Afternoon in the Arroyo Seco - Wednesday 3/25/2009

We'll get there. But first, have a look at these bronze baby shoes that Braveheart gave Tomasina this afternoon.

Braveheart's getting rid of a lot of the lovely things that have been a part of her home, because she's planning to move with The Doc to New York City in a few months. We're having a special writing group meeting tonight complete with a walk, hamburgers, fries, and mango mousse cakes from Porto's in celebration of Braveheart finishing up her coursework on the path to becoming a therapist.

She's going to be great at it.

But we're going to miss her terribly.

I think she should seriously weigh the psychic damage she's going to do to Tomasina and I against the helping a load of stressed out New Yorkers.


We started our walk at a different place from the last time I came here with Tomasina. Isn't this a cool table? It has a chess board inlayed on the top.

There was a fierce woman nearby practicing archery. I would have taken her picture but, as I say...she was fierce.

Big trail, little dog.

Once again, Bisquit sets a example. She's losing her sight, but she trots right along.




Braveheart and Tomasina wait for me while I snap some photos of this Ireland-worthy wall. There are no better friends than those who will say, as Tomasina did tonight, "Don't forget your camera!" when you're headed out for a hike.

Except maybe those who say, "Don't forget your notebook."


This is the portion of the Arroyo Seco where Tory the rescued chocolate lab was frolicking a few minutes ago. He doesn't like cameras, though, so he skedaddled out of the shot.


Tomasina points out the place where she saw the aftermath of a successful suicide a few weeks ago. She speculates that they can get around the barriers by climbing around the lamp post. Very sobering.



On the way back, Bisquit at lasts condescends to allow Braveheart to carry her for a while.

Just to make Braveheart feel useful, mind you.


If you invite me to your house enough times, I will eventually feel comfortable enough to start taking pictures. I love the things people treasure or find interesting.

The champagne top is from the bottle I just opened on the deck, because I'd left it in the fridge and there was some concern about a possible explosion. I must tell you, that I eased the cork out with utmost calm. All that spilled over the lip was a faint trail of champagne-scented mist.

If there's one thing Sundry is good at, it's opening champagne.

But that's another story.

Restoration Photograph - Thursday 2/12/2009

Started playing around with my scanner and software this evening. This shows just the preliminary difference between the original faded photo and the partially restored one.



I can clean up that border, for instance. This is my brother The Brain, his new car, and our dog Ginger.

Ginger. She was seriously one of my best friends growing up. When we swam out into the lake, she'd eventually get upset about us being so far away and swim out to us.

I used to ride around on my Huffy dirt bike with her on my lap. She listened to everything I had to say. She slept with me at night (sorry, Mom.)

I still get choked up seeing her picture. She was a great friend.



Just had to throw in this idyllic shot of chubby baby me. Cue "Blue Skies!"

After the Rain - Monday 2/9/2009

I am pretty sure that I had a clear idea of why I wanted to take a photo of my coffee when I was doing it, but I can't for the life of me imagine why now.

As I was taking this shot outside the Studio City branch of the LAPL, a guy waiting for the light on Laurel Canyon hollered out, "Don't for get to take it off!"

Not so many years ago I would have assumed this was a double--or maybe even a single--entendre.

Today I recognized it for the simple kindness it was, a nice man not wanting me to forget the cup until I heard it crack on the pavement behind me. I waved and nodded, and stopped myself from saying, "I'm actually pretty focused on it."

Ha ha.



The Facebook Photography Contest this week was "Skyline." It was a gorgeous day for it, the rain and hail having scrubbed the air. I pulled off of Laurel Canyon and drove up Selma Avenue into the Hollywood Hills to get this obstructed view. Too late to enter the contest, but here you are.


It's writing group night! Yay!

Clearly the animals at Braveheart's house are deeply unnerved by my presence.

In my experience, domesticated animals have an uncanny memories when it comes to people with the right length of fingernails who are willing to use them on haunches and bellies.

Prelude to a Bliss - Monday 12/22/2008

I went to Tomasina's house before our writing group's Christmas celebration and walked with her and her dogs in Arroyo Seco near her house. She tells me that California plein-air artists have been painting here for years.

And they still are! Check out the work of Paul Chamberlain and others here.


