This is either Barra or Benbecula, 1992 or '93.
When I was at college I used to like walking/camping my way round the Western Isles whenever I could. I hope I can do these things again sometime. Above was one of those days when you looked around and couldn't believe the intensity of the sky, though though looking at this I can't help but wonder if maybe I had a polarizing filter or something on the camera, though I'm sure I didn't own one. If only there were digital camera's back then, I used a roll of film every day and it still wasn't enough to capture all the beauty of the islands and their ever changing weather and isolated beaches.
LA Trip, March '08, Venice parking sign
LA Trip, March '08
I've no internet access until Tuesday so I'm scheduling photo's for each day I'm away.
LA Trip, March '08, Venice
I've no internet access until Tuesday so I'm scheduling photo's for each day I'm away.
LA Trip, March '08,
Planting around La Brea Tar Pits, colour in the soft evening light
I've not internet access until Tuesday so I'm scheduling photo's for each day I'm away.
LA Trip, March '08
I've not internet access until Tuesday so I'm scheduling photo's for each day I'm away.
LA Trip, March '08, Building across from Paramount Studios
I love the reflections and the stonework
I've not internet access until Tuesday so I'm scheduling photo's for each day I'm away.
This building was beside Paramount Studios. We weren't going in for a tour, he just wanted a photo of himself by the sign. Of course, I had to take the photo, which involved standing on a street corner opposite the entrance/exit with a huge camera (he has good kit, big lenses etc) looking like some lone paparazzi who got the wrong day for a celebrity snapshot. We were there long enough to see George Lucas (I didn't know it was him, too busy trying to get a shot of my Brother) and Bill Paxton coming out. Another box ticked for 'things you must experience in LA'.
For me, the best part was when we needed to turn the car around and thought it would be easy to drive into the Paramount visitors parking lot, turn and come back out on the road we needed... but Bro got flummoxed and forgot to drive on the right. Even when the lady in the parking booth said "you can turn around and go out the right way" he still didn't realise until I squealed. It was very funny because it was in a safe place. Less funny was when he did the same thing doing a U turn on a a tight corner on a mountain pass and I nearly grabbed the wheel when he started to veer across to the left into what might have been oncoming traffic (blind corner). He was in a panic because he'd suddenly realised we were driving miles into the middle of no-where with an empty fuel tank!
LA Trip, March '08
I have no internet access until Tuesday so I'm scheduling photo's for each day I'm away.
This has reminded me that I've not said how much I've enjoyed Chelsea Flower Show this year, lots of calm, restful, contemplative gardens that are what I feel I need just now (though I still love colourful flowers and less hard landscaped gardens).
Of the large show gardens I think I most loved Andy Sturgeon's Cancer Research Garden because it had that calm green planting and water that my mind needs just now but also the most fabulous sculptural 'thought wall' made from waxed steel. It was like an architectural version of my paper and felt hangings and looked amazing on such a huge scale.
I also liked the thinking behind Cleve West's garden for Bupa, the paths curve around everywhere because people with dementia don't like dead ends (I never knew that). I like the section where he has the large sculptural ball with the angelica plants nearby, I still have a gap where angelica is meant to go in my garden near the fennel, i want the yellowy green kind people know well, but also the gigas variety with the maroon coloured heads, I think they would both look wonderful with the soft fennel foliage.
As I hoped there were also more examples of green walls and green roofs.
LA Trip, March '08, Venice rainchain and light reflected onto a wall
I've not internet access until Tuesday so I'm scheduling photo's for each day I'm away.
I loved this rain chain, though I still can't get used to the fact that such things are now needed in LA. When we were kids proper rain was so rare in L . I can still remember Michelle, the girl at the end of our apartment block, coming out to see what we were all dancing and laughing about. When she walked into the torrential rain she was terrified and ran back into her apartment in tears! I never imagined someone could not have experienced rain. As homesick Scottish children we were squealing with delight.
