Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #207…seeing double

Jez is our guest host for this week’s challenge and as I’m posting this on Monday morning, maybe one or two of you really are seeing double after a rough weekend. I hope not. But this challenge might make you feel that you are, even if you had an abstemious two days.

Double pizza on offer at Manhattan Pizzeria at Manhattan Beach, California. Didn’t try the pizza but enjoyed the wall art.

These two pelicans did everything together for the longest time: swam, ducked heads under the water to fish, raised wings, turned, repeated. Someone told me they often do that but I’d not seen it before. Ballet on the water.

Matching boojum trees. I’m not making this up or taking it from Dr. Seuss (of whom more later.) These “trees” are actually succulents from the occitillo family and are fascinating, protected, and expensive! You can read about them here and I promise you it’s an interesting read. The name comes from a poem by Lewis Carroll, “The Hunting of the Snark” which ends:

In the midst of the word he was trying to say,

   In the midst of his laughter and glee,

He had softly and suddenly vanished away—

   For the Snark was a Boojum, you see.

Coffee with a friend. These decorations could be a metaphor for us: although we’re not exactly the same, we are definitely a lot alike in the ways that count.

Be the sun on the right!

Bottoms up!

Yes, a repeat but it works so well for this challenge, don’t you think?

Finally, I can’t resist seeing double things here, catnip-filled things that, along with the catnip Cat in the Hat that I cropped out on the left, were a Christmas gift for our younger daughter’s cat last year.

Monday walk…neon in the neighborhood

Almost at the end of the trail, literally and metaphorically as far as the Chihuly installation is concerned, we came across a number of these creations which turned out to be neon. At night they’ll be lit up, another thing to enjoy when we visit after dark. Imagine how striking they’ll be then!

To the left in the next photo, with the sun behind it, you’ll see one of our favorite things in the garden: a boojum tree. The “tree” is actually a succulent that Dr. Seuss would have been proud to have created. Who knows? Perhaps he did. Click here to view a couple funky giant boojums.

Never forget that the Chihuly sculptures are only beautiful guests in this garden. Here are a few more of the inhabitants. Don’t let the soft look of these deceive you. The little spines can hurt!

No subtlety here, just “stay out of my face” spines surrounding lovely, small flowers.

That’s our walk for today. Unfortunately you’ll have to provide your own refreshments but think of all the virtual calories you burned! 🙂