Straw Flowers - Saturday 9/9/2006

I took a few pictures at the birthday party we went to Saturday night, but the lighting was weird and everyone looks like tired devils in all the shots.

Since I treasure these friends and would not want to attract any demon hunters to their lairs—er, homes—I am deleting the photos from my camera and the rest of the universe.

The important thing about Saturday, then, seems to be that we went on a hike in the morning. A coyote followed us half way around the trail. It was up on the hillside, stopping every so often to look at us as we stopped every so often to try and locate it.

It decided we were harmless. We’re okay with that.

This One's for Saramarie! Friday 9/8/2006

I know you know what this is. Since it was the first one of the season, I splurged on the whipped cream.

Nice companion for the drive home!

Fire in the Sky - Thursday 9/7/2006

Smoke from the fires about sixty miles from us was high in the sky above us Thursday night. I had no idea whether this shot would show the strange orange sun or not.

The firefighters who work on these fires are so fit and so brave. Hydra and I saw them working out one day when we went hiking on a trailhead that started near a fire station. Running in some of their gear. We talked to one and he said this was their easy day; they didn't have to run up and down hills.

Imagine doing your job in 40 pounds of gear, in searing heat, and you have to run up a 45 degree incline to get to the photocopier.

I Like This House - Thursday 9/7/2006

It’s on the route between Braveheart’s house and work. Those palm trees are just perfect. Love the color, too.

I wouldn't want to live on this busy street, but I'd like to take the house with me somewhere.

Does Anyone Else See a Bird? - Wednesday 9/6/2006

Or am I just hallucinating after a 10-hour day of staring at my computer.

This is a sun splotch on the wall inside Priscilla’s cafe. I sat outside to read a novel and Reese Witherspoon smiled at me. No kidding! I didn’t realize it was her under those glasses till she smiled.

Also, when I got up from my table a kestrel zoomed out of the fig tree behind me, right in front of my face.

Just stuff I thought you should know.

May the spirit of the sun-splotch bird travel with you all of your days.

Fig Season! - Tuesday 9/5/2006

It’s a good thing I tasted fresh figs from my brother Beefeater’s tree before I found out how they are fertilized. It has something to do with a special kind of wasp climbing up inside of it.

I think.

Or maybe I dreamed this.

I’m a researcher, I could look it up. But today I research at the bidding of my clients and they are all clamboring for my attention. Clambor, clambor! (Hear them?)

Am I posting too many photographs of food? At least it’s not Italian beef sandwiches and French Fries!

More About the Bean - Monday 9/4/2006

I finally got around to cooking up the garbanzo beans. Just boiled them. For like an hour.

This is them before cooking. They are in the bowl I bought that afternoon during my writing vacation when I had noodles and cruised the shops on Sawtelle.

They never lost their color. How do they get brown?

They were nice, but not that much better than canned. Reminded me of edemame, which are easier to cook. I may try them again and roast them, if I can find some sort of guidelines.

Brunch Companion - Sunday 9/3/2006

You never know who you might run into in Pasadena. We brunched at Burger Continental on Lake Avenue today. The name doesn’t do the food justice. Wonderful Mediterranian food.

The courtyard at the back has lots of tables in it, and they serve an amazing buffet brunch. When we were waiting for the check, Hydra left the table to use the euphemism, and when I glanced up from my copy of this week’s The West, I had a handsome new companion.

After taking a couple of photos, I realized that the people at the next table were turned around looking at me with gleeful anticipation that I would flip out at the sight of a pigeon on the table. I explained—shrugging—that I have pet birds at home.

Harvest! Saturday 9/2/2006

Ooh, all the sudden there were multiple ripe tomotoes out there!

What’s been done to the flavor of tomatoes for the sake of getting them to market is one of the great sadnesses of modern life. There is so much flavor in these babies! I cut them up and topped them with fine strips of fresh basil. So juicy and tasty.

Wish I could share them with you.