Biplane over LA
Roadside plants, maybe wildflowers, as we drove through Malibu
Meanwhile back here in Scotland, it's 22ºc and it's not even lunchtime!
I got back on the bike today. First time in ages because my wrists and my balance were both bad for a few months there. I'm only doing 10 minutes by the house but it means I can give Lucy a really good fast run before the day heats up and then walk her more gently in late afternoon when it's cooling a little. Gave her a cold water rub soak when we got back because she was so hot from the run. She's outside drying off and completely fast asleep in the shade. I'm going to join her and do a bit more yoga. Mr P returns late tonight so I'll get my camera back for some Spring photo's.
I'm still not visiting blogs just now, I need to make the most of the sun to recharge my body after last year's non-summer. They say we will have a summer this year, but they said that last year. I'm taking no chances. There is rain due at the weekend so I'll do some blog reading then if I get the chance (Mr P may want to use my - ahem - I mean, his computer!). Happy days to you all. xxx
LA pictures above and below, Mr P has my camera so I've not been able to take any of the fine things around here this week but let me tell you, Spring is really here!
We've had two days of proper hot sun, and suddenly hundreds of shrubs and trees have burst into green growth. The path which, one week ago, was just bare branches and low winter grass is suddenly alive with birds, and insects. The grass, nettles and wildflowers have grown at what seems like miracle speed and the bushes that were light and airy are suddenly all lush and creating their lovely shadow filled covered pathway once again.
It's quite astonishing. Last week the lilac was just tight buds. This week it has leaves AND 3 inch long flower stems almost ready to open. I can hardly believe it. Wonderful. No more thermal long johns under my trousers, no jackets, no jumpers. I was out with a little vest top on doing yoga in the garden, with Lucy and the cat sleeping in the shade beside me.
Welcome home Spring, we've missed you.
LA drive-by (click image to enlarge)
Mum used to worry about drive by shootings in LA. But it's ok when it's me doing the shooting, with my camera. This shot, like so many, was taken as we flew by in the car. I love it. I love the degrees of focus/unfocuss, blurring/sharpness. I love the white picket fence with the red/pink flowers peeking over the top against that lovely grey blue background and the man walking by with the baseball cap. I love the soft shadows on the building, the pistachio ice cream colour of the metal tubing (I think it was for a billboard). I love the crisp clean lines of the cables against the sky.
Marina Del Ray drive by (I think)It's 4.53am. I can't sleep cause my PHN has flared up massively so I've spent 3hrs catching up on Alicia's blog. It's amazing to think that in the past I used to visit the people on my side links most days. Certainly not less than weekly. Now there are many I've not been to since New Year because I'm too tired. I feel bad because I do really want to keep up. My friend in Australia text me yesterday to ask how LA was. I felt so guilty cause I've never had the energy to write up a proper email about the trip. Even what I've posted here has been image based. She wants me to use facebook but I really struggle with anything that requires a password to access it. I have too many passwords to remember.
Plus, I dislike having to read everyone else's comments in order to get a context for what is being said. I mind find it easier if I knew the people, but almost everyone I know on facebook lives in another country, so the people are strangers to me and the extra effort of sifting through their writings fries my addled brain. Anyone else find that or is it just a Chronic Fatigue thing? I like things simple, find site, look at friends post/pics/email,respond if I have energy. No special access required. No unnecessary strain on the brain. My poor confused brain (Liz, your text made me laugh, the one about cognitive dysfunction, especially as those are my initials).
