Month: June 2013

Torrey Pines

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Torrey Pines State Reserve, snuggled between Ja Jolla and Del Mar, is the home to one of the rarest trees in the world.  The Torrey Pines only exist in this small coastal strip and on Santa Rosa Island, one of the Channel Islands off the coast of Southern California.  The heavy June marine layer stretched over the coastal strip yesterday when Kongo visited.  A few hundred yards to the east the skies were crystal clear and hot.  Along the strip of coast it was all “June Gloom” as the weather phenomena is popularly known in San Diego.

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Musée de l’Armée

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Last month while walking about Paris Kongo paid a brief visit to the Musée de l’Armée (Army Museum).  In modern French history—everything since the Revolution—starts and stops with Napoleon Bonaparte.  In the photograph above the emperor warrior towers above the entry courtyard in his iconic “hands inside his blouse” pose.  Kongo is a big fan of Napoleon and has studied most of his battles.  The Musée is an imposing place and one that pays fitting tribute to the history of this nation.

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Just Another Monkey?

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So as Kongo heads out the door to the zoo to visit the animals in the late afternoon light Mrs. Kongo says, “You just keep taking the same pictures of the same old monkeys.  Pretty soon they’ll be saying, ‘Hey, Kongo, where have you been?”  The same old monkeys?  This was lost on Kongo who then became determined to avoid his favorite spots on the Monkey Trail.  Coming up from Fern Canyon he did spy this old gal but (for the information of Mrs. Kongo!) this is NOT A MONKEY.  It’s a orangatan.  He did see some other cool animals who seemed more active than they are during the day.  Hippos, koalas at their newly constructed enclosure, and a couple of sexy sagos.  Read on.

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Memorial Night

IMG_5227Kongo took these pictures one evening last December during a business trip to Washington, DC.  Above the base of the Washington Monument and the Capitol.  The structure on the far right is the Library of Congress.  Kongo once did a fellowship on Capitol Hill and has loved the city ever since.

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Waiting for Egrets

IMG_1945This idyllic little stretch of water just above the Old Mission Dam in San Diego is a perfect place for Snowy Egrets.  Kongo has seen many of them here and they rank way up there in the monkey’s list of favorite birds.  The only thing missing is the bird.  Kongo made a trip to this spot near his house in the late afternoon to catch the light and find an Egret.  Or a Great Heron which he’s also spotted here before.  Not today.  He waited until the parking lot gate was about to close and packed it in.  Cocktail hour was calling.  He did see other things and had pleasant time.  Read on to learn about it.

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