Stanofh: I have had the same observation about the California Delonix regias. They seem to be more compact and denser trees than in pictures of trees I have seen in Phoenix and in Florida. I haven't come to any conclusions why this is...does anybody have any ideas? Katie, there's two D. regias available for sale as of 8/9/08 at Hunter's Nursery in Spring Valley,CA. One is a 15 gal. for $139.00 and a 24" box for $495.00. I took pictures of these tree this past Sunday. I'll post the pics. Also, J.D. Nursery in Fallbrook, Xotx - Tropico Neo Flora Gardens in West Hollywood have them available for sale. Here is a link that might be useful: Sherman Heights, San Deigo - D. regia

And the Westchester garden tour is the following day in Westchester/PDR. Sun., May 6 WESTCHESTER MENTAL HEALTH GUILD GARDEN AND HOME TOUR ght homes and gardens in Westchester and Playa del Rey will be featured on annual tour 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Participants will also have the opportunity to purchase plants and Guilded Cage Gift Shop items. Complimentary refreshments will be served at one of the garden tour homes. Tickets are $25 per person, available at the Guilded Cage Gift Shop, 8917B S. Sepulveda Blvd. in Westchester. All proceeds benefit Airport Marina Counseling Service. Information, (310) 641-7850. ______________________________________________ A friend's garden will be on the tour and I am going down to help her get it ready. Wish we could go to the Venice tour, but will be busy beautifying her garden.

Lars..that is where my clients lived for a while with their daughter who is an actress..they visited her frequently..I have seen many photographs.. I hope you are going to the Artist's tour.. I have seen your brother's work in a post you made and I loved it.. We have our own little one..But unlike Venice..we get smaller crowds..and our real estate is actually affordable. Our climate does not compare:) I know.. I really don't travel a lot.. but who knows what the future holds...You always look like a good time is had by all at the get togethers. And our dollar is on the upswing. I remember over 30 yrs ago..our dollar was at par..then worth a touch more..then downhill from there on..until recently.. Cross border shoppers are flocking to the States again.. I have always enjoyed that. Here is a clipping from our local paper this week.. Artists welcome Studio Tour's return Now in its third year, The Hudson and Region Studio Tour is back again this fall after two very successful seasons. Last year, over 1100 visitors came from 40 different communities to check out our local talent. This year's tour will include 16 artists/artisans, ten of who are returning from last year. Six new artists include two sculptors, two mixed media artists and a bird carver. The Tour will be held September 23-24th and, again this year, admission is free. Other mediums include photography, ceramics, quilting, stained glass, painting, paper-making, telescope carving and jewelry design. Here is a quick first peek at the artists in this year's tour: Ian Coristine's aerial photography has been featured in publications including Gourmet, Canadian Geographic and France's Le Figaro. His first book, "The 1000 Islands" is a multi-year bestseller. His second book, "Water, Wind and Sky" was released last year. Heather Dubreuil is a quilter who works with both original and traditional designs. Heather has produced award winning quilts, wall hangings and pillows in her sun-filled studio overlooking Lake of Two Mountains. Heather favors rich, saturated colors in her "country style" pieces and in her contemporary batik works. André Floyd, ceramic artist and potter, creates decorative tableware using hand-thrown porcelain featuring glaze paintings of picturesque moments of Canadiana. Gérard (Gerry) Fuentes is a bird carver who started out by carving ducks and then discovered raptors. This new passion brought immediate results in prizes at all levels, including first prize at the Quebec Championship in 2005. This year Gerry took blue-ribbon honours at the World Bird Carving Championships. Gerry also gives carving courses in his studio in St Lazare. Normand Fullum is an award-winning telescope maker who has carved scopes from rosewood, birch wood and cherry wood. His artistic carving style ranges from Victorian to Shaker to Modern. Joanne Kielo is a paper artist who explores the potential of flax (linen) in her handmade paper art. She grows her own flax and operates her papermaking studio "The Barn" in Hudson. She will begin exhibiting her work this month in Ottawa in a show entitled Subtle Body Revisited. Rosalie Levi's sculptures and jewellery reflect the spirit and energy within the form, with fluid and sensual lines. They are cast in bronze, silver, resin or ciment fondu. Her works have been exhibited in galleries in Montreal and Toronto. John Marok is an artist who adapts and develops each visual act of motifs, themes, rebuses and symbols toward a sense of wholeness. The print media he employs are woodcuts, serigraphy and intaglio using papers from European and Oriental sources. Joanna Olson creates paintings using water media and oil, traditional and experimental as well as handcrafted jewelry. Using a torch and glass rods from Venice, she designs and creates glass beads and pairs them with handmade sterling silver components, freshwater pearls and semi-precious stones. Denise Paquette is a colorist for whom nothing exists but her concentration on the application of colors when she is at work in her studio. She takes the lead when beginning her painting but soon the paint, paper and water have their say and give her something excitingly unexpected. Sylvia Portner has a pottery studio making wheel, thrown and hand-built stoneware in blue and earth-tone glazes. Her work is oven, microwave and dishwasher safe. Adèle Reeves is a sculptor who celebrates the symbiotic relationship of humans and the natural world through ceramic sculpture, big, small and wearable. Suzanne Reid's prints have been exhibited extensively since 1970. Her prints are renowned in Canada as well as abroad by the originality of her woodcut using a reduction method technique. She has been represented in prestigious public and private collections in Canada and abroad. Monique Verdier is an intuitive artist/artisan using mixed media in her studio in response to her environment. Monique will show you how the combination of canvas, paper, watercolor, acrylic, collage and stamping can produce images either realistic or abstract with rich surfaces and surprising complexity. Her garden art is original and charming. Solange Villeneuve is a painter whose work has a bright and luminous style and is superimposed with linear graphics. She has had her work exhibited in Quebec, France and the USA. Her paintings come from the heart and all who have seen them experience a renewed interest in the arts. Shernya Vininsky derives her inspiration for her paintings and stained-glass works from nature, whether it's horses, birds, flowers or panoramic landscapes. With 16 artists to visit this year, there is sure to be something to please all art lovers. Keep an eye open for more information about the tour in upcoming issues. The organizers, Al and Georgia Jared and John and Betty Marok will once again soon have their website up and running. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Joanna Olsen is one of my favorite artists:) And Mrs.Villeneuve is my daughter's friends mom.. Mrs.Dubreuil is one of our physician's wives..It's a small town what can I say?:) There are similarities..all through the world aren't there!

