Happy Halloween!!!

I hope you have a safe and happy Halloween this year!

(pumpkin clock from Martha Stewart at Grandin Road.)

Pictures problems!

Dear Readers, I have a major problem with my pictures! All the pictures from Sept. 2010 and back are gone! I am trying to repost the pictures for many of the post but some I have deleted or lost. Sorry for the inconvenience! ...and check back on a post or email me if you are interested in it because it is going to take a while to fix!

Versace Men's F/W '10 rings

In this seasons men's Versace fall/winter 2010 fashion show there was an abundance of interesting jewelry. There were several very different ring styles which varied from 3-finger rings to bulky or sharp, perhaps designed to inflict pain if necessary. The US boutiques received 2 of the styles from the runway which you can see below.

Versace FW10 runway rings

this ring is on the Versace website in mens accessories

this ring has a very interesting design. It is pretty bulky but very comfortable.

Backstage for the FW10 runway show, you can see the various rings on this model.

backstage - this model is showing off his rings from the FW10 runway show

Living Rock blooms

Hello! What a beautiful fall day it is today. Acutally since the beginning of fall the weather has been perfect here in Houston, TX. I think the bright sun and cool dry air is not just pleasant to us humans but also the wildlife. Yesterday when I came outside to water my new native plant garden I noticed my Living Rock, Ariocarpus fissuratus, was blooming. Unfortunately I didn't have my cameras memory card with me. But today it bloomed again. Not as strongly as yesterday, but as you can see, it is still very pretty.

Autumnal Equinox 2010

Happy Autumnal Equinox!

Fall is finally here and Im ready for the cool weather!

Here is a picture of the beautiful Moon tonight:

...taken with the Pentax K-x

Houston Arboretum

Hello! How are you today? Today Tink, my Parents (visiting from FL), and I went to the Houston Arboretum for a short hike. It was such a nice day today. The temperature was warm, cloudy, and not too humid, which is really nice compared to the usual blazing heat this time of the year. I love the Houston Arboretum because you can really get the feel of what Houston, TX looked like before it was settled. I also always see something interesting and unexpected (today was a good one, see below!). There is an abundance of wildflowers which is great if you want some inspiration for a native plant garden. Lots of different species of birds live here too.

Beautyberry -Callicarpa americana

Buttonbush - Cephalanthus occidentalis

Missouri Ironweed - Vernonia missurica

Ruby-throated Hummingbird, there were a lot of them zooming around.

Sneezeweed - Helenium amarum

Gerardia - Agalinis heterophylla

A pond in the middle of the arboretum.

Prairie Blazingstars - Liatris pycnostachya, thriving!

Sharp-pod Morning Glory - Ipomoea trichocarpa

Scarlet Sage - Salvia coccinea

Leafy Elephant Foot - Elephantopus carolinianus

Blue Waterleaf - Hydrolea ovata

Rose-mallow, Hibiscus sp.

Bumble Bee visting Aligator Flag - Thalia dealbata

Surprise!! A Broad-banded Water Snake - Nerodia fasciata confluens. This was the first time I have seen a snake in Houston after more than four years of living here and we saw two! My Mom spotted both, she has a good eye! :D This one looks like its going to be shedding its skin soon as its eye is looking a little milky. Supposedly, a common snake in Houston. Its very pretty and non-venomous so please let them be if you see one.

Giant Swallowtail Caterpillar

Look what I found on my potted Lime tree this morning!

Its not a huge bird dropping!! Its a Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes) caterpillar! I think it had just found its way from one of the neighboring Citrus trees because not a leaf had been nibbled on my tree and it is in its last molt before it becomes a chrysalis. That would be pretty amazing because the other Citrus trees are in my neighbors yards (closest one being about 30ft away. No worries though, Im going to allow this caterpillar to eat as much as it likes on my lime before it becomes a chrysalis (hopefully on the lime tree itself). :)