My brother in law Frank recently took a job in Modesto. Jackie and I went up to visit for the second time this month. One of my other sisters and her husband were also visiting. Frank was able to get us a tour of the campus were he works. When the company had started or shortly after someone had gifted the owners with two peacocks. The birds were to bring good luck. After several decades the decedents of the original birds still live on the campus. They have full range and are minimally interfered with. I had the opportunity to take some pictures of a male trying to win a female.

Here is the male.

And this is the lady he was trying to interest.

He was putting on quite a show.

He was also quite a ham and he posed for many shots.

Floyd

Over the July 4th weekend Jackie and I drove up to Northern California to visit family. On the way back we decided to drive the Pacific Coast Highway.

There are a lot of great places to stop and enjoy the beautiful coastline but the highlight of this drive was something else. We had just resumed our drive south after stopping at Ragged Point. I saw some cows but then had to do a double take – yes, there was a zebra grazing with the cows. I stopped the car to get some pictures.

When I was in position I gave a quick whistle to get the zebra’s attention. Notice the cow also perked up a bit.

The zebra decided to hide from me a bit so I had to reposition for my
keeper shot.

He was right at home on the California coastline.

Floyd

Last Sunday we dropped our niece off at LAX. On the way back I decided it would be a good time for a walk at Santa Monica Beach. After checking out the pier – currently being renovated – we walked along the pedestrian path. There are regular beach house and a also quite a few spectacular ones but this house really stood out.

One of the things that really makes this home stand out is the care taken with the landscape work. Notice house the landscaping is extended beyond the glass wall fence. On this walk this one was the winner.

President Obama Mortorcade in Costa Rica

In the center of Mexico City you can find Avenida Reforma. This is a major street in the city and along the avenue there are different monuments. On Sunday’s from 7:00 am to 2:00 pm a large section of this street is blocked to traffic and opened up to bicycles, runners, walkers, joggers, rollerbladers and other excercise activites such as yoga and dance excercise classes.

I happened to be in Mexico City on the 10th of July 2011 and with the recent rains and apparently reduced traffic from the Ecobici and Metro the air was clean and refreshing. There can be no disputing that the efforts that have been made over the last 30 years to clean up the air in major cities such as Mexico City and Los Angeles have been successful. When I visted Mexico City in 1987 the smog in the air would burn the eyes. Now all these years later the air is much cleaner and on this day it was excellent.