This is Biscuit the wire-haired Dachshund. She toddles along behind while Tory the rescued chocolate lab surges forward. But when tomasina offers to pick her up, the fifteen-year-old scampers along like a pup.

"Uh-uh. You're not carrying me. I can do it!"


The hillside is insanely green after the recent rains.



Tory would like to be immortalized in a plein air painting, but all I have with me is this Nikon D80.


Biscuit finally allows Tomasina the pleasure of escorting her along part of the trail. I got to carry her a little, too. She's a sweet dog, even if she is a little opinionated.

We met up with Braveheart at Tomasina's nearby home, and then went to Burke-Williams where Tomasina treated us to relaxation massages! We enjoyed the steam room and whirlpool prior to the massages. I was barely able to walk after my rub down. It really gets me out of my head.

We picked up Thai food from the fabulous Saladang on the way home. Chili beef, yellow curry chicken, green curry eggplant, pad Thai and Thai BBQ chicken. Yum. We know how to order a mean meal.

Back at T's place, we enjoyed the meal, exchanged gifts, I read a little of something I'm working on, and we made commitments for 2009.

Lucky us!

Me Too, Lulu - Monday 11/24/2008

Lulu relaxes on the couch after monitoring the writing group--she's a herder by nature and she keeps us in line--and a late night toddle around the block.

Whew. It was a good night and I'm glad to stay the night in Braveheart's artsy home, but I feel like I've been on the road for a month at this point.

Rocky and Champ Hitch a Ride

These two fellows were pretty impressive on the trail this morning. We came up over a rise and there they were.

Yeah, I'll admit to a second of expecting to see coyotes up there rather than dogs. And another second of wonderful if these two German Shepherds were friends or foes.

They made it pretty clear pretty fast that they were easy to get along with. They were a very close team. They'd trot ahead of us and then pause with their haunches together and look over their shoulders for us. When we whistled for them, they came to us.

We realized that they are really big dogs without leashes and we were walking them into our quiet little neighborhood where lots of people walk their bite-sized dogs in the morning.

So we each took one by the collar, promised them water, and let them pretty much drag us the last few hundred yards to the house. We got them some water, shut them in the garage, and Hydra called the number on Champ's collar.

We found out that they were about a mile from home and that the dogs are owned by a father and son, and the son was miffed that the dad had let them out. Apparently, he let them out to "potty" and they never came back.

Ahem.

They'd probably traveled about a mile. (And it probably wasn't lost on the son that they were headed toward the freeway.)



This is what it would be like all the time if we had dogs.

Hmm, have to say that happy as we were to spend a little time with these gorgeous mammals, dog breath is not something you miss a lot.

Parrots have really lovely personal habits.



I love this shot. What a beautiful day for a romp and a ride home.

In the Shadow of the Mallard - Sunday 7/13/2008

GuitarDaddy whipped us up a mighty fine breakfast!



We ate in the shadow of the mallard. I did mention that I'd had a mallard for a pet when I was in middle school.

His name was Wolfie, because when I got him from the incubator in the science lab at school he was black and gold, the school colors of Wolf Lake High School where my dad and brother went. (Before Evil Consolidation.)


A lingering look back up at our bedroom window. It was a great weekend to be at 5000+ feet, since it was about 20 degrees cooler up here.


Heidi sees us off.

Bye! Thanks!

It was a wonderfully relaxing weekend, and it was great to get to know these two terrific musicians better.



On the way back, we stopped to take photos around the ruins of the Llano del Rio commune, which opened in 1914. We walked around speculating, and I just found that link above which tells the history of the place.


Here's a photo I found online! Apparently the hotel burned down in 1920!

How much do I love the Internet? This much [holds arms as far apart as possible.]


The back of one of the big old fireplaces.

I've been wanting to stop here for a long time, but not quite enough to actually pause in our travels. Now they're in the process of widening parts of the 138 and I figured I'd better do it sooner than later.



An old cistern.



I suspect that this was the base of a water tank. You can see some other remains in the background. This place was much bigger than it looked from the road, with traces of what looked like a dozen or so dormitory style rooms in one area, and lots of less-identifiable foundations.


