Dragons and Flowers

After an unusual thunderstorm the warm weather cam back. But first something of topic:

All kind of people are working in the Lab, where I also do from time to time something related with electronics and physics. What can happen is that you cross a Nobel prize laureate here and there. One of them, Steven Chu, former director of the Berkeley Lab gave a talk on a stormy Monday afternoon.
With a fellow student I went to listen to him in a well filled auditorium. Most important things from his talk: Chu doesn't like blue laser pointers, they are too fancy and he doesn't like at all set top boxes.
Jokes beside, he had an fascinating talk about microscopy in biology and energy consumption.

Anyway, the past weekend I visited the botanical garden of UC Berkeley. Well actually there is not much more to tell, but lots to show. It's a huge garden with all kind of plants from around the world. Thanks to the microclimates present in the Strawberry Canyon the plants grow well and the whole garden gives a wild feeling. The paths merge well in but some seem to lead just nowhere.


There is also a herbal garden and we can play a little game called: Do you know this plant?

And one for those who like a particular tasty beverage that exists in all kinds of flavors.

And of course not to forget the dragons I saw. Or what would you say? Doesn't this look like a dragons paw? Or The scales of a canon proof dragon skin?
Be assured, those pictures were really taken in the garden and the dragons are alive. On the other hand, if they'd breathe fire it would probably only be enough to light a cigarette. But as everybody knows, light for a cigarette can cause many things.