I saw this prickly pear cactus alongside Old Saddle Road and thought it a good illustration that affairs of the heart are not always smooth. I also thought this would make a good album cover for a country band whose biggest hit was a song titled ‘Prickly Heart.’ There must be one out there surely!
Posted in response to Becky’s October Squares challenge theme of ‘Past Squares – Spiky.’ See more responses here.
This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘The Pink Side of Life.’ See more responses here.
The top photo shows a leaf cutter bee on what I think is a zinnia violacea flower. Next we have a ball of Egyptian starcluster (Pentas lanceolata) flowers and Pinkfringe (Arthrostemma ciliatum) flowers.
Next comes the lovely marking of a shell ginger flower and the puffy blooms of a sensitive plant.
Finally, there’s a pink banana hosting a visitor, a gold dust day gecko after a little something to drink.
Also posted in response to Becky’s October Squares challenge theme of ‘Past Squares – In the Pink/Flowers.’ See more responses here.
This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Monthly Color Challenge: Burnt orange or blood orange.’ See more responses here.
Vriesea splendens is a bromeliad with long green leaves strongly marked with dark brown bands. But the show stopper here is the sword-like red-orange inflorescence which can be 2 feet long.
Also posted in response to Becky’s October Squares challenge theme of ‘Past Squares – Flowers.’ See more responses here.
This pair of Java sparrows was easy to see flitting about in the bare branches of a plumeria tree. Plumerias start out this way before flowers bud and bloom. Leaves are the last to show.
Java sparrows are a favorite of mine, for their perky nature, bold marking, and those pink legs and beak.
Posted in response to Becky’s October Squares challenge theme of ‘Past Squares – In the Pink.’ See more responses here.
Calathea ice blue (Calathea burle-marxii) is native to Brazil. The blue and white elements of these plants are floral bracts. The white and purple flowers emerge between the bracts and only last for a day.
Posted in response to Becky’s October Squares challenge theme of ‘Past Squares – Blue/Flowers.’ See more responses here.
This is a caterpillar with a message and the message is ‘Back off.’ This is illustrated by the orange and black coloring and black spikes, which in this case conveys that these caterpillars are poisonous. Fortunately, I wasn’t hungry at the time so no harm done. Passion vine butterfly caterpillars, on the other hand, seem to be permanently hungry. Whenever I see them they’re munching leaves like old time video game characters.
Posted in response to Becky’s October Squares challenge theme of ‘Past Squares – Spiky.’ See more responses here.
I’d always thought that the large reddish purple mass hanging below these bananas was the flower. But I learned that these are bracts surrounding the flower, which is a male flower. Female flowers are the first to appear on the plant and these are the ones that turn into the fruit seen in this photo.
There’s nothing like spending some time on the beach at Kohanaiki Beach Park. Even when it’s busy it never seems crowded. All a person needs is a chair and a beach umbrella for shade and then you can sit back, relax, and read a book or watch surfers trying to catch a wave.
