flowering cactus

[15_the_circle]

[OT] from cottage renovations

(click through these thumbnails for higher resolution images)

this cactus is growing in my brother's garden.  the blooms are quite large, 6-8 in wide. 

---

frontal view		lateral view
future tense view

Comments

[dakiwiboid.livejournal.com]

Does it have a scent?

[15-the-circle.livejournal.com]

why yes, it does.  I would describe it as soft and sweet, slightly musky. 

[djaza.livejournal.com]

You are in Santa Barbara? That's right up the street, practically, from me!
Have you ever gone to LotusLand? It is a very large estate, 37 acres, with extensive gardens. The woman who lived there, Gana Walska, was an opera singer and a lover of exotic plants, trees, flowers, etc. She was a colorful character. After the end of her 5th marriage she retired to this place and planned and tended the gardens, with a lot of help of course, until her death.
The estate is a little south of Santa Barbara. I've been twice and it is well worth the visit. You have to make reservations, they have a tour in the morning and in the afternoon. There are usually 8-10 people in a group with a docent. The first time duccio and I stayed with the tour. The second time we cut out and wandered around taking photos. You can go nuts there is so much to photograph. Here are some pics I took the last time we went......last April. look from there you can see a day before and a couple days after of posts all of which are from LotusLand.
I hope you go, if not this trip then sometime when you visit again.

[15-the-circle.livejournal.com]

yes, a wonderfully cool place.  haven't been there in years.  many, many moons ago when I was living in West&nbap;L.A. my roommate had grown up across the street from there. 

these are working trips, not much in the way of free time.  I do make a point of getting out for a walk around the end of the day though sometimes there incidental opportunities such as those in Tuesday's post. 

at some point, though I don't know when, it would be fun to see how Westwood and Santa Monica have changed.  or not.  Ocean Park was Santa Monica's version of a cheap neighbourhood; the city line was less than a block away and just across it Venice kept things interesting and (relatively) affordable. 

[djaza.livejournal.com]

Welll, you would probably not like what has happened to your old 'hood. It is expensive everywhere now, not many funky old places left........you have to go north to Vallejo for that....hahahahaha.
Even here, in the South Bay, where I grew up it has changed alot. I think it is trying to be 'swanky'.
Progress?

What kind of work do you do?