Through the Windows of Sausalito, CA

I don't know what caught her eye - perhaps a newspaper headline. Really good Italian food with a great view of San Francisco's skyline can be had at Angelino.
Street reflection with painted poppies.

Framing & Photography - St. Helena, Napa Valley, CA

St. Helena is a small, charming (if somewhat upscale) town in the middle of Napa Valley. I went specifically to find the house where MFK Fisher lived (which I believe I found and will post later).

The Frame/Photo store didn't make it and is empty, but the beautifully printed name still adorns the entry door.

Spring in an Old Grove - Napa Valley, CA

I've been on a short business trip to Northern California and had a chance to do a bit of sightseeing. Even with overcast skies, the view was very sunny with what I think is wild mustard growing between the vines.

'F' is for Fern with a New Frond (abc Wednesday)

From Wikipedia: the "great fern radiation" occurred in the late-Cretaceous, when many modern families of ferns first appeared. This specimen is part of landscaping along Highridge Road.

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Big & Bigger

Amy, our sweet and friendly 6-yr-old Golden Retriever, is (according to all my friends) a BIG dog, and they haven't even seen the shadow she casts.

View from Miraleste Library

I mentioned earlier that Miraleste Public Library on the hill's south side has a splendid view of Port of Los Angeles and beyond. The port is in the city of San Pedro and more lovely photos of it can be found on Lori Lynn's (of Taste with Your Eyes food blog fame) new San Pedro Daily.


The watercolor of a scene from the early days of the port is from The Port of Los Angeles: From Wilderness to World Port book I recently purchased on-line from Friends of PV Library on Amazon. Beaumont trained in Europe and in 1931 exhibited first paintings in PV and Long Beach. He is known for his U.S. Naval Art paintings.

"Did you bring me anything to eat?"

My new friend is not a PV resident. Since our Saturdays are spent on the soaring field (Crystalaire Airport) in the desert near Palmdale, I have some time to explore that area. This little ranch is located near Valyermo, CA. The long-horn cows did not pay much attention to me, but this cutie came trotting to me right up to the fence. Next time, I will have a treat for both of them.

Shiny / Dull (2 things challenge)

The Matrix is very shiny, the photo (other than the matching color for the car and trees) is a bit dull. Taken during my morning commute to work at the intersection of Crenshaw Blvd. and PV Drive N.

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Sky in a Puddle (SkyWatch Friday)

At Malaga Bank parking lot in Rolling Hills Estates, last Friday morning.

See all the beautiful skies around the world at Skywatch Friday.

The Gardner Building

The Gardner Building, 1925
Malaga Cove Plaza, Palos Verdes Drive, between Via Corta and Via Chico
Webber, Staunton, and Spauling
"First strucutre built as part of the arcaded theme at Malaga Cove Plaza. Dedicated on Sept. 13, 1925. It housed the PV Home Association, Art Jury, Building Commission and Mr. Schaffere's Grocery & Meat Market. " (from Rancho Palos Verdes Historical Society plaque.)


In the 60s, the corner store was a wonderful drugstore with a soda fountain. My husband remembers getting great burgers and hashbrowns there as a kid. Now, the space is occupied by a realty office.

'E' is for Exploration and Exercise (abc Wednesday)

Sunday afternoon at Hesse Park in Rancho Palos Verdes.

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Silver Spur Court Tower

The new "courtyard living" condominiums at the corner of Crenshaw Blvd. and Silver Spur were conceived by "renowned architects Moule & Polyzoides" (according to the real estate brochure).

The tower does look nice against the morning sky, as seen on my drive to work.

TWENTY - FOVR - THIRTY - THREE

Garden Apartments, 1937
Attributed to Pierpont Davis
2433 Via Campesina
A 1930s Spanish Revival complex, including a picturesque minaret.
(Entry #3, Palos Verdes, North, An Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles by David Gebhard and Robert Winter)

First Solo Flight

My 14-year-old son's take-off for his first solo flight in a glider (or sailplane). He did a short patern fight around Crystalaire Airport at Llano, CA and made a perfect landing! His dad and I, as well as his instructor Martin Martorana, are so very proud of him.

2 for Valentine's: ♥ and OX

Starving Students Moving Co. truck has heart.
O X X (a natural cloud formation) from Crystalaire Airport in Llano, CA.

