Winter & February 2023

• Peach Blossoms header! Last spring I blogged peaches from the same trees. I love how well a Photoshop dry brush filter captured the seasonal mood.

• December 2022 Highlights

• January 2023 Highlights

• Urban Wilderness / City Paradise for February

• Free tickets for the Saturday February 4th Celebration of Life for Los Angeles' Lion King P-22 "sold out" almost instantly, so I watched online. As always, the energy of the live event would have been wonderful, but participating virtually gave me far better visuals. Sound may have been superior, as well.

from KTLA:

In tribal communities, mountain lions are regarded as relatives and teachers. Alan Salazar, a tribal member of the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians and a descendent of the Chumash tribe said his death should be honored appropriately.

"We want to bury him like he's a 'wot,' like a 'tomier,'" Salazar said, "which are two of the words for chief or leader in the Chumash and Tataviam languages, respectively. "Because that’s what he was."

Los Angeles and Mumbai are the world's only major cities where large cats live—mountain lions in one, leopards in the other.

• The Full Snow Moon on Sunday February 5th was a micromoon. February's full moon sometimes is called Storm Moon or Hunger Moon.

• A surprise Strawberry Whipped Cream Cake on Monday February 6th!

• Here's one of my all time fave illustrations for Valentine's Day that was on its traditional February 14th. Tuesday this year.

• As always, Ash Wednesday was a moveable observation because the date of Easter depends on the spring equinox and the full moon. This year it was on February 22nd.

• This month's yellow California picture is a fresh lemon duet.