And now for a completely gratuitous shot of the sky. Spent the whole day installing two new sinks in our bathroom. Pretty soon the I-am-not-writing neglies will begin to dance on my head. But for now, the skies are gorgeous and the tomatoes are still warm from the sun.

Sinks installed! Saturday 9/2/2006

The old ones were fiberglass. It took us all day to do these, and we had to go back to town for more supplies three times, but we have bright shiney new sinks.

Now the trick will be to refrain from obsessively wiping the water spots off of them at all hours of the day and night.

Sorry, Hydra, I don't have the before pix with me... They will follow!

Holiday Traffic - Friday 9/1/2006

I got to work at 6am in hopes of leaving a little early, but I am still here. Will leave at 3pm after nine straight hours at my desk. Creak!

Already there are two accidents and three reports of debris in the road between me and home. Half of this happened between the time I took the photo and the time I rechecked, so they don't show up here.

It's going to get ugly out there, ladies and gentlemen.

I’m listening to a audiobook of A Farewell to Arms, thank goodness.

Later: I decided that it was just going to take some time and I'd rather spend it in the mountains, so I took this long cut--it's probably more miles and takes more time--from Sunland to Sand Canyon. You can't go very fast on this road, but it's really beautiful and hardly anyone else is out there.

Yes, I pulled over to the side of the road to take this!

Fresh Garbanzo Beans! - Thursday 8/31/2006

I’ve never seen fresh garbanzo beans before!

Huh! They come two in a pod, not a hundred in a can. Who knew!?

I bought some. Looked ‘em up online and it seems that roasting is recommended rather than boiling. Maybe I'll do a little of both.

8:10 am - Jimmy drinks rosewater

Braveheart’s cat lapping water from the petals of one of the roses in the front yard.

She and I are at the kitchen table, having oatmeal with fresh figs and blueberries for breakfast. She knows how to eat well.

My 24-hours of a photo-an-hour ended at ten a.m. It was fun. It was interesting to see how fast the day goes by when you're trying to remember to do something every hour. Also, some hours are really jam-packed and I had a hard time believing so little time had passed.

10:20pm - Watching PBS

We watched part of a wonderful documentary about Passionworks Studios a place where developmentally challenged artists work.

This was captured from Braveheart’s big screen TV.

The artist’s first name is Harry, I think.

7:08 pm Back at the Office

Oh no! I went to Target to pick up these photos of Gia’s cats. The black and white one died this week, and Gia was very upset and wanted to have a little memorial for Angie the cat before our writing group met.

I took these photos of Angie and Becky on a great afternoon when Gia and I were writing in her apartment.

Why am I back at the office? Because the frames were a tiny tiny bit too small for the photos! I had to go back to my office and cut them down! (One of those hours when you begin to question whether everything is going against you. But no, you can’t go there.)

Jumping in - 10:15 am

Okay, what the heck. Why not today? It’s going to be a busy one, but many of them are.

I'm doing this little challenge, to take a photo every hour for one day. If you want to see the whole tragic story, check out the link below.

Polly Pockets pals in a water jug. The boss’s 7-year-old daughter has to amuse herself in our office, so the 5 gallon jugs were used for doll spelunking this morning.

See more progress on: A typical Day (Take One Photo an Hour for a Day)

Driving Under the Cloud - Monday 8/28/2006

There was a fire in Placerita Canyon yesterday afternoon. I went a long way around to avoid it and to go to the Trader Joe’s in Valencia. This was the view on Vasquez Canyon Road near the intersection with Sierra Highway.

Probably only Hydra will know what this means, but they are nice road names.

I've been trying to stop and take photos of some of the abandon structures I drive by on the canyon roads. Before too long they will probably be gone. I like the lonly look of them.

This old water tower is along Davenport Road.

My Foot at the Hospital - Sunday 8/27/2006

Auntie Em was in the hospital. Breathing issues. We went down to see her, Hydra, my foot and I. Met up with the cousins and went to lunch. She was in good spirits, as usual. An amazing soul.

