Festive Lights & Seasonal Cheer

Glowing peppermint lollipops provide a festive welcome to the house


Although we don't get any snow out here, it begins to look a lot like Christmas when the occasional house seems to be sporting holiday decorations. Here in the South Bay, no other neighborhood goes after the seasonal decor quite like Torrance's "Sleepy Hollow" district. For block after block, street upon street, the houses are all aglow with Santas, nativities, snowmen, and other such images lit up for the enjoyment of the community.

Yeah, I normally don't get into the holiday mood, but last week I found myself in the area. So, a walk around the neighborhood was on the schedule. It was illuminating. ;-)

Santa and Snowman


I'm still not big on such ornamentation, but it was an impressive show of community spirit. Transforming the neighborhood into such a spectacle of lights and music is no simple task, requiring significant resources of both money and manpower. With such widespread cooperation behind this effort, the end result was truly dazzling, a powerful demonstration of how group projects can outshine even the brightest efforts of a single household.

So, if you're in southern Torrance at night, consider giving this lovely project a viewing. Ho ho ho!!!

Glowing icicles and a balcony Nativity.


Enjoy!!!

Post #666

Devil School Girl by Coop

So, I was considering what the topic was going to be for today's blog post. Was I going to finally put up some museum photos? Or would the Christmas festivities get the spotlight? And then I noticed my post total. It was 665 posts.

Well, only a persistent blogger gets to enjoy a 666th post. So, here's a lovely, popsicle-suckin' Coop devil girl to celebrate the event right. ;-)

And how about some music. . .

Quiet Nights, Gentle Sights

A view of the crescent moon, waxing, over the California Bank in Long Beach
Marlin by Brough Miller at the bottom left

I'm feeling a bit better now. A few days of rest has done some good. Nevertheless, I'm just not feeling in the creative mood tonight. I think that I'll call in an early night.

Yet, I do want to wish everybody some happy holidays. I would do it with a festive, seasonal post, but my energy isn't up to the full, exuberant blogging that would be required to do it right. Maybe tomorrow. . .

In any case, here are a few nice photos that capture my current mood.

Night and day, day and night. . .

Under the Dove Tower at the Skirball

Enjoy!!!

Friday Flowers: Wet Roses

Pink roses, still in bloom at the Banning Museum


I don't want to skip our weekly celebration of floral delights. ;-)

There aren't very many roses to be found in the local gardens, but an occasional blossom here and there can catch the eye. These photos were taken last weekend, as I visited the Banning Museum to see their annual Christmas celebrations. The garden wasn't in high color, but that's to be expected, even out here with mild California winters.

The day wasn't very pretty, with dark skies constantly threatening rain. However, the little drops of moisture, having accumulated upon the petals and leaves, made for a nice sparkling accent, like liquid gems ornamenting the last roses in the final days of Autumn.

Very beautiful.

An orange rose, heavy with rain water


Enjoy!!!

Glimpse of Hidden Beauty

Even an ugly, old oil refinery can be transformed in a golden moment into a vision of Beauty


Feeling not so good right now. A bit depressed. A bit sick

Days have been ugly, overcast, cold. Trying to stay upbeat, positive, but bad sleep, coughing, and back ache. Makes me tired.

I feel like garbage. . .

Need comfort music. . .

Point of View

Silently searching for something to show;
Three blue seats empty, arranged in a row.

Again, we're going a bit light on content in tonight's post. I was hoping to get to it earlier, before sleep started to press down upon my eyelids. However, distractions plagued my day. Oh well, at least I can still write "quality" poetry. ;-)

Well, let's send out a Happy Birthday to Cassandra Wilson, one of my favorite contemporary jazz singers. She was born on this date in 1955.

It's been a long time since we featured some Jazz music at this blog. So, let's listen to some fine songs.

Out of Order

Caution!!! Elevator Out of Order


With a bit of extra time tonight, it was my intention to blog about the various awesome things that I did over the weekend. From art gallery visits to Holiday festivities, fun times filled my days. However, upon my mind, a strange lethargy has descended. Befuddled with fatigue, I find that my fingers are leaden, unable to properly type out the words that I wish to express.

Sleep-sodden and stupid, my writing capacities are out of order. I had better wrap up this post now, before you, my dear reader, turn purple from reading this prose. ;-)

Enjoy!!!

Another Rainy Night

The rain-soaked street shimmers in the light of the oncoming traffic

I haven't much to share with you all tonight. However, here's a photo capturing the unusual wetness of the Los Angeles region. I can't say that I'm enjoying the moisture, but, sometimes, the liquid sheen tranforms the drab sights of this suburban blight into a vision of brilliance and lustrous beauty.

So, I guess that I'm alright with the rain, at least for now. We'll see how I feel after a few more wet days. ;-)

Enjoy!!!

A Singing Chihuahua with Maracas

Cuddle Barn's "Chuey Bamba" sings and plays the maracas


Well, here's a Silly Saturday treat for you: a toy chihuahua that sings "La Bamba" while shaking the maracas.

I really don't like holiday shopping, but sometimes you can see the oddest of things. Among the singing toys on display, I thought Chuey Bamba had just the right mix of cuteness and absurdity. Then again, I didn't notice Chili Pepe. ;-)

Let's look at some vids:

Friday Flowers: Lilac

Syringa Vulgaris: Common Lilac "Letha E. House"


Yeah, I have a whole bunch of flower photos to share with you all. This is one that I took last week while visiting the Descanso Gardens. There weren't many flowers in bloom, but this pretty little lilac was holding strong in the face of our California winter. ;-)

Purple is my favorite color. So, lilac has a special appeal for me.

Common Lilac


Very, very pretty.

Where to Begin?

Image from Friedrich Kunath's exhibit "Lacan's Haircut" exibited at Blum & Poe (9/8-10/27, 2012)

Well, I've been writing and creatively involved, but, sadly, not doing much blogging. I have a kazillion photos to share with you all, from too many places, too many exhibits and shows, too many whimsical moments to count. So, I'll just randomly select images from over the past four months to give a sample of the fantastic things that I experienced in the world around me. Yeah, it's the "Image of the Day" concept that I keep on promising.

Hopefully, I'll also start regular posts again, but let's not get too ambitious. ;-)

Image of Friedrich Kunath's "Lacan's Haircut" in Blum & Poe's parking lot


Get ready for some fun stuff!!!

Off to the Polling Place

Going to vote at the Hermosa Beach civic center

I haven't much to say today. Well, actually I have a whole lot to say, but this isn't a politics/government blog. Therefore, I'll hold my tongue. Maybe, I ought to start another side blog for an occasional post on such matters, but that something to consider at another time. It isn't as if the world is lacking in political blogs. ;-)

Anyways, I just wanted to announce that I have voted. Have you? If not, turn away from the screen and go out and vote. You might have to stand in a long line, but it really is essential in a democracy that each citizen participates in the political system, love it or hate it.

And it makes the dolphins happy.

Dolphin statue outside of the Hermosa Beach museum


Enjoy!!!