Year of the Tiger - Chinatown, Los Angeles

The Chinese New Year is celebrated sometime mid - January to Mid February, because it follows the lunar calendar.




The Chinese celebrate with food, dragon parades and the exchange of red envelopes for prosperity.











The Year of the Tiger is this year's motif.





































































































Sweet flowers for Valentines Day.





My tiger, Vera does not have any of the Chinese characteristics - suspicious, emotional but remains a calm and humble cat, albeit supremely content in the sun.



Twilight to evening for a glorious long weekend...

Ballona wetlands tour

The Ballona wetlands are preserved marshlands adjacent to Playa del Rey - a wonderful landing spot on the Pacific flyway.


In 2003, the state purchased 192 acres and also got 291 acres from the Playa Vista development. A comprehensive restoration plan by the Coastal Conservancy was created.

From their dunes to the walk through to the tidal areas where plovers, great egret, and blue heron, we walk and talk with volunteers.




































Biologists serve up plankton

and draw us into










Lemonberry, sagebrush and a selection of the natural
























































































phenomenon....ladybugs included.

El Niño

I'm not complaining really....but El Niño is definitely drenching us.





























































Not that the 20 inches of rain is insignificant,





far more than a drop, I'd say.









and so gently filling our water basins...
















It's the pile on effect....and the slides we may expect as we wend our way through an accumulative state 'o rain.


Ok, the really sad thing is .... aside from the utter devastation in Haiti...is that it killed my camera....

One last burst into the elements and poof, it went down.


To be continued....

Malled

A large addition to the mall has enhanced daily life for many....



the big box store Target has something for everyone.




















A tigress-hair sectional is very unique!


























Featured valentines bears...
























Massages by the dollar...














We combine school and workability needs to navigate our way through this maze.






An amass of colors, lights, and tunes





sets in motion the business of the day....




browsing,



socializing and eating.






























































After hours, I walk by the nearby baseball field - LAX adjacent and find planes launching
skyward.








I like finding new adventures...however local it is.