Here & there

 I'm back from a weekend in San Diego, we celebrated my daughter Olivia's birthday! The whole family together. It was a whirlwind and I'll admit to being tired this morning, we got home after 11pm.  Worth it,  such a blast! Dinner @ Cloak+Petal, Japanese fusion.  It was delicious and the service very attentive.  Olivia,Sophia,Ivan,Vincent.

Cloak+Petal was located in little Italy in downtown San Diego. Originally an Italian and Portuguese fishing neighborhood. After dinner we took a walk down to the port of San Diego to check it out.  

Unbeknownst to us, the Mexican Navy ship Cuauhtémoc was docked for free tours.  The line was incredibly long, I imagine at least an hour wait. We just walked the dock.

A salute photo for my Dad, who served in the Navy in 1960-62. I've been the shortest in the family for a while, but I'm still shocked when I see proof of that.  

It was fun to walk around at night, something I only seem to do on vacation?

Saturday morning, we went to the San Diego zoo.  We had been years ago, the kids too young to remember that visit.

IT WAS HOT, at least 100°.

This is one of the Giant Pandas -Xin Bao, her name means precious treasure of prosperity and abundance. 

I didn't take many photos, but I'll show a few. Gorgeous snow leopard, waiting for breakfast.  We got lucky several times to see the animals being lively, which was surprising in the heat.  They had just fed the large cats a rabbit each.  

The flamingos make for a charming photo, all the curves.

What a terrible way to sleep, only one flamingo chose to lie down on the ground.  

The koala bears were all sleeping through the hottest portion of the afternoon. 

Tapir, an unusal guy.  Looks like a pig, but is actually related to horses and rhinoceroses.

There were lots of insects, too -behind glass.  

This tarantula had just shed it's skin, you can see it's former old suit there in front. 

I have to include one photo of plants, come on.

Pachypodium lamarei with a big group of Alluaudia procera behind.  

And while we were waiting for the Uber, Ivan and I were admiring this Bismarck palm.

The next morning the La Jolla tide pools.  

We didn't quite make either low tide, inconveniently at 2am & 2 pm. 

It was great to be by the water for the light breeze and dipping our toes

A sandpiper fishing in the pools.

James left in the afternoon, he had work early the following day.  The rest of us enjoyed some shopping, and an early dinner. I enjoyed every second-- Happy Birthday Olivia 💕!

It was (and will be this week) 100° here in Livermore as well. I'm not looking forward to getting back to attacking bermuda grass.  Next week I'm going for my annual trip with Tina to Cabo San Lucas.  

I've got a week to deal with a critter problem.  The squirrels are up to NO GOOD. In the shade house, they confiscated every bit of Tillandsia usneoides, spanish moss that was draped beautifully all around the other air plants. You can see all the Tillandsia they ripped off my cork branches (I piled them into the chair).  They also unpotted various rhipsalis and chewed them to bits.  Including my favorite that easily draped 4' over the edge of a hanging pot.  RAT BASTARDS!

And straight up STOLE the staghorn fern Ivan recently mounted on a wood plank.  I left them a note.  AND ordered 2 live traps.  They gots to go. 

As I was photographing the destruction, a squirrel ran by with a big mouthful of stuffing from our outdoor furniture.  I'd like to see this nest made of MY ferns, tillandsia, rhipsalis and portions of our couch. 

The Taj Mahal of squirrel nests. 

Happy October!