Chowhound is a good source for dining recommendations, as Ellen suggested. I lived in Venice for 15 years and still go back there for restaurants. We also frequently go to nearby Culver City (which is gaining a hip vibe) and Marina Del Rey, which is adjacent to my current neighborhood (as is Culver City). There are so many choices in Venice/Culver City/MDR that you really have to narrow it down to what you like or want to experience. The day before my birthday, we went to East Borough Fraiche Vietnamese in downtown Culver City (Washington Blvd & Culver Blvd), and there are a slew of new hip place clustered in that triangular block. It's next door to a sourdough pizza place that we want to try, and there are more great places around the corner and down the street. On my birthday, we went to Paiche in MDR, and it is a bit expensive, but extremely good if you are adventurous and want to try Peruvian Izakaya style food. Good for a group of 3-4 people (not children) who have small to medium appetites. Also in the area I mentioned, you have your choice many Middle Eastern restaurants, including Lebanese, Turkish, Persian, etc., and so if you are interested in that, I can recommend what I like. Also, if you like Japanese, you can go to the Sawtelle neighborhood on Sawtelle between Olympic and Santa Monica Blvds. Wharo is an excellent Korean Barbeque restaurant in MDR on Lincoln, just south of Washington Blvd, almost in Venice. Then there is Abbot Kinney Blvd, where Kevin and I used to live, which has several interesting restaurant and gelato shops. I highly recommend the French Market Cafe, where I have frequently seen TV stars dining on the patio, but the food is definitely worth it, if you like French Bistro style, and it is not expensive. It is one block from my old house and was our nearest market, and so we went there often. Further down the street is Joe's Restaurant - a great place for brunch, lunch, or dinner. I had another birthday brunch years ago when I still lived in Venice and a cooking forum member took me there. If you are interested in possibly seeing celebrities, you could try The Cat & Fiddle on Sunset in Hollywood. The food is British (not to my taste, but some people like it), and I have seen Keanu Reeves and Gina Davis there on the same evening, but that was 10 years ago. For better British food, I recommend Ye Olde Kings Head in Santa Monica, half a block from the Third Street Promenade. BTW, Abbot Kinney Blvd has been named the hippest street in L.A., taking over the title from Melrose Ave, which is still worth visiting. Another hip place on Abbot Kinney is Four Square Restaurant, about a block from Joe's. Another place to try for pizza is Pizzeria Mozza, but I also like Abbot's Pizza on Abbot Kinney - much cheaper and very good. For people watching on the Venice Boardwalk, try The Waterfront Cafe or The Sidewalk Cafe, which has a better view, although I prefer the food at the Waterfront. They are both good for boardwalk cafes. If you want, you can email me, and I will give you my phone number so that you or your sister could call if you want additional recommendations. It's really impossible to list all of them without narrowing down the selection. Lars This post was edited by publickman on Wed, Mar 5, 14 at 21:10