I feel, at times, like I've not lived even a smidgen of what is out there!  My honey took me out to CA for a long weekend & while I'm normally an incurable shutterbug, this time, I was unstoppable!  There were so many plants and flowers that we just don't see here in Texas - and everything just grew with such abandon - I was in awe.

Hibiscus trees?  I thought I was doing well to fill a half barrel with one here - and really have to baby it.

Trees so big I almost fell backwards looking towards the top... and cactus gardens that flowered so beautifully...  The joy in the landcaping transferred to the joy in life...  Creamsicle colored bicycles and Bird of Paradise that would dwarf my house?! REEEALLY??

I loved the color combos - and dreamy creamy corals & pinks....

These cruizer bikes were like old restored cars... of a bygone era - the pink & black one had black/white dotted dice on the valve stem covers!  Later I saw them for sale - upwards of 1k each...  crazy!

Trees had serial numbers - they were registered... as in historic and been there forever...  

And this tree was the most magnificent of all - with what seemed like bouquets of orange blossoms in a ring that faced upwards - in this amazing blaze of color... I wish I'd been able to look down on it from the air!