Lily Pond

Tomorrow is a stressful day for me - and that is putting it lightly. I really don't enjoy flying, schlepping my bag a mile at LAX and there is always that chance that I might miss my flight since my connection is so tight in LA. So I fret about it on my 14 hour flight home ... makes the time go by slower I am sure!

I have a wonderful person who is picking me up. She has offered and it has to be quite a chore on her part. Especially since one day I am going to call her and tell her I missed my connection and she will have to re-arrange her day to come pick me up later. She also tends my dog the entire time and picks up Jessie and plays with her every week from RSS. One night while we were laying in bed and we had just finished a conversation on how all this would be going down, Gary asked me when my friend was going to be "Sainted"? I told him I didn't know, but I was pretty sure it was soon! We lie there and wondered if we would be invited, what we should wear, it got a little crazy ... Point is - she is a saint and I would not be able to do this without her. She decreases my stress level while here to almost zero and on the day I fly by at least half - now that is talent!

So - today was my 'thank you for hosting me - I will clean your bathrooms in return' day. Wash the bedding, vacuum - all my favorite things and stuff I don't even do at my own home! I got bored, and tired and decided to go see how the lily pond was faring.

Gary, after seeing my post with photos of lily pad pods on it theorized that they weren't just closed to piss me off, but were new and if I gave it a week, maybe they would be more mature and open ...

Took his advice to heart and trudged my way over to the Botanical Garden - hoping for more than lily pad pods. Was pleasantly surprised that at least they were trying!

I didn't even notice my the local lily pad layabout lounging lizard until I looked at this photo. You think dipping his tail in the water cools him off? Getting a drink? Who knows:


I spied a trio of three light blue flowers fully open - the only ones in a sea of pink:


These birds with the orange beaks I have seen around lily pads often. I am wondering if that is why the babies have ginormous feet? They are always walking on the pads (and are sooooo cute!):

Another pad walking baby birdie:

OK, so maybe I took a few too many photos, touched up too many photos, posted too many photos, but, hey - it was either that or housework!

Mama and baby in lower left corner:

We are talking a HUGE lily pond. This is one of the four (so ... why all pink?):

I spied this solitary, lone yellow lily as I was leaving. Impossible to photograph and get any definition of it - but I put him in anyway since he was unique:

With the laundry laundering, the towels washed, the bathrooms cleaned, I decided I could play ..

So ... I am not sure when I will post again. Doubt I will have anything worthy to post that happens between now and I leave for the airport ... but, hey that has never stopped me before!

I might just pay for Internet in the airport since I won't be spoiled and with Gary - so no executive privileges for me - just sitting in the regular lounge with the rest of the unwashed, scum of the earth ...

So - just maybe ...

Talk to you tomorrow (at the MOST I am sure I will start complaining on facebook via my blackberry once it starts working in LA - I am SO predictable ...)