Wonderful choice of fruits in a 'normal' American supermarket includes Dragonfruit, Cherimoya, Kiwano Melon, Passionfruit & Dragonfruit.

Amidst the huge fields of vines & orange trees in California, one comes across equally huge oil fields, populated by pipes & 'nodding Jenny' pumps.

Fires in California's Sequoia National Park have left many mountain sides bare but for dead tree trunks.

As the dusk settles in & the mist rolls in, they take on a ghoulish atmosphere...

Farmers and other landowners in America only own their land down to 100 feet, I'm told. Below that depth, oil companies and miners are entitled to extract whatever they can find.

There are some very strange things to be seen in the driveways of Californian homes...

Californian pelicans skim gracefully over the sea with just inches to spare.
But their dives to catch fish look like crash landings!

Interesting to note how expensive canned 'sodas' are in the UK, where cans of Coke are available in supermarkets from as little as 20¢

A trumpet flower tree looking glorious in the California sunshine

A miniature pet pig.
Every home should have one?

Fried chicken and waffles with maple syrup.
For breakfast?

Unmanned Waymo vehicles are a common sight driving on the streets of San Francisco & attract little attention or concern.

Not so sure I'd be confident to ride in one on one of the demanding mountain roads of Yosemite or Sequoia, though...

San Francisco encapsulated in one photo: On the right, a garish shop full of brightly coloured bling. On the left, a gibbering crack head burrowing through the bins.

In the US it is common to see gas (fuel) priced differently depending on whether or not you're paying with a credit card.

The entertainment & catering on Monterey Pier is very tacky indeed, but the marina & bay retain a special charm, nevertheless

Americans are offered a wide selection of beers.
Very wide!

Hearst Castle in San Simeon was built by the newspaper tycoon a century ago. It's a bizarre mix of thousands of historical artifacts from around the world in a 100 bedroom classical palace that was never finished, so the concrete construction is both conspicuous & incongruous

The bright colours of the California coastline are absolutely dazzling at times

Love the choice of mushrooms in American supermarkets!

Gazing at the yachts in Portofino Marina near Redondo Beach brings back exciting memories of sailing in the Adriatic & Aegean.

Can hardly wait to be out on the water again...

Incongruous! Scores of noisy peacocks roam wild in the peaceful residential area of Rolling Hills Estates in Los Angeles