…the ocean.
Winter solstice. The shortest day of the year was also sunny and warm, perfect weather for a hike in the park. The added bonus was the cleanly washed air after the recent rain, providing the happy hiker with a view of the ocean about 20 miles away.
That’s a sight one does not get to see too often from this particular spot. Whatever nice one can say about Los Angeles, “pure, clean air” is not among the attributes of the city.
Well, one can’t have everything.
Our day was windy, and the wind was biting. Oddly enough, we often have a haze here. I think it’s from all the rock quarrying that goes on in the area. It’s dust in the air.
Rock quarrying? Is that a major industry in your area?
Anyway, nobody minds a slight haze. What we have here is… let’s be frank, especially in summer you can see the pollution hanging over the city from the exact same spot – it is like a lid sitting on a pot.
Sad, but true.
Oh, indeed, rock quarrying is huge here. There are quarries all around the place. The whole area is comprised mainly of limestone rocks, although west of here about 50 miles is an area of pink granite that is beautiful. It’s known as Texas granite and it’s widely used in the area. http://www.coldspringgranite.com/granitecolors/Azalea.html
http://www.coldspringgranite.com/granitecolors/TexasPearl.html
http://www.coldspringgranite.com/granitecolors/TexasPink.html
I actually don’t like Texas granite, but it’s all the rage here right now for countertops. Our daughter has it in her bathroom – but hers is a coppery color.
http://www.intra-focus.com/GTRR/F024D3A1-65BE-CC3C-1AA3CD5C39FDE96F.htm This has a bit about the big quarry here, Texas Crushed Stone, and the railroad that was begun to serve it. All owned by the same family.