Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Dramatic December skies

I wake up to the amazing sky lights....




and today was especially spectacular!

Hot...hot pink.....and then hues of blue skies come in.



When a vision of downtown Los Angeles, comes shining through. I think of it as the land of Oz, dreamy in its silouette.



And then the rise of the moon....


Amazing, isn't it??!
 

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

November Skies

Have been very intermittently posting here....

even if I  have been taking a few pix in the meantime.



Amazing amount of brilliant skies - whether it is a preponderance of clouds due to a single rain day....


 The same view but with the late afternoon sun hitting the Los Angeles downtown brilliantly.




The morning skies are FLOODED with light, and


Here's an end of  the day shot down at the beach where everyone congregates to watch the sun drop into the horizon.


Orange glows and cooler temps....long shadows make the fall and winter a delight.


It is a showstopping amount of light, going from brilliant to super sublime...how much I enjoy my room with a view!

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Cooper's Hawk on the wire

Looked out my window today, and saw a young Cooper's Hawk. Must have been all the rain and smells stirred up some interest from this predator.


Here are some facts:

(Accipiter Cooperii)
Description: Distinguished from other woodland hawks by a larger head; longer rounded tail and shorter rounded wings. In adults, there is a stronger contrast between back and crown.


Habitat: Prefers mixed woodlands, or streamside groves.
Diet: Preys on songbirds, small mammals, reptiles and amphibians.
Displays: Courtship flight with wings in a deep arc.
Nest: Broad and flat or narrow and deep. Made of sticks and twigs and lined with wood
chips, down, strips of outer bark or green conifer needles.
Eggs: Bluish- white or greenish- white. Usually spotted with brown.
Natural history notes: Uncommon, and may be declining.



Of course, these birds may come and go at will, perched and holding tight until prey is in sight.




And then they are gone....





Thursday, October 3, 2013

Glow!


About every 3 years, the Santa Monica beach welcomes art projects set up at night that GLOW.





 The Ferris Wheel also got into the act, it colors from the Mandela created on it's face.




Open from sundown, until 3a- it is a night for reveling in the evening atmospherics.



How not to think that this is all pretty priomordial and elemental to our being.

Most enjoyable.

 

Monday, September 23, 2013

AltCar Expo Santa Monica

Granted the newer car technologies - hybrids, electric, natural gas and converted diesel are so much better for the environment, and if all of us were smart, we'd get one!


In rolled about 25 cars - Nissan Leaf,Toyota RAV EV, Mercedes e-cell, Chevy Volt, Toyota Prius Hybrid Synergy Drive, and the very newest, Tesla which were on view and some of them test-driven.



Tesla was only for show....



The Chevy Ecco cars made by GM, were the least expensive (with incentives from the State of California) - with Spark starting at around $18k, but is about as small as they come.

Nissan Leaf are all around....but they require hookups to charge. Again, a small car, but
it has a lot of great features. This is a hugely popular car, especially in Europe.

Leaf EV is driven by a police force in Portugal and they have a range of about 100 mile per charge and can get up to 90 mph.

The most tricked out displayed belonged to Toyota, and the sales team asked me immediately if I wanted to get on video describing my feelings about electric cars for a bottle of water. Not really.

They had cut in half their RAV EV model...which looks a bit weird this way.

Then came the real innovators.....kids from Santa Monica High, calling themselved Team Marina converted a VW Bug into an electric car.


And then explained how they combined the batteries.....exponentially adding to the power of the car.

Here are the details...

And the little engine that could, came from the Peterson Museum - which was a converted Honda Civic, re-created in the 1970's by a group in Los Angeles....It was tiny....but still drove and what a concept that might have been way back then.

Brought to you by Waller from the Peterson Car museum....

Get used to seeing this.....

It's a sign of the times...

Enjoy.

Monday, September 9, 2013

Flatfooting at the Farmer's Market




West coast Appalachian flatfoot teacher and dancer, Rebecca Stout gave a rousing performance at the Santa Monica Farmer's Market this Sunday.  At first the little girls were a tiny bit shy, but
Rebecca's infectious enthusiam got them going.

Oh, what fun....and all with Sausage Grinder - the fabulous country-honky-tonk band - try to catch 'em sometime!


http://www.flatfootandfancyfree.com/




Thursday, September 5, 2013

Mornings at 7

It has been much hotter here lately....



and that extra boost of sun, has made us all take notice.

Woke up to see yet another amazing sunrise, and a small bird also taking notice of the day!

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

A move on


Caught this group heading out....thought it was startlingly beautiful.

And an ode to long summer days!



Sunday, August 25, 2013

Forever is finite


Keep the thought in mind that there is no forever.....so, here are some bucket list items!

Friday, August 23, 2013

So long summer

Whooosh....there goes the summer!

Long days....and full of community, much like this ice cream stand which gathers so many from far afield.


Study those flavors....watch as the moments pass, and your order will get taken.
My fave - mint chocolate chip, also America's favorite.
Or so I was told.


Sun-baked afternoons....flowers abundantly florishing.


And one must make steps throughout the year to the next summer break, 

when that feeling of salubrious joy is once again abundantly there. 

Hope you enjoyed  yours!



Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Endeavor!

Took a quick trip downtown to see the newly delivered Endeavor at the Science Center.



The hangar is just temporary now, with hopes of building it into a new museum.



The engines are huge.....but you knew that!



One end is all Endeavor/Nasa souvenirs....it draws a good crowd.

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Skidadlling down the hill

Here's a refreshing view of the hill - bikes pouring down it, snoozers on a heavenly break. Looks to be another day in the fun zone here in Santa Monica.

Enjoying the summer!

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Runner

I much prefer a bike....way less impact, but I admire those who can keep up a long distance run.




Under the pier and through to the other side on the beach....that's the way....and she's going at
a fast clip....but hey, I'm faster!

Enjoy!

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Hollywood Forever- venue for Peter Sellers "The Party"

Always a treat to head into Hollywood




and set up a picnic on the grounds of well, yes a cemetery. It's a gathering of folks, dining alfresco,underneath palm trees,





a rising moon, and even the whirly-pigs (LA policeforce by sky).



A festival atmostphere, with raucous and soulful tunes blaring out of a DJ's pit makes for a fun, fun time.

Even though we are sitting adjacent to the mausoleum that houses such luminaries as John Huston, Douglas Fairbanks and Rudolph Valentino, and about to embark in a 90 minute piece of fluff called "The Party," a peaceful air takes effect when the sky turns dark and the movie begins.


And there is Peter Sellers in his goofball glory...Claudine Loget, being her softly femme self.


Watching the moon rise over the screen is really quite amazing, but the plot twists and cast of characters including a baby elephant, made it a ridiculously, belly-laugh kind of evening.







 Somehow, the joy experienced must have sent all souls aloft this evening!