full serve

Was surprised today to pull into a gas station and discover they offered full service.

Barbershop

Went to a barbershop today.

No, not a salon.  Not even a "budget salon."

A REAL BARBER SHOP

There were only men in there

including a father and his young son.

A barber cut my hair.

No, not a stylist.  

A REAL BARBER

He even shaved the back of my neck

using a straight razor and warm shaving cream.

I felt like I'd stepped back in time.

It was heaven.

Treasure in the Rafters

I recently made a commitment to use up (or get rid of) the piles of odds and ends I've collected over the years as "art supplies." I fear a hoarding situation is developing. In the last week, I've made some inroads with cleaning out and organizing my studio. I can now, almost, move through my studio without tripping or knocking over a precarious pile. I was feeling pretty good about it all.

Then I looked up:
.

 I forgot that my rafters are full of more stored and forgotten treasures,

moon over house

Full moon over our house

Quentin 2012

His graffiti says : 

QUENTIN 2012

I think that speaks volumes

Green Fig Monsters

Even after we eat our fill, there are plenty of figs left for the birds. After the birds come these huge green bugs. They are silent as they munch everything but the thin skin, and you don't even notice them - until you accidentally bump a low-hanging branch. Fifty fluorescent green monsters buzz noisily off, following each other in a clumsy line towards the north.

Bamboo

playground

When the temperatures rise, I come home from work to find my bed has become my grandson's playground since it's the only room in the house with air conditioning to offer some relief from the heat.

Bird Seed Platforms

Why was this built? What was its original purpose?

 

I wonder if anyone would notice

if I slipped in wooden planks 

and sprinkled bird seed and sunflower seeds.

Summer afternoon

It may be the end of August,

but we are digging in and holding on to summer.

Right on.

speed limit?

The speed limit signs on the 710 freeway are covered; did the speed limit change? Is it an honor system now?

Bird Bath

My backyard bird bath is only 7 inches in diameter, 2 inches deep, but I used to have regular visitors there.

Then my neighbor put up a fountain, not 10 ft away from my tiny watering hole. Theirs has the sound of running water and is big enough for a pair of ravens to get a good dousing.

I stopped seeing birds in my bird bath,  but I continued to fill my homemade watering hole. I wondered if it was worth it.

This morning I had my answer. I teeny-tiny, beautiful yellow feather.

Doll Camouflage

walking through a store yesterday

i had to double back to take a second look:

did i just see a doll sitting in that chair

or didn't i?

Studio

To get into my studio, I open the door, take one giant step forward, shuffle slightly to the right, turn sideways and squeeze between two tables piled with books. Two short steps forward, then I go sideways again to fit between the drawing table and the Foosball table (careful not to get stabbed in the gut with handles from the Foosball). My studio is a mess of tables and boxes piled with supplies, artwork, tools, and tons of crap that belongs somewhere else (mostly in the trash). I can't blame the 105 degree weather anymore. I must get in there and make some heavy duty decisions.

Well Dressed

Magnum PI

Max with his hair cut sporting his Tom Selleck mustache.

Public Access Eating, part 2

The bounty of public access eating!

Collected these from a neglected hillside tree.

Peach cobbler for dessert tonight.

self serve

Faster than I could unload and put the groceries away, Boots discovered the cat food and attempted to help put it away or at least that's her "story"- looks like she was treating herself to an all-u-can eat buffet.

 

Passing through

Metro-North Railroad

Marble Hill

Friday afternoon

Costco library

Some shop, some push and grab to get food samples and some take the opportunity to catch up on their reading. Quality family time at Costco.

Box 'o' Trash or Treasure

This box of stuff ended up in our living room. I'm not sure where it came from. I long to throw it out. I want to be rid of it. Wish I'd never seen it.  I've gone through it several times and I just can't decide. Is it trash or treasure? I can't decide.

Mom's Purse

This morning I was reminded of some letters my mom sent to me when I was 18 years old. I went looking for them in a box that I keep under my bed. I didn't find the letters I was looking for. I found her purse with makeup. The last purse she used before she got too sick to go anywhere. I don't know why I kept it. But there's nothing I can do now, except keep it for a while longer - in a box, under my bed.

deadbolt in the basement

Ravens and Mockingbirds

A few days ago I saw a raven fly by with something in its claws. Hot on its tail was a squawking mockingbird trying in vain to save its tiny offspring.

This morning I found this still-wet eggshell under my carob tree. I looked up trying to find a nest. I couldn't see one. I hope the ravens can't find it either.

haircut

Time for a haircut for Max, my poodle.

FroYo Truck

NYC

Flat Iron District

Lunch hour

Who touched it?

Opened the fridge to discover the bottle of wine I had been chilling and saving to enjoy with my husband had been open, partially drank and left open without the cork; I imagine I share the same feelings the Bears did when they came home to find their porridge partially eaten.

That Camping Feeling

When we return from camping, I always have some leftover relaxed, nothing-more-important-to-do-than-sit-in-the-shade-and-read-a-book kind of feeling. I try to hang on to that feeling for as many days as I can.

My washing, cleaning, organizing and storing of camping stuff is almost done. The piles are getting smaller and smaller. It feels good to get all that done, but the sad part is that my leftover camping feeling is diminishing in direct proportion to the size of my piles.

Hawaiian Flag

Ka Hae Hawaiʻi

Camping Stuff

The only not-so-great thing about camping . . . all the stuff that needs to be cleaned, organized and put away when we get home.

Hotel's Hot Peppers

freshly-grown (growing)

hot peppers

in a hotel's courtyard.

cool

(and hot)

Drapery detail

a shockingly bold design--

but it doesn't overpower when it's printed on draperies.

interesting...

Back to Civilization

We've been camping in some of the most beautiful and relaxing parts of the state, but L.A. still feels good when we get back. Even though our neighborhood is not the fanciest (that's an understatement), it still always feels right when we return from a trip. We turn up our street, pass the chain link fences and dried weeds in the empty lots, through the patchwork of a neighborhood that we call home.  It feels just that - home.

Park site

The beginnings of a new neighborhood park; hope they plan for shade.

advertisement

Inviting advertisement from Trader Joe's

Shortcut

sidewalks are nice.

sometimes shortcuts are better.

seat covers

Walked in a public restroom stall and for the first time ever I saw an automatic toilet seat cover; technology put to good use.

Feeding the plants

feeding the plants:

clean water, afternoon sun

and some Aloha vibes.

urban botany

right on.

Garbage in Chains

Repot

Noticed this plant is in need of re potting.

Firestone FIREHAWK

seeing this inflatable character

took me back to being a kid

when characters like this dominated my mind

when life was filled with superheroes 

panting smile

I noticed that even in the heat and through all his panting, that Buddy just always seems to be smiling.

Two times better

Double refreshing!

Yosemite View

Even though I notice that I embarrass him, I still like having him around.

(See you guys later. Going back off the grid for now.)

Disco Lives

Disco alive and flourishing at a summer concert in the park however I noticed that these musicians might not have even been alive in the 70"s!

Home for a Couple Days

Home for a couple days inbetween trips. Just enough time to unload and repack. Came back to:

1.) 100+ degree weather
2.) More stuff to handle re my recent identity theft
3.) Notification that I did not get the perfect job
4.) All of the above creating a very cranky me

Thank goodness I can still remember last week's fabulous trip.

And thank goodness there's still more camping to come.

Salt lamp

I've seen these in the stores,

but never in an "up close and personal" kind of way.

Stunningly beautiful

And so calming.

It reminds me of Kilauea's glow

on Hawai'i Island

street bike

Vintage (& cool!)

Stairs