Monarch Merriment...

Our older son's in-laws own a plant nursery. One of their biggest crops is Milkweed. When he and his family arrived for the week, they came armed with Monarch Butterflies in various stages of metamorphosis.

Above is the life cycle of a monarch butterfly. Once the female lays an egg on a milkweed leaf, the journey begins. The egg stage lasts between 3-6 days. Once the caterpillar hatches from the egg, it is considered in its first instar, which is a stage of development for caterpillars. Once the caterpillar reaches the fifth and final instar, it sheds its skin and enters the pupal stage, then becoming a gorgeous chrysalis (also called a pupa). This stage lasts between 10-14 days after which an adult butterfly bursts forth from the chrysalis.






"We delight in the beauty of the butterfly,
but rarely admit the changes it has gone through
to achieve that beauty."
-Maya Angelou




"Bees sip honey from flowers and hum their thanks when they leave.
The gaudy butterfly is sure that the flowers owe thanks to him."
-Rabindranath Tagore

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Summer under the Moonlight...

A highlight of a Southern California Summer Night is a performance at Vista's Moonlight Amphitheatre.

San Diego Story wrote about this amazing place stating, "Moonlight Amphitheatre is arguably the leading cultural treasure of North County. Located in Vista’s Brengle Terrace Park, the venue provides an idyllic location for enjoying the outdoors while watching high quality performances...both the venue and the company provided the kind of experience a cultural treasure should provide."
We couldn't agree more! And it is made that much more special with the company that is our usual entourage: Karen, David, Tricia, and Mike.

Our timing here allowed us to see, Ragtime, the sweeping musical portrait of early 20th century America (it returned to The Moonlight’s stage after 19 years).

"Three distinctly American tales are woven together – that of a stifled upper-class wife, a determined Jewish immigrant, and a daring young Harlem musician – united by their courage, compassion, and belief in the promise of the future. Together, they confront history's timeless contradictions of wealth and poverty, freedom and prejudice, hope and despair, and what it means to live in America."

"This acclaimed musical is filled with pageantry, emotion, and hope, bursting onto the stage like no other musical."
Steve and I found it to be an outstanding production. The cast was as talented as any on Broadway. The costuming deserved an award. The set design was innovative. The orchestra's talents reverberated throughout the venue. What we both felt about the storyline was that is was very sad. To see the prejudice and cruelty was almost too much. I believe the beauty of theater is that it can entertain and make you think. Sometimes, however, all we want to do is be entertained (and I'm good with that).
That said, I am incredibly happy we attended Ragtime and spent the evening in the company of dear friends who also entertain and make us think. It truly was an idyllic and highly anticipated Summer night.

“We are all good friends. Friendship is what endures. Shared ideals, respect for the whole character of a human being. ”― E.L. Doctorow, Ragtime

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The Art of Hajime Ohno

The Temecula Valley Museum has changing exhibits whose content keeps calling me back.

Terry and I met for "A look at the fine art of local artist Hajime Ohno, who finds inspiration in his Japanese heritage and in the beauty and resilience of the animals that pique his curiosity."

According to Mr. Ohno's artist statement, "I find inspiration from a variety of different artists such as Alphonse Mucha, Hiroshige (Ukiyo-e artist), Gian Lorenzo Bernini, John Singer Sargent, Nicolai Fechin and Abbott Henderson Thayer.

While working on a new project, I hope to discover something new in the process, technically or thematically. When it happens, I try to incorporate that new discovery into that artwork. It does not happen often, but when it happens, it gives me extra fun and motivation."

Born into a rice growing family in a small Japanese town, Mr. Ohno moved to the United States in the early 1980s, and studied book illustration and graphic art at art school, learning human anatomy and perspective drawing, and how to create illustrations in the tradition of Howard Pyle, N. C. Wyeth, Frederic Remington, and Norman Rockwell.

His two works titled Aunt Fumiko's Wedding Day were two of my favorites.

His work was surprisingly varied, with different mediums and styles.