West Hollywood drive-by
The ME/CFS world talks a lot about 'brain fog' and it's certainly been a big reason for my comparative lack of computer use in the last year, especially when it comes to blogs that are heavy on writing and tell ongoing stories. It's like my brain just can't keep all the info together, it muddles up people, places, names and dates (and let's not get into how much is forgotten within seconds of entering, literally seconds). And, of course, I get sucked in, emotionally. I get excited, inspired, enthused, engrossed or perhaps saddened, and I want to leave comments. All things which take up energy I don't have anymore and add to the fizzing in my brain. So, until my brain cells are back to normal I'm afraid, friends, that the blog is still the best I can manage communication-wise. It covers the widest base of people I would normally contact in other ways. A one stop shop, and that all important place where I can feel I achieved something, even if it is just to put a few more pictures up.
Venice drive-by
Well, my goodness, I never expected all that to come tumbling out. Sometimes it just happens that way (usually in the wee small hours if I can't sleep). Yet if I had planned to write any of this it would never have happened. The weight of necessity really pulls me down, so when these spontaneous moments come it's best to go with the flow. But blimey, it's nearly 6am! I've just realised it's daylight outside. I can hear the birds singing and the radiator clickety clicking (weather still pretty cold). I was just saying to Alicia that we are going to have Daffodils in May (unless some more freak weather comes and squishes them before Thursday). It's all ahoo (yes Jill, still plugging away with Jack and Stephen). Speaking of Jack and Stephen, I read a nice line yesterday '...I saw him running about on deck before I came below, laughing like a holiday' (from The Surgeon's Mate, Patrick O'Brian). I like that, though the aforementioned addled brain had changed it to 'happy as a holiday' which I rather like.
One of a multitude of signs they had on this small parking area.
I'd love to write these around my garden where the kids keep breaking through and killing my plants. Instead of writing 'you will be towed!' I'd like to write 'You will be eaten!'. And maybe have some monstrous teeth drawn top and bottom of the sign :0)
One of our sayings on the trip was 'all roads lead to Lincoln'. It seemed like no matter where we went, we always ended up on Lincoln Blvd, which we liked because it was our local main road when we lived there, just one street up from our apartment, and later the house. One of my favourite parts of Lincoln is the Toyota dealership where I had my camera ready for some whale watching every time we passed. This mural is enormous, I suspect possibly it is life size. None of my drive-by photo's every captured the full image, but here are 3 sections, I love how it looks with the blue sky and the clouds...
Speaking of clouds... here in Scotland my daily preoccupation is watching the weather, hoping for a good day to wash/dry clothes. So far every sunny day except yesterday has been interrupted with rain,hail and sometimes sleet. Unfortunately yesterday I was barely able to move (and only awake for 4hrs) so I missed my chance. Today doesn't look promising...
The only gap is when I am out with Lucy but I tend to get where I'm going then sit for an hour till I have the energy to come back again. Looking out hte window now (10.30am) I can see the clouds hovering above, deciding whether to deliver hail or sleet, it's co-o-o-old out there though the sun is shining. Mid April, and there has only been one day (apart from LA) when I have not worn my thermal long john's under my trousers! Partly that's due to inactivity and bad circulation (I must buy more ginger for that) but mainly it's just down to cold winds.
Exhaustion has been getting the better of me but I did want to pop in briefly to let you know there have been 2 correct guesses as to where my holiday was. Jill correctly guessed Venice and Santa Monica, our main destination.
For those who don't know my blog so well, Venice used to be home in the early/mid 80's and this trip was to mark the 20th Anniversary of our last time there. Our base for the visit was in Santa Monica beside the pier. Here's the view from the room at 5am...
Liz recognised the whale mural in clue 7 and correctly guessed Marina Del Ray because she bought her car there 7yrs ago though she lives in Switzerland now - I love when our big world feels like a small world. Little connections, shared links between strangers.
I'm a little behind in checking my comments but I'm hoping to have a little more energy at the weekend when I don't have Lucy to walk. Oh, 2.30am and I hear the rain starting. Earlier today (friday) we had sun, rain, snow, sleet and something that was a bit like hail, but not quite hail. The weatherman's promise of seasonal weather by the end of the week was clearly wishful thinking. I hope you are all having much nicer weather, and that you have a great weekend.
