t explored it all, but I liked what I saw.
It’s less manicured, more densely packed with greenery than Huntington Beach’s Central Park.
It greener, shadier and feels like you might be somewhere else than Southern California.
“Hot lips” salvia. They are so cute.
There were several egrets nesting in the trees. I caught a chick on camera! See for yourself: Great egret chick.
June begins…with lilies!
They come in many colors, but this one is my favorite.
This display was not as abundant this year.
We re-organized the flower bed, so had to dig up the bulbs and move them around.
They weren’t terribly happy about it.
But they’ll get back into the swing of things next year.
They were still beautiful to look at.
Soon…
The lilies are ready to blow!