The Animals component of the exhibit were adorable and many added whimsy. 
The piece which was the most whimsical and actually had us smiling, while ogling, was the collage The Primal Fear of the Banana Peels. The painted scene of a street corner in Fallbrook (where the artist lives) was adorned with various examples of items slipping on the feared peel. The 'Boot of Italy' slipping made me laugh out loud. Whimsy and talent. I thoroughly enjoyed this glimpse into the art of Hajime Ohno.
“What's life without whimsy?”
― Dr Sheldon Cooper, The Big Bang Theory

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Back to the Birch Aquarium...

On a hot summer day (90°+), we returned to the Birch Aquarium, the public exploration center for the world-renowned Scripps Institution of Oceanography at University of California San Diego.

Perched on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Birch Aquarium features more than 60 habitats of fishes and invertebrates from the cold waters of the Pacific Northwest to the tropical waters of Mexico and beyond. An oceanographic museum showcases research discoveries by Scripps Oceanography scientists on climate, earth, and ocean science and includes interactive elements.
We came because we were "ready to be immersed in the world of Little Blue Penguins! Beyster Family Little Blue Penguins follows the world’s smallest penguins on their journey from hatchlings to adults, highlighting the challenges they face in a changing climate while celebrating the features that make Little Blues so unique and adorable! They're the smallest species of penguin — less than 12 inches tall, and weighing just 2 to 3 pounds — and are known for their unique blue color, and their big personalities. Birch Aquarium is the only aquarium in the Western U.S. to house these gregarious seabirds."
"Come face-to-face with Little Blue Penguins as they waddle, swim and glide about their new home. This new attraction brings the world’s smallest penguins to Southern California for the first time. The 2,900-square-foot habitat features an 18,000-gallon penguin lagoon, multiple cozy burrows, sandy beach and native plants that mimic the coast of New Zealand and Australia. Beyster Family Little Blue Penguins puts the spotlight on these fascinating seabirds, bringing attention to the important role they play in our ecosystems both in the ocean and on land."
"Little Blues swim 24 miles and dive 800 times a day, on average. To fuel this kind of activity, they eat 20% of their body weight. For a 100-pound person, that's like eating 40 half-pound veggie burgers every day!" Unfortunately for us, these little cuties seemed to be lethargic. We checked on them several times and while fun to ogle, we were disappointed to miss out on their antics!
I loved this, "Little Blues' feathers aren't blue! Tiny fibers of each feather line up tightly. Together, the fibers refract light in the blue spectrum, giving Little Blues their trademark iridescent colors."
Oh and there's that...
Back to the land of my favorite invertebrates!

Did you know jellies are used in research? The green fluorescent protein, used by some species to cause bioluminescence, has been adapted as a fluorescent marker for genes inserted into other cells or organisms. Beautiful and beneficial.






And how cool is this? "Our two-story, 70,000-gallon, Giant Kelp Forest Exhibit immerses guests into the world of this amazing underwater forest ecosystem. Kelp Forests are plentiful in San Diego’s waters and are home to a huge diversity of species. Guests will come face to face with locals such as Leopard Sharks, Moray Eels, an endangered Giant Black Sea Bass, and more — no dive gear necessary!" Very cool I'd say.


A must was a visit to Shark Shores. "Come face to face with La Jolla’s legendary Leopard Sharks and other species of elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) at Shark Shores. The large outdoor exhibit allows you to experience the sandy bottomed habitat of La Jolla Shores without getting wet! See what’s below the waves before your next trip to the beach."

There is so much to see and learn about.
We ended our visit outdoors at Tidepool Plaza. "Get hands-on with our living tide pools at the Preuss Tide Pool Plaza. Get up close and personal with sea stars, sea anemones, hermit crabs, sea cucumbers, lobsters, and other organisms that call the the rocky intertidal zone home. Tide Pool Plaza is also the location of some of the most spectacular ocean views in San Diego. Overlooking La Jolla and the Pacific Ocean, this stunning outdoor plaza is a great place for guests to enjoy the coastal breeze and take in panoramic ocean views."
After picnicking in the Aquarium's courtyard, we went to the Shores to get our feet in the warm sand and to continue our oceanic observations just a little longer. What a day.

“Look at that sea, girls--all silver and shadow and vision of things not seen. We couldn't enjoy its loveliness any more if we had millions of dollars and ropes of diamonds.” ― Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

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