It was one of those “where the hell is Spring” nights, cold and windy outside but nice and warm inside.  I had been doing some research for work when I took a break from the laptop screen and just watched the light show.

Sure, this shot is tweaked a little.. something inside me screamed “add Purple!” :)

DID YOU KNOW…

Saint Valentine’s Day, commonly known as Valentine’s Day, or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is observed on February 14 each year. It is celebrated in many countries around the world, although it remains a working day in most of them.

Read more about Valentine’s Day on Wikipedia.

And did you also know that George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr. was born on this day in 1859?  Who was he?

George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr. (February 14, 1859–November 22, 1896) was an American engineer. He is mostly known for creating the original Ferris Wheel for the 1893 Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition.

Read more about George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr. on Wikipedia.

One night, while in Southern California, my friend Sukhraj and I ventured out to Rancho Santa Margarita to enjoy dinner at Carmelita’s — if you get chance to dine here, enjoy!  They make a killer “Cadillac Margarita”!

The restaurant, and shopping center, is next to this great little lake named, ‘Lago Santa Margarita‘.

Enjoy!

Hmmm…I may have to travel back, just for a few more Cadillac Margarita’s! :)

Downtown Brea, California.   My first time here — what a great place!  The first introduction to Brea was their free ‘parking garages’ — the city has these parking areas that are free, so that visitors can park and then walk around their beautiful downtown area to enjoy the many shops, restaurants, bars, theaters, etc.   Brilliant!  FREE parking to ease the mind of the visitor.

The above shot was taken as we were waiting to cross the street heading towards TAPS Fish House and Brewery for an amazing foodie event.  Behind me is a Farrells restaurant, something I haven’t seen since I was a young child in the Northgate Mall area of Seattle, Washington.  In fact, while we were waiting for the light to cross the street, the Farrells crew came out with a birthday Zoo dessert to celebrate someone’s birthday.   That brought back some memories.  Brief moments of joy, from childhood, are always nice.

Brea is an interesting town, be sure to check out all that the Wikipedia has listed for this city, but here are a few highlights that caught my eye:

• The city began as a center of crude oil production, was later propelled by citrus production, and is now an important retail center because of the large Brea Mall and the recently redeveloped Brea Downtown.

• Notable natives and residents

  • Stephanie J. Block, Broadway actress/singer
  • James Cameron, film director/producer/screenwriter
  • Travis Denker, Major League baseball player (San Francisco Giants)
  • James Hetfield, musician (Metallica)
  • Walter Johnson, Major League baseball pitcher for the Washington Senators
  • Joe Maddon, Major League baseball manager (Tampa Bay Rays)
  • Alli Mauzey, Broadway actress/singer
  • Evan Moore, Pro Football player (Green Bay Packers)
  • Jeanette Pohlen, Women’s National Basketball Association player (“Indiana Fever“)
  • Cruz Reynoso, jurist
  • Caroline Zhang, figure skater
  • Nikki Ziering, model and actress
  • Norma Zimmer, singer. The famous “Champagne Lady” of the long-running Lawrence Welk Show

But while we walked around Balboa Island, I noticed this one house that stood out from the many others — the others that are glistening of glass, steel, brick, stone, fancy colors, and all the things that big money can buy — no, this is the house that caught my attention…

Please note, Balboa Island is not a swamp.  I just thought the name worked for this shot… :)

A toad is any of a number of species of amphibians in the order Anura (frogs) characterized by dry, leathery skin, short legs, and snout-like parotoid glands. 

A distinction between frogs and toads is not made in taxonomy, but is common in popular culture, in which toads are associated with drier skin and more terrestrial habitats than frogs.

A group of toads is called a knot.

The bumps on a toad’s skin help the animal blend into its environment visually by breaking up its outline.  Also, the parotoid glands are often mistaken for “warts”.

I was working with a client one day, but while taking a break out on the deck, I took this panoramic photo with my iPhone 4s to show my client how that function worked.  The end result was this fantastic capture of their beautiful backyard.