Sunday, June 08, 2008

My mother's daughter

While in Ohio I didn't get much walking in but I'm trying to add up steps again on my my pedometer in the mornings before anyone else is awake. I walk down to my old high school (I never made the walk when I was a high school student!) and then through a residential area and then up into the hills around my brother's house. All in all about an hour's walk and I probably get more exercise (when I do it) than on my flat walk around the rice fields in Japan. Of course I'm stuffing myself with too good food, so this is only token calorie control but it is better than nothing.

I took the camera with me today and captured some native Southern California flora. I don't know what some of these plants are but they are nothing like I see in Japan so I'm showing them. You can see how dry it is around the roads but the yards and tended areas of the neighborhood are quite green and lucious looking. Some of the flowering trees around here obviously don't need much water to thrive.

Mexican sage along the roadside and close-up.

A species of Bottle Brush but there are other shapes of the same type of flowers elsewhere along the road.

Ever present California palm trees.

Interesting dried weeds.


We're guessing that these are Jacaranda trees (don't know how to spell that). Every single time we drive past some of these purple trees my mother says "Aren't those pretty? Those must be Jacaranda don't you think?"

Wild orange trees and this is appropriate because the city my brother lives in is called "XXX, the City of Oranges."

This morning when I got back from my walk I started wading through the PILES of papers and pictures that litter the floor and desk and table in my mother's house, and I discovered that most of the pictures that my mother has taken in the past few years are pictures of her garden and flowers and cut flowers that she had stuffed into vases. Sorry, but once you've seen a rose you've seen a rose and certainly she didn't need hundreds of pictures of flowers and trees. People and activities spark much more interest in the viewer. But then I looked at the pictures I was planning to post today and realized that I really am my mother's daughter with all these plant pictures I've taken.
Sorry about that...

9 comments:

Beth said...

Just FYI-Those ARE jacaranda trees. We have one is our side yard, but it is close enough to the house that it flowers very little. DRAT! I LOVE those flowers!

BrendaLou said...

When I was growing up in So. CA--Redlands to be exact---it was called The Orange Capitol of the World. Now it's hard to find an orange tree there! I'm facinated by your blog, Tanya...we love to quilt, the same music & books. I feel as though your are already a good friend.

Shelina said...

My sister is a photographer, and she has millions (not an exaggeration since she has been photographing nature for more than 20 years) of photos of flowers and plants. They are all so pretty, and I took some photos today of my yard, so I can't complain either. Different people have different interests. Some people collect pictures of flowers, others collect fabric. To each their own.

artfilstitch said...

The photos are beautiful. I recognize the jacaranda tree and the orange tree. We love anything that blooms, including weeds. God's artful eye is awesome!

Lazy Gal Tonya said...

I'm envious of your beautiful walking route. love the pics of the flowers and oh boy, I want a jacaranda of my own someday.

anne bebbington said...

But lovely to see gardens so different from here in the UK

keslyn said...

They sure are Jacaranda trees, I love them but unfortunately it is too cold so they don't grow at my place but there are heaps and heaps all around Australia, and they are just gorgeous.
Kerry

Katie said...

Pictures of people are great for keeping memories but pics of nature are needed to feed the soul. You pics are soooo wonderful! I've just been getting caught up on your posts and am so glad you are having such a wonderful visit.

Mocha MonsterPants said...

I grew up in LA (as in really Los Angeles, not a suburb) with three jacaranda trees in the front yard. They are really fun because when you ride your bike over the fallen flowers, they give off a little "pop". And the leaves, when they fall in small clusters, are fun to crunch under your feet. I think only kids from So. Cal and Australia have this experience. :) I hope you enjoy our shared home lands, the land of smog and traffic. :)

Colleen, now in Oakland, CA