Plowed snow piled high
Families throwing snow, sledding
Mt. Baldy looms above LA
As high as you can go now unless parking to ski.
Snow on Mt. Baldy
LA County California
Walnut Creek
emerald surrounds
rushing waters
wandering pathways
Los Angeles County contains many well maintained trails. This one includes Walnut Creek along which a hiker can walk many miles when water is low and easily cross the water crossings. Not this spring. Unless you are on horseback or have tall waders, it is impossible to cross the meandering creek crossings. Along the train in one area is a bridge and a round pen for horses.
Near this area are picnic tables and a meadow.
Storm Clouds Over Mountains
Hiking high trail
Dark clouds shroud mountains
Azure lake glimmers
Winter
Snow wonderland
Wind singing through pines
Walking in Bonelli
Snow Blossoms
snow blossoms
falling in pool
a song of silence
Snow on Mountains
warm sun
snow-capped mountains
heartwarming joy
Reading Octavia Butler-1
In a recent post I mentioned walking in her footsteps. This is the rainy season so we have not been able to go on that walk yet.. However, this morning I finished reading the last novel of hers that I had not read–Parable of the Talents. It is the sequel to Parable of the Sower. Now I have read all of them. She is buried at Mountain View Cemetery in Altadena, CA, Eagles View Lot 4517. The inscription on her gravestone is the theme of both the books above:
All that you touch You Change.
All that you Change Changes you.
The only lasting truth is Change.
God
Is Change.
Strolling in Bonelli Regional Park
Instead of walking around the neighborhood, today my neighbor and I took a long walk along one of the paths in Bonelli Regional Park ten minutes from where we live. There are over 30 miles of hiking and bike trails in the park. We took the easy paved walk overlooking the lake.
In summer people swim and boat here. Now it is mostly hiking, dog walking, biking, and fishing.
On this side of the lake many houses, some very large, overlook the lake. A few have vineyards or orchards on the slope near the houses.
Mt Baldy rises in the background. Several of the mountains remain snowcapped.
Several species of ducks, but mostly mallards, and a few geese reside here. In this area we saw a man fishing.
Octavia Butler’s Pasadena–Part One
As part of a bookclub I co-host, we read Octavia Butler’s novel Kindred, a science fiction story which takes places in California and in the Old South. Since many of the bookclub members live in or near Pasadena, we decided we would do “Experience Butler’s Pasadena on Foot”, a walking loop of about 2.5 miles. We had planned to take the walk earlier in December but were rained out. We will reschedule early next year. I decided to do a dry run in November and took these photos along one of the streets where she often walked.
Butler lived most of her life in Pasadena but never owned a car. She either walked or took public transportation.
For those unfamiliar with her, she became famous as the first African American to win multiple Hugo and other science fiction awards. Born in 1947, she died in 2006, and is buried in a cemetery in Altadena, CA, just north of Pasadena. Many of her manuscripts are on display at The Huntington Library.
The last Octavia Butler book I read is the one illustrated in this photo taken at The Huntington Library. I am currently reading the sequel, Parable of the Talents. When I finish that one, I will have read all of her novels. She is one of my favorite authors.
Taking Photos on My Walk
Most days I take a walk around my neighborhood. Usually, I do not take my phone so no photos. However, earlier this week after seeing some lovely flowers and sights, I decided to take the phone so I could take some photos. Here is what I found along the way.
This is the back of the Taiwanese Buddhist Center near my house.
Poppies growing wild near the sidewalk.
Flowers near the poppies.
Southern California is bougainvillea heaven.
A lot of these colorful trees everywhere–a type of tree I always associated with way farther east not here.
Succulents and agaves do well here.
So many kinds of trees grow here including all types of eucalyptus which many consider invasive and also a potential fire hazard.
Referred to as freeway daisies because all colors can be found everywhere and all times of year.
This is also rosemary heaven and everywhere the rosemary is in full bloom.
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