beach cats at sunset

I am more than a little fascinated by the cats that live in the rocks at the beach.  I have only seen them a few times at one beach where I walk. 

But I realize that most of their days are spent blending in, so it just may be that they were always there, watching me. 

One day last week, I was taking an evening walk ... at high tide and I walked into what seemed like their evening ritual -- sitting out on the rocks while people promenaded.

It was the second day in a row that I started my walk right before high tide.  In practical terms this means that I could not walk on the wet, packed sand. 

Instead, I was trudging through the just wet and very dry sand, trying to stay out of the cold waves.

That day, I headed towards the lighthouse, and for the first time ever, walked along the upper ledge, the part that creates a cliff above where I usually walk. 

It was rough going, and I glanced over at the big rocks that separated the paved path to the lighthouse from the beach. 


No shoes, so scrambling over the rocks would tear up my feet. But on the other side, there would be no dry sand ... I didn't even think to the way the asphalt would tear up my bare feet.

It turned out as I walked towards the point that I could almost make it to the other side without having to climb over the rocks... just a few big, but climbable rocks, stood between me and the other side.

I finally made it over after stopping to watch the waves break against the sand ledge. 

As I looked back, there was no trace of my path ... just a ton of sand.  But as I stood there, catching my breath before heading back, a sea lion popped his (or her) head out of the ocean.  He/she stayed there for a minute looking at me. Someone joined me at the ledge and tried to tell me it wasn't a sea lion ... he was obviously confused about what "sea lion" meant as he told me over and over that it couldn't be a sea lion because those animals were big and ugly. 

This was a smallish sea lion -- I insist because they are the most likely visitors around her -- with a small and slender head.  He/she flipped down into the water and didn't surface again while I stood there.

But on the way back from the lighthouse, so many cats were out on their rocks.  Many watched as the people and dogs walked by -- defiantly staring down and only turning to go when they tired of the show. 

One sat atop his/her outcropping, watching the ocean, I imagined.  I think in all I saw at least ten ... and then there all the ones that were watching me.

NRU minimum wage debate

 Garcetti signed the minimum wage law in Los Angeles this weekend -- acting like he is the first major city to do this, um, Seattle?

In any case, the LA Times, in the run up, featured some articles on the debate.  These two are theoretically about the need for changes in the minimum wage.  This one is meant to present the case against raising the minimum wage based on Chicago.  And this is a corollary that sets out the fallout based on Oakland.

NRU mish mash

I cannot imagine how this new tragedy opens up old wounds for VP Biden.  My heart breaks for all of them... may Beau rest in peace.

I hope it's not too late for this ... but I am seriously considering the vegetarian way of life again ...and interested in the fact that France has decided to think about wasting food.

It warms my heart, sort of, that all these folks are starting to wake up to the notion that they don't want oil pipelines to criss cross their land or go under their properties ... whatever their reason ... but it also boils my blood that so many think it is okay to mar our coastline or want to open up pristine land in Alaska in order to get more oil.  Enough already ... I wish I could say I would take up biking ... but I can't, so I will continue to walk as much as possible.

I am glad that there are people out there that can talk about their loss and their grief in ways that make it so human and intelligible. I can still barely figure out how I feel from moment to moment, sometimes still having to remind myself that it is real.

I wonder if the school board who decided to have graduation audience members cited are the same folks who believe big government is too intrusive...

What struck me about this article was that women are leading all of these companies, and so far, it is not making a bit of difference in terms of how the businesses are run.  That is to say, the women are not bringing any new ways of doing business, as far as I can tell.

Kindergarten and play -- turns out that the debates do just go in circles.

This map (and article) are horrifying ... and I think they are meant to be.  I guess at least you could try to direct your children to colleges in states that do not explicitly allow concealed weapons...

Um ... I hope that the crazy, we don't need no government telling us what to do people are gonna get right on these issues.  If they don't, I might have to lose respect for them (coughing).  I just can't figure out how guns are sacred but people's bodies are not... someone, please explain.

Poetry Thursday

Your hair is lost in the forest,
your feet touching mine.
Asleep you are bigger than the night,
but your dream fits within this room.
How much we are who are so little!
Outside a taxi passes
with its load of ghosts.
The river that runs by
is always
running back.
Will tomorrow be another day? 

~Octavio Paz

Little libraries

Park Hill (Denver neighborhood) is full of Little Libraries! I took photos of most of the ones I found ... including what kinds of books were inside.


Most looked like this:

Some added a splash of color! Note the green roof...

This is a more traditional roof, but still with the red it is quite showy.

This was my favorite, though ... very flintstone-esque...

I don't know what I loved more the moons or the side peep holes or the decorations...

I almost took a book!

F.O.C.

Friends of Cupcake ... maybe more like obsessions than friends.  But she did spend hours watching these guys run up and down and around the trees.

NRU CA sights

Uh oh, P-32, watch out because P-41 wants in on the pin up star title!  The pictures of P-41 are amazing.  I love these "candid" shots!  I am convinced that these cats are totally onto the cameras and are posing!

I think the NY Times needs to consider putting a word limit on some of their articles -- they are frequently very interesting, but there are definitely more words here than needed to both get the point across and make the story interesting.  Engaging through so many words is not as easy these days with limited amounts of time available...and so much "news" prepackaged in short doses and videos.  Oh... and it doesn't help that if you get half way through and have to leave the site for a minute, you come back to "suggestions" where your article was ... ugh.

A hotel that is becoming part of the LA Art Scene -- honestly makes me want to head out for first Friday ... missing Oakland and being so close to the mix.

There are some uses of the online newspaper format that irritate me, i.e. videos. If I wanted to watch a video of a news story, I would look for a video.  If I am at a newspaper site to READ the news, that is precisely what I want to do - READ!  However, I do enjoy the use of photographs -- and the fact that online we can get a collection of them to go with a story.  In fact, I am disappointed when they fail to ad pictures to a story that is begging for them.  This is a great collection of pictures about the Chavez Ravine protest.   Awesome use of the medium!

LA Times did this spread on drought resistant gardening and landscaping.  If you ever wondered what to plant or how to configure, these are your guides.

Poetry Thursday, on friendship and gratitude

Do not keep the alabaster boxes
of your love and tenderness
sealed up until your friends are dead.
Fill their lives with sweetness;
speaking cheering words while
their ears can hear, 
and while their hearts 
can be thrilled and 
made happier by them.
~w. Childs

Flora of Park Hill

Seen in Denver

A yard protected by angels.

A school with the most ornate doorways I have seen in the United States... I am sure there are others of this era, but this is the only one that I have seen.

I was particularly fond of the lamp -- and interested in the way the caretakers of this building decided to mar the view with cages... and the handicap accessibility signs (I have another pic of this ...somewhere)

Tap built of the materials my friend's company manufactures... bright minds, see the next picture of the lamp of many ideas.  They did not fabricate this one, I think, but it fit right in with the decor.

This is just one of the doorways that captivated me on my walks... so much care taken on the appearance of the neighborhood!

From about a block away, I saw a big dog, and then another ... and as the man got closer, I saw that he had something like 10 big dogs on leashes ... dog walker! :)  Lots of big dogs around here ... Lucy would go crazy being ridiculous, Cupcake is much more interested in squirrels ...

 I hope you can make it out ... this was an empty hair salon with beautiful individual stations.  The second time I walked by the windows were covered over -- so something new is going in, but I certainly hope they are not taking out these stations!