I Know Why The Uncaged Bird Sings - Friday 3/31/2006

Because he's gorgeous and blue and he has figured out how to use his new swing. And his feet match the swing! And his favorite ball is right here!

What's not to sing about?

Everyone, this is Rocky.

Rocky, this is everyone.

Workin' At The Car Wash - Thursday 3/30/2006

Car wash, baby.

Are you singing along with me?

Her Carts - Wednesday 3/29/20066

There's a woman who lives on the streets of Toluca Lake, and she leaves these carts in a different place every night. I don't see her very often. I don't know where she sleeps.

This is her stuff.

Still Life Through Antenna - Tuesday 3/28/2006

Clearly, I spend too much time at my desk.

See more progress on: Take a photo every day

Clever Window Dressing - Monday 3/27/2006

Went with coworker T to feed coworker MS’s cats while she’s out of town. I like the way she just draped old-fashioned fruit print dishtowels over a rod for curtains in her kitchen nook.

See more progress on: Take a photo every day

Pattern Revealed Sunday 3/26/2006

I cut back the papyrus we grow in a big barrel in the back yard. Can you see the pattern of growth? Like a big spiral.

D and I both love the idea of having such an ancient and meaningful plant in our yard, and the barrel solved the problem of it’s being a water-craving plant in the high desert. I wonder if I could figure out how to make my own paper from it?

See more progress on: Take a photo every day

Dog Rescue - Saturday 3/25/2006 bonus #2

We were driving home after running errands and this dog was running in the middle of a busy road. A car had stopped ahead of us and seemed to have almost hit him, but they weren’t getting out. We stopped maybe 100 feet behind them and got out and wrangled this poor little dog. Another guy stopped his car in the next lane, giving us more room to work.

The dog was really wigged out and bared his teeth at us a little. D wrapped him in my denim shirt and I got some heavy gloves out of the back of the Tahoe because being bitten would just really complicate things. But I was finally able to pick him up and get him in the back seat of the SUV and he was fine after that.

He was very sweet and let me pet him while we drove the 15 or so miles to Animal Control. He’d lie down for a bit, then get back up to be in reach of my hand. I carried him into Animal Control, then we took pix to post near where we found him.

The woman who checked him in assured me that I could call to see if he was okay. We can’t have a dog becuase of the birds, but I don’t want to have ended this creature’s life. She said this one will have no trouble. He seems like the kind of dog some one will be looking for or would choose to take home.

See more progress on: Take a photo every day

Aliso Canyon Bridge - Saturday 3/25/2006

The cool looking old bridge on Aliso Canyon burned down almost two years ago. D noticed that the closed sign had been removed so we drove up there. Very exciting. This means we can get up to the snow line in about 10 minutes, and take visitors up there to look back at Acton from high above, rather than go the long way (about 25 minutes).

See more progress on: Take a photo every day

Ambitious vine Friday 3/24/2006 - bonus

It has places to go, people to see.

Buyer Beware Friday 3/24/2006

This is not the Holiday Lodge.

This is the Holiday Lodge sign and the building next to it. The Holiday Lodge is a somewhat shabby two-story white-and-aqua motel.

But as I was walking down the street this morning looking for today’s picture, I thought of my friend G’s oft-repeated story of booking a hotel on the Internet only to find out that the photo had been very carefully and flatteringly set up.

Probably a comparison shot of the real hotel would be interesting, here, huh?

Igloo Cafe

They serve something called Carbo-Lite. No carbs. No calories. Apparently, it’s whipped plastic.

I don’t mock. I have eaten it and I know where of I speak.

Giant Bunny Head!!! Thursday 3/23/2006

I can’t express how happy it made me to see this giant bunny head on the counter of the dry cleaners’ across from my office.

Will it be a Donny Darko kind of day?

It's the berries! Wednesday 3/22/2006

Berries on the Heavenly Bamboo plant outside the door of the building I work in.

Raspberry Mousse - Tuesday 3/21/2006

Before.

From Portos Bakery in Burbank. This little number has a thin layer of cake on the bottom, with a layer of chocolate mousse, topped by a layer of raspberry mousse, overlaid with a tart raspberry gelatin, wrapped in a thin sheath of white chocolate onto which the design was stamped. (With a chocolate curl and a leaf on top...half of the chocolate curl was gone before I thought to take the picture.)

I went there to get a Cuban cake for a celebration in my writing group tonight. One of our members is quitting her 9-to-5 to write for at least a year! So we’re feting her tonight.

Now anyone in my writing group who reads this will see that I had raspberry mousse on the same day that I shared in the Cuban cake with custard and pineapple in the middle, soaked in rum, with buttercream frosting.

Or maybe they will know from the size of my behind as I sidle through the door tonight.

Is it kind of pathetic that the most I have written on my blog in a week is about a dessert?

Moony for Luna - Monday 3/20/2006

Our office manager’s new puppy came for a visit!

Luna is a chi-poodle. We think they’re lucky she’s not being called a poo-huahua.

It was hard to get a good shot, because she’s so wiggly! (Um, Luna, not the office manager.)

Someone Else's Mountain - Sunday 3/19/2006

It was just gorgeous off and on all weekend. The campground we went to is nestled in the middle of orange groves, and it smelled just fabulous…especially went we arrived and when we were on our way home. Clean rain-scrubbed air overlaid with delicate orange blossom scent. Wow.

It was a good weekend. Sat around campfires from about 8pm-12:30 Saturday night/Sunday morning singing and harmonizing with friends. Good stuff.

Ram's Head - Saturday 3/18/2006

The woman who runs the campground we went to pointed this ram’s head out to me. She met her husband under this tree 20-something years ago!

Industriousness - Friday 3/17/2006

The gopher went right through the railroad ties at our campsite!

Good to go - Thursday 3/16/2006

As soon as I got out his travel cage, Dodger was ready to go. He likes car trips. He seems to even like camping in our trailer. Better than being left behind at home or in a boarding place!

It's his 13th birthday. He's just a kid, though. African Greys are expected to live 40-60 years.

Palm Tree Wednesday 3/15/2006

Thank goodness for the palm trees at the Burbank Metrolink station. I had SUCH a stressful day yesterday getting ready for a four-day weekend.

Took the early train (leaves Acton at 4:20) am and caught a later one than usual home (arrives Acton 6:30). I had to RUN to the shuttle stop and if I hadn’t I would have missed it.

So it was wonderful to tilt my head back and see this beauty above me while I waited for the train. Sigh.

I did manage to write on the train both coming and going. So, ultimately, I win!