This title is not at all descriptive of the subject of this photo. The title suggests how I felt when we visited California. The fact that I had never seen a plant like this (in the Norton Simon art park in Pasdena, California) suggests that I was a bit of an alien. Sorry, but I don't know what it is called.
As I was looking at my California photos to find something to post today, I decided that I think that everybody ought to visit the Los Angeles area. It seems so American to me: the sprawling megapolis, the wealth, the exotic cars, the Walk of Fame, the beautiful endless coast and the mixing of cultures, to name a few.
For a South Dakotan like me, California is like Japan: exotic and inviting. For what it's worth, incidentally, I also think that everybody ought to visit South Dakota - especially Californians.
I think this is an ugly fish but I am posting the photo because I feel compelled to use the lame title. This was a huge koi in a koi pond at the Sherman Library and Gardens in Corona del Mar, California.
This is my third post in six days from the Norton Simon Museum of Art in Pasadena. The museum was great but the sculpture garden was beautiful - espcially on a spring day in California. The bronze cat is a sculpture but the white trees also are a strong sculptural element in the garden.
Betty is my 89 year old aunt. At age 18 she left South Dakota for California and has lived there ever since. At age 18 she showed a willingness to explore and she recently showed the same willingness when we carted her all over the Los Angeles area.
Amidst the concrete jungle of LA there exists an occasional green oasis, including this beautiful hilltop, illuminated by the morning sun. Below this hill lies the Hollywood Freeway. And if you looked up from the spot, you would see 
Take a minute to look at this post from a while back 
Oddly, I was reminded of 
That there should be no snow or ice in Pasadena, California, might be enough for South Dakotans enjoying a brief spring break. But that there should be greenery and flowers and warm breezes is enough to erase a whole, harsh winter.
Today I will serve up some iris from a garden we visited in Japan. I call this the promise because now that the snow is melting, I can see bare earth in my wife's flower garden. It won't be long before we see our own iris.
Here's another art gallery interior that is relaxing for me to look at. This photo is calm, quiet and suggests introspection. And yet there is a naked figure "looking'" my way. And are these "real" people sitting on the bench? Or are they reproductions of people sitting on a bench?
"Fan" is derived from "fanatic" and maybe these guys serve as a good illustration. what else would make you paint yourselves like this?