You never, ever regret taking the time to do these things.

The View from Here - Saturday 8/26/2006

This is the view from my new porch swing, which is actually located under the big tree on the hill side of the house rather than on the porch. It’s the coolest place on the hottest day.

Yes, I was trying out the “it folds down into a bed” feature, so the photograph is right side up. It was yours truly who was head over heels. Or, actually, heels over head.

Other than the big bar down through the middle of the so-called bed, it was quite comfortable. I won’t be using it this way often, but the view’s nice, no?

I think I enraged a hummingbird by being back there, but hey, I’m feeding him, so he should just be a little more gracious.

43 Books/Authors #2 - Ray Bradbury

He was my first author. You know, the first author who’s books I sought out because he wrote them. I waited for his new books to be released.

I remember receiving The Martian Chronicles for Christmas when I was in 8th grade. I don’t know if I’d asked for science fiction or for him specifically, but it was a much coveted book and I was thrilled. I like his style of science fiction, which is more about putting real human beings in unusual situations and seeing how they’ll react and adapt. I think he celebrates humanity, with all its flaws.

My junior English teacher knew him, because her father was the famed E.E. “Doc” Smith, a very early sci-fi writer. She didn’t much like Bradbury and we argued about whether he wrote science fiction or science fantasy. Not enough nuts and bolts for her.

I met Bradbury briefly at a reading about 10 years ago and dropped my teacher’s name…told him how I’d defended him. He is very generous to writers and does lots of readings and signings. He signed my copy of Zen and the Art of Writing.

Shooting the Shoot - Friday 8/25/2006

This television shoot was going on down the street from where I worked. I took a chance and just snapped a couple of photos as I drove by.

I think this is the back of the head of a CSI: Crime Scene Investigations crew member. This is the glamorous truth of Hollywood.

Mountain Home - Thursday 8/24/2006

Another of the things along Sierra Highway that I’ve been meaning to photograph.

Mountain Home now proclaims itself to be an Interdenominational Retreat. I drove into the compound once. It’s a collection of cool old stone buildings. I’d love to get permission to prowl around and photograph for a couple of hours. Maybe if I offered them prints…?

This is apparently the old entrance arch. Now the driveway begins to the left of this structure.

(Oh wow, I just read some of the history, and one of the people involved is my Acton auto mechanic!)

Flower Cake! Wednesday 8/23/2006

Yes, this was part of my lunch. We went to Porto’s Bakery for the second time this week. It has to stop. You can’t have creme brulee one day and a pina colada cake with a flower on it the next day and hold your head up high. Because it will be too fat to hold up at all.

The food there is fabulous. In my defense, I avoided the succulent Pan con Lechon (roast pork and onions sandwich) and had the house salad with mango vinagrette with this little delicacy.

Sorry the photo’s fuzzy.

I think my hands were trembling with antici—
pation.

Um...there's a curve right here.... Tuesday 8/22/2006

This is one you wouldn’t want to miss.

Soledad Canyon Road is a beautiful drive, but you don’t really want to get going too fast or get distracted by the pretty view.

Abandoned Shack - Monday 8/21/2006

I’m trying to actually stop and take some photos of the things I keep driving by and thinking, “I should get a shot of that.”

Given that this is off of Sierra Highway, it probably had something to do with a well…either water or oil.

Square Meal - Sunday 8/20/2006

Hey, I don’t plan these things.

I just notice them.

43 Books/Authors - #1 Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser

I started this project over on 43Things, to write about 43 books or authors who have influenced me. I'm going to post the list and comments here. I have added to it over time and in no particular order. For some reason I feel compelled to share these musings here.

I think I’ve read this book more times than any other. One of the reasons it was important to me when I first read it in high school was probably that it was written by a fellow Hoosier.

Carrie starts out from Columbia City, WI…which I misread as Columbia City, IN until a college professor pointed out my error (in front of 49 other students). I’d neatly missed that because I grew up outside of Columbia City, IN and because there IS no Columbia City, WI, and because Dreiser is from Indiana, for pete’s sake.

