Foreign Flora & Fauna

I have always called the above flower a water-lilly. This weekend I made the connection that it is also called a lotus blossom. This flower was in a beautiful pond filled with pink, white, and purple blossoms.



This flower is one I've never seen before. It is very eccentric in bold red and orange. It grows on trees and our pathway by the lake was lined with them. Many of the older blooms had fallen off and lined our path. It was a surreal and enchanting walk.



These flowers are teeny-tiny and grow on bushes all over Taiwan. My kids call them honeysuck (I think for honeysuckle). Some of their friends at school taught them how to pick them and suck the nectar out. In the spring they give off the most gorgeous peach scent.



While we were visiting the 50 foot statue there was a man cleaning out a gross looking green aquarium. In Chinese he asked us to move because he needed to dump the water. Of course we moved, we didn't want that green gunk on our feet. However, soon after this green monstrosity (although now I think he's cute) comes creaping right by our toes. Then I realized it was his home the man was cleaning out. He was quite entertaining and soon gathered a small crowd. But doesn't he look like a throw-back from the Dinosaur era?



OK, ok so this is not a real elephant. But isn't it fun to pretend that Kaleb & Noe got to go on an elephant ride?