It started a week ago with some cryptic markings on the sidewalks and the street. Yesterday a palm tree had to be taken out. Then the men with the hard hats and the plans moved in. Today the jack hammers went all day outside. Do I grumble? No! Those jack hammers are music to my [...]
With summer around the corner, it helps to know where to find those cool and shady places to spend whole days once temperatures rise. These are some examples from Descanso Gardens in Glendale:
Descanso Gardens is not only a delight for lovers of flowers, but also for connoisseurs of architecture and interior design. Overlooking the garden area sits the “Boddy House,” built by the Los Angeles architect James E. Dolena, well known as the “architect to the stars.” In 2007 Boddy House was completely renovated and restored to [...]
With the weather being what it is in SoCal, flowers are blooming all year round. Some, however, can only be seen in winter. One of the most spectacular displays of camellias one finds in Descanso Gardens, famous for its display of 34,000 plants on 20 acres. A walk through the Camellia Forest is probably as [...]
Before the rains the L.A. River looked like this: After four days of rain and storms one could see this: Once the rains stopped the mountains looked like this: I have never seen that much snow up in the mountains – it is simply amazing. In the ski resorts everybody is happy – skier, snowboarder, [...]
Yes, yes, the rains have arrived – finally! That’s the good news. The bad news is that the rains came on the wings of some quite remarkable storms; we’re just through the second wave of winds with gusts of over 72 miles per hour and two more storm waves are expected until Friday of this [...]
It used to be that one could see the odd cormorant when walking along certain stretches of the L.A. River. By now they are hanging out there in whole flocks; and apparently they hunt for fish, too, because this splendid specimen is drying its feathers after diving. Then one sees anglers. This again raises the [...]
May I introduce: Melanerpes formicivorus, aka Acorn Woodpecker. These pretty redheads can be found in Griffith Park – if one knows where oak trees grow. Acorn Woodpeckers lead a busy life drilling holes into dead trees and collecting acorns to stick into the holes for later consumption. They also pick dried out acorns out of [...]
Never one to shy away from exotic foods, I finally crossed the line into the world of creepy-crawlies: I ate chapulines. In plain English – grasshoppers. They are a staple in our favorite Oaxacan restaurant “Guelaguetza” on 8th Street. Our friendly waiter sang the praises of the dish, so how could I resist? The little [...]
Could this be the seal equivalent of a High Five? If so, it is more than appropriate, because after nine years of the seals being an issue with the last five years spent on a lawsuit to evict them, they can stay. Hurray! Yes, you too. Come on in! On November 13th, Superior Court Judge [...]
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