My Hibiscus Collection in the Gardens of Chateau Du Mer in Marinduque

I was looking at my old blog files and stumble on this article. Time to enjoy the beauty of nature for this typical and magnificent Indian summer day here in Northern California.














Aside from orchids and bougainvillas, I also collect Hibiscus, known in the Philippines as gumamela plants. I have a dozen varieties in a rainbow of colors both with single or double flowers. My favorite is the canary-yellow variety (second photo). Above are some of the hibiscus in my garden. The most common variety is the single red, but the flowers could grow as big as a small plate. The white and yellow varieties are susceptible to white molds and aphids. I have to literally hand washed each stem with soapy water as well as spray it with anti-aphids pesticide. Most of these plants, I purchased locally, but the white variety I purchased from a nursery in Manila. Enjoy my hibiscus collections. Here's a short video about Hibiscus, I am sure you will enjoy the flowers and the guitar background music !

Prayer Room at Chateau Du Mer Completed

Outside with new landscaping
and the Sacred Heart statue at the entrance.

Last January to April, I watched with excitement the construction of my sister's-in-law Prayer Room. here at the Chateau Du Mer Beach Resort compound. The design of the open cross was the idea of our architect and builder from Laylay and probably inspired by a similar design of our first cousin chapel in the next barangay in Cawit When my wife and I left Amoingon in mid-April this year, construction was 95% COMPLETED.

Today my sister-in-law posted in Facebook three recent pictures she took last week during her vacation/retreat in Amoingon, Boac, Marinduque. My sister-in-law is a nun and member of Order of the Cenacle, nuns who specialized in giving retreats and spiritual renewal to men and women who are Roman Catholics.

Since pictures are worth more than a thousand words, I will not waste time describing the prayer room. See it for yourself in the following three photos as well as the one photograph above. A quiet place for meditation and prayer, indeed.



Inside-close-up view-notice the cross on the wall



Garden at back of the Prayer Room. There is a small creek by the side of the garden feed by spring water as well as rain during the rainy season.

Heaven and Earth Movie

It is time to enjoy a good movie. I have seen this movie twice and yesterday. I saw it again but still enjoy it very much.



Heaven & Earth is a 1993 Vietnam war film directed and written by Oliver Stone, and starring Tommy Lee Jones, Haing S. Ngor, Joan Chen, and Hiep Thi Le. It is the third and final film in Stone's Vietnam War trilogy, which also includes Platoon (1986) and Born on the Fourth of July (1989).

The film was based on the books When Heaven and Earth Changed Places and Child of War, Woman of Peace, which Le Ly Hayslip wrote about her experiences during and after the Vietnam War.

Joke of the Day-The Photographer

photo from Rachmad666 deviantart.com
Let us start the month of October with a joke. This is titled The Photographer as posted in Sandee Comedy Plus blog

"His request approved, the Bulletin Newspaper photographer quickly used his mobile phone to call the Townsville airport to charter a flight.

He was told a twin-engine plane would be waiting for him at the airport.

Arriving at the airfield, he spotted a plane warming up outside a hanger.

He jumped in with his bag, slammed the door shut, and shouted, 'Let's go'.

The pilot taxied out, swung the plane into the wind and took off.

Once in the air, the photographer instructed the pilot, 'Fly over Mount Stuart and make low passes so I can take pictures of the fires on the hillsides.'

'Why?' asked the pilot.

'Because I'm a photographer for the Bulletin' he responded,' and I need to get some close up shots.'

The pilot was strangely silent for a moment, finally he stammered, 'So, what you're telling me is... You're NOT my flight instructor?'

Hat tip: Willy of Hillbilly Willy