So I could imagine myself taking that train up to Chicago from Columbia City.

I was also attracted to the non-judgmental way that Dreiser writers about Carrie. She just does the things she does and he doesn’t moralize about it and she doesn’t have to really ever pay for her sins. A remarkable thing for any time, let alone for the turn of the last century.

I'm still out here taking photos.

I just keep forgetting to bring my camera cord to work with me, where uploading is so much faster.

Now I’m leaving myself a message on my home phone…

Here's a bonus photo from a farmer's market we strolled through on Saturday. Big scary aliens disguised as flowers.

Never turn your back on an orchid, that's my motto.

Sleeping under the stars Saturday 8/19/2006

I'd never done this before. I have been wanting to do it for a long time. I was about to give up on it, but Friday night I was in the back yard and I didn’t feel like going in as it got dark.

So I pulled out the cheap-o chaise lounge and put one sleeping bag down on it, and a pillow, and slept in the other sleeping bag. It was so gorgeous! The perfect night, if a little cool. No wind, which can be a big issue up here.

It was still and the stars were bright. I slept with my glasses on so I could wake up and see the friendly sky up there keeping me company. Also with cotton in my ears to avoid any bug or cold-air issues. I was very snug in my little nest.

Crickets sang me to sleep from various parts of the back yard. I woke several times during the night (not unusual for me even in my regular bed) and noted that the human sounds had quieted down, that even the crickets were quiet after a while. I woke when the train blew its whistle a few miles away, and was glad that the coyotes didn’t set up their sometimes very enthusiastic and hair-raising responsive yipping. That might have sent me scurrying for the back door (which Hydra left open…just the storm door shut.)

I assume that the constellation spread out up there was Leo, given the time of year. The Milky Way became more prominent later in the evening. I LOVE knowing that I am looking out through the spiral arms of the galaxy when I see it. Time traveling right in my own back yard, with the stars whispering their stories of lightyears in my ears.

When I woke for the last time, the stars were almost gone…just a few faint reminders through the pale atmosphere. I felt absolutely goofily elated.

SO worth it. I expect I’ll do this again.

Sandwich board guy - Friday 8/18/2006

What a job! Out on the street corner wearing a sandwhich board. The guy saw me taking his photo and started to grin and I wish I had that shot, but the traffic light changed and I had to go. Dang!

Grapeleaf - Thursday 8/17/2006

The grapevine is huge this year. There was a late frost, so no grapes and I’ve let the vine go. It’s about 15 feet long in some places!

This Man is Dying - Wednesday 8/16/2006

Not today. Probably not for many, many days and nights. But what he’s doing to his body isn’t good.

While I sat waiting for the light to change, I saw him shudder violently and then settle back.

Is this the end of a trip or the beginning? I don’t know enough about it to venture a guess.

Some drugs reach into a person’s soul and become inextricably tangled in the fissures.

Our Stuff - Tuesday 8/15/2006

I noticed yesterday how all of us at the coffee house sit down and spread our little talismans around us.

I claimed my space with: my cell phone, my notebook, my fountain pen, a cup of coffee, a stir stick, a copy of the book The Resiliant Writer and my camera.

What do you mark your territory with?

This Can't Be Legal - Monday 8/14/2006

This guy was actually driving this duct-taped together vehicle on the 5 freeway Monday afternoon. Did it come from Michigan in this condition?

The whole rear end is fabic and cardboard!!!

Tomato Progress - Sunday 8/13/2006

Peeking in through the leaves. This one’s way ahead of the rest!

More Trail Shadows - Saturday 8/12/2006

Hydra and I went out for another early evening hike.

It was good and head-clearing.

I went to a funeral earlier in the day. A writer friend’s mother passed away after she’d taken care of her for 7 years. Alzheimers.

