Just another sunny day in LA

Me and the cats enjoyed the warm day, soft grass and gentle winter sun yesterday.

Summer Wardrobe

I think I found my look for this summer.  Easy-peasy.  Although not in leather.

Morrison looks, found via Frolic.

More from Lotusland.  Paving patterns and pink-tinged ferns (Blechrum occidentale).

Cedar Waxwings

Got a surprise visit today in the Black Walnut tree -- a flock of whistling cedar waxwings.

The cedar waxwings visit LA in the winter, moving through and eating our winter fruit, especially toyon berries.  I have no idea what they were eating in my yard, or if they were just resting their wings.  I'll never get tired of seeing their bandit faces and watercolor feathers.  They are welcome back anytime.

I wish I could say the photo above is my own, but I borrowed it from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Crow at play

I realize that videos of animals are a slippery slope (pun not intended at first, but I like it so it stays), but I promise no kitten videos will be appearing.

This is so fascinating -- is this bird 'playing'?  Crows are known to use tools to get food, and are some of the smartest birds.  Is it just Russian birds that sled?

Whatever the scientific story is here, the simple story makes me smile.

Found via Gizmodo.

Lotusland

These pictures are from months ago.  I keep forgetting about them, then happily stumbling upon them again and remembering how glorious the place was.  More will trickle in, as soon as I can afford to get my film developed. 

Lotusland confirmed my belief that in order to be truly great at something, you have to be pretty nuts.  I've got some work to do.

Things that move in the night

Found via This is Colossal.

Night by Richard Misrach

I came upon these photographs by Richard Misrach today at the Geffen Contemporary as part of the Under the Big Black Sun exhibit.  Taken in the late 70s as a series called Night, each of these untitled pieces captures an eerie yet calm side of the desert.  The spotlight effect makes me wonder if the cacti were caught in the act -- like night vision glimpses of things that skulk through the desert; glimpses of private moments.  I feel lucky to gaze into this quiet world. 

The third photo down captures one of my favorite effects of night photos -- the the sky is indeed brighter than the horizon, and the hills are velvety dark in their own shadows.

I've never been to the desert, and it frightens me somewhat.  I sense dangers there I'm not used to like tarantulas and jackalopes.  These photos only reinforce that fear, but it's now an excited fear.

Photos sourced as follows: 1, 2, 3, 4.

Nesting

Lovely new pillows featuring one of my favorite cranes and some other bird friends from West Elm.  I'm not normally one for 'throw pillows', but might make an exception for these!

Heading back to work tomorrow, after a lovely holiday.  I'm afraid I already feel a little frazzled by the thought of it.  On my last free day today, I am going to the museum.  A little visual stimulation before my brain returns to Excel charts and unopenable windows.