Looking through what was once a window. As Hydra commented, it's amazing how much of the rock wall is missing. He theorizes that what didn't burn was scavenged to build other structures elsewhere. Nicely collected rock.


And here's my theory...that this duel track of stone was once an aqueduct. It runs from up near the big lodge house to the furthest structure on the property...probably a distance of a couple of hundred feet.


Not sure if you remember, but a while back Hydra and I stopped at the Pines Cafe. It had been operating on the same site for decades and had a very good local reputation.

So glad we stopped there the two times we did! It's no longer there!

Now it's Habanero Grill.

I'm the Ginchiest! - Tuesday 6/3/2008

At least, that's what Hawkmeister over on 43Things tells me.

This is destined to be known as the Summer of the White Shades.



And you know, only the ginchiest girls get the really good photographs.



This is Jay's dog Sebastian grooming Jay's yet-to-be-named rescued baby squirrel.

Dog Day Afternoon - Friday 4/11/2008

So I was sitting on my front porch finishing up a telephone conversation with my sister, when two thirsty dogs wandered into the yard. They looked pretty happy to see someone at home.



This one not only had a long long drink out of the tub of water I brought out, she put her front legs in it and splashed it up onto her belly. I really like this shot a lot.


This one was just the sweetest. She was ready to come in the house.

"You're very nice people. There must be a dog dish in there that needs licking clean."

I called the number on the brown one's collar and Hydra brought rope and we tied them to the apple tree. We were petting them--the brown one was actually sitting on my foot pressing her back into my shin by this point--when their owner called.

She was grateful and friendly and sent her son down from up the road with leashes to retrieve them.

It's been a very doggy week. [grin]

Cow & Pig - Tuesday 4/8/2008

This is Cow and Pig.

Or... Pig and Cow.

We really didn't get to know each other well enough for me to say which is which. They were coming out of CVS pharmacy at 5:15 in the morning as I was on my way in.

They look really cute with their big untrimmed ears up, but as soon as I dropped to my knee to take their picture they completely lost focus. First they stormed me with tongues and wild tails, then they dissolved into general excitement.

Their guy said, "Yeah, they're not too good at that."

It was a nice little encounter. I went on in and bought a battery for my watch. I have about 4 watches, none of which works because the little jewelry shop down the street from my office closed about three years ago and I hadn't found a new place. I kind of knew I could have gotten a battery and replaced it myself, but I liked supporting the elderly guy who owned the shop. I think he charged $10 or $15 for the battery and replacement. I usually had to leave it with him for the afternoon.

The night manager at CVS actually changed it for me after I assured him it was old and not valuable and I wouldn't give him a hard time if he nicked it with the little screwdriver. I don't think he does this for everyone, but I go in early in the a.m. every so often and I think the cashier kind of took me under her wing. She went and got him to do it when I asked where the watch batteries were.

Dogs and Beer - Monday 4/7/2008

The writing group's usual talking, reading and writing coupled with some expert belly-scratching put la belle Lulu right at ease. (This is The Documentarian's lovely dog...the one who came out to herd sheep near my house.)





Synchronicity! I'd just finished this silly goal on 43things of trying 43 different beers, which I've done over the course of more than twenty years, mind you.

This one might sound odd, but it has a light hint of orange and it's not too sweet. Interestingly, it's made by Indian Wells Brewing Company, which we pass on our way to the Owens Valley. Maybe we'll have to stop in some time!

Tamale Day 2007 - Saturday 12/29/2007

If this cow shows up on our Christmas card next year, will you remember that it was on the outskirts of Palmdale? I think not.



We have not had a tamale day since February 2006! But yay, we were invited to help Cuz-P, her mom and Cuz-V make pork and turkey tamales. Due to a bit of misunderstanding and a bit of an inability to do simple math, we arrived pretty late and I only helped assemble the sweet tamales. (So easy!)



Gracie kept watch over Hydra, who was worn out just thinking about making tamales. He missed the tamale feast.


Beautiful sunset along Highway 138 between Mormon Rocks and Palmdale.

Jimmy Gets Some Lovin' - Monday 12/13/2007

Braveheart and Jimmy on the couch after the writing group meeting. Jimmy's a happy cat.


Lulu (the Doc's dog) requests equal time. There's enough for everyone.