The service was made up of people getting up and speaking about the deceased and her daughter. La Loca, as we’ll call her, was beautiful in a mohawk haircut that shows off her incredible bone structure. Her girlfriend and their six-year-old daughter got up and spoke of the things they loved about grandma. It was moving and quiet, and a good commemoration of a life.

My friend, the Elegant E, and I went together. It was more personally emotional than either of us expected.

Clouds Over Riverside Drive - Friday 8/11/2006

The light was incredible this morning! I jumped out of my car to take this.

Happy Birthday to An-na Bahabek, if you’re reading this.

The Horse Lady - Wednesday 8/9/2006

This woman lives in my town. She is magic on horseback. She rides around barefoot, often riding like this, with one foot on the back of each horse.

She rides like this in the Acton 4th of July Parade. When we first moved out here and went to the parade, I heard some people talking about her. Saying that she’s good with horses, but not much else. And that she’s raising her son to be the same way, caring only about horses and not so much about school work. They said she was kind of crazy.

I think we can do with more of that kind of crazy in the world. And wouldn’t it be better to have a life that includes moments like these than to be, say, a really great auto parts store manager?

This looks to me like courage and strength and a direct connection to the universe.

5:27 a.m on the Vincent Grade - Tuesday 8/8/2006

Waiting for the train to take me to work. I have been driving lately because sometimes I can leave work early and that’s not an option with the train.

But yesterday’s car troubles drove me back into the arms of Metrolink.

I was talking to my mother on my cell phone when I took this photo. Hey, Mom, here’s what I was looking at when the whistle blew!

That's the front light on the train glowing there near the horizon line, under the street lights. I have other shots of the train closer, but the sunrise doesn't show as well in those.

Oh, and it was Hydra's and my anniversary yesterday. He sent a big glossy plant to my office to rough me up-- er, I mean as a gift! It's a very energetic plant, I think.

The Freeway is Safe from Vampires - Monday 8/7/2006

So. Yesterday on my drive home I ran out of gas. This does not happen to me. My gas gauge read 1/4 of a tank and I was planning to get gasoline just two exits up the 14 at the place next to the grocery store.

But the car felt like it was failing, so I eased it over to the side of the freeway and way off the side. Phooey.

Called AAA, but I thought it was probably something other than being out of gas, because I don’t run out of gas. Long story short, Hydra (D’s new online nickname. Don’t ask, just smile), came and sat with me while I waited an hour for the AAA guy to show up with a can of gas. We took the car to the dealer for service…where they will charge us $82 just for diagnosing the problem if the repair isn’t under warrenty. And they wonder why I’m not there for my regular service. Grrr.

Anyway! Hydra and I were sitting beside the road with the passenger side door open to let some air in, and I began casting about for the day’s photo. He’s been watching his Buffy The Vampire Slayer DVDs for the past few weeks, and he noticed this handy vamp-spike lying just outside the car.

I felt so safe.

In other news, by the time I get my car back from the dealership it will, no doubt, cost me an additional 50 cents a gallon to commute. Sigh.

The Moon and Me, Over Acton - Sunday 8/6/2006

Okay, first off, I'd like to note that I spent a good portion of the day on Sunday lying on the bench on my front porch reading my sister's novel! I'm lucky to come from a creative family. Her book is a very interesting look into long haul trucking. Wouldn't it be cool if we someday were able to promote our books together?

(For any of you who are looking closely, that's Dodger in his travel cage just behind my knee. He's getting used to spending time outside like this and wasn't even wigged out when the wind blew his cage cover off!)


After lazing around switching between reading Sister P's book and Moby Dick, D invited me to go for a hike around 7 o’clock. Wow, was it beautiful out there. We went up to the top of the ridge and hiked along it for a while. It was windy, but otherwise mild. Nice topper to a gorgeous day.

Yup, that's me on the trail. I think the shadow is slimming!

Birdhouse - Saturday 8/5/2006

My mother painted this lovely birdhouse.

It’s on my front porch. I took this while sitting out there after doing a lot of yardwork.