This historic show car created by Ed "Big Daddy" Roth in 1957 is a true work of art. Built from scratch, with a hand sculpted fiberglass body, it revolutionized the custom car concept. I photographed the vehicle at the Peterson Automotive Museum in Los Angeles in 2010.

This intriguing example of novelty architecture can be found in North Hollywood. It features interesting signage, gigantic fake books, and murals of famous authors (not visible in the photo). The exterior is fantastic, but the huge offerings of used books inside is even better! A casual iPhone photo from 2018.

I photographed this spectacular Callistemon tree, located in my back yard garden, at the peak of blooming in spring. They are popularly called Bottlebrush, due to the appearance of the crimson blossoms. Native to Australia, they also thrive where I live in Southern California. Captured with my Fujifilm X-T20 camera.

These vivid plastic meerkats watched over the entrance to the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix Arizona. The cheery critters were created by the Crackling Art Collective, and the nearby crystal cacti were the work of glass master Dale Chihuly. What a surreal scenario! An impromptu iPhone photo, 2019.

Just off the Venice Beach Boardwalk lies one of the weirdest buildings in Southern California. It was originally built in 1906, reputedly as a brothel. Over the years it fell into disrepair before it was purchased by Tony Wells and Brittany Stevenson. They gutted the building and created the most eccentric renovation imaginable, decorated with murals, ironwork, and guardian statues. Though not immediately obvious, the property is actually an apartment building, home to artists and musicians who love the bohemian Venice lifestyle!

This classic car was on display at the 2019 Granada Hills Street Faire in Southern California. Originally from the late 50s, the Metropolitan was ahead of it's time, as it anticipated the compact car trend that was yet to be. Apparently it was available in pink to help attract female customers. This particular example was in fantastic condition, looking all original except for the eyelashes added to the headlights!