Nature's Gift (3)

This morning, after a bit of rain earlier, I just happen to glance outside at the moment when sun broke throught the clouds and lit up the buildings. Even my son (who usually says "That's nice, Mom" to my shouts of "Come quick, you gotta see this!"), thought the view was very pretty. With the reflection in the scene and the photo being straight from the camera, I can say that I learned well from Babooshka.

The sad part about the view is that 10 days ago the two pine trees just outside our door were chopped down - hopefully for a good reason. So no more fun with the squirrels (enlarge the photo below) for our dog or our cats.

Miraleste Library

Like many of you, I just love going to the library. Palos Verdes has three, and Miraleste Public Library (MPL) on the South side of the hill, has the most spectacular view of the Port of Los Angeles and beyond (to be seen in an upcoming post). MPL is also dear to me because that's where one of the book clubs I belong to meets every second Saturday of the month. (We are reading Lady Chatterley's Lover for February - that should make for an interesting discussion.)

The other reason I like the libraries is for their used book sales sponsored by the Friends of PVLD. Our main branch just had their monthly weekend sale, and besides picking up 10 books there, I discovered that they sell though the www.amazon.com/shops/pvldfriends & Alibris. So of course, I found 2 more to buy on-line (including a book on The Port of Los Angeles). So, when buying on-line, remember to support your (or mine) local library.

'D' is for Distance in the Desert

Pearblossom Highway on the desert side of the San Gabriel Mountains, near Llano, CA

Nature's Gift (2)

My husband was walking our dog the other morning and came back to tell me that I've got to take a photo of the white blossoms against the bougainvilla next to an evergreen. So this is it.

Horse at Broadacres Preschool

A friend's daughter went to this pre-school that this lovely horse belongs to. The kids learned about animals and helped with the "farm" chores. An amazing experience -- at any age.

Nature's Gift

Saturday's clouds at sunset with moon, looking South from top of Longhill Drive, by Soleado Elemantary School.

Dissention on the Hill

... no, not Capitol Hill in D.C., but on PV hill, in Palos Verdes Estates which is the oldest and the most regulated (by its City Council) of the Peninsula cities. It is a political ad (see the small print on the sign) and is displayed in a prominant location at the base of the hill, on the main route to the closest freeway. PVE Resident Handbook

Rain and Shine (Sky Watch Friday - Reflected)

It finally rained in LA this afternoon and early evening - to everyone's delight due to a very dry winter so far. But when we do get a bit of rain, water puddles tend to build up quickly, all along the streets and parking lots. This particular puddle formed right by my car door - but since the street lamp reflection was so pretty, I didn't mind my wet feet.

At the Western End of Route 66

Prompted by Marie-Noyale's recent post of Route 66 Cafe on Larchmont Daily Photo, here is what the route looks like at its Western end, in the city of Santa Monica. THE Hotel CA is 300 feet away from the route's official end at the Santa Monica Pier (see -K-'s pier photo here). A bit further north, the ramp leads down to Pacific Coast Hwy and Santa Monica beaches.

'C' is for Colorful, neo-Cubist @ Mammoth (abc Wednesday)

The detail of the new homes along the run at Chair 15, reminds me of work by contemporary Southwestern artists/illustrators like Frank Ybarra.

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Eagle Express

I'll be posting a few more photos from Mammoth Mountain. For some reason I really like this photo, although it probably violates all the rules of good photography.

While there, we watched a portion of Sleepless in Seattle on TV. The movie was made in 1993, which doesn't seem so long ago, but it was filmed before cell phones, laptops, Google, and ... before blogging, My Space, Facebook. What a different world it was.

Here to-day, gone to-M...ammoth

View of the White Mountains and Crowley Lake from Little Eagle lift at Mammoth Mountain.
Actually, we've just returned from a weekend at Mammoth Mountain (a "quick" 6-hour drive from LA basin, not including being stuck in rush hour on Friday afternoon). We've been going there every Super Bowl weekend, of and on, for about 20 years with friends from work and their families. This year, our son left us in the (powder) dust and was off traversing the mountain, while we stuck to the easier runs at Little Eagle lift area. The snow conditions were excellent despite the warm weather and very low snowfall this year.

Paths and Passages (February Theme Day)

Because of the hilly terrain and relatively low traffic on weekend mornings, Palos Verdes is popular with serious bikers. A section of a bike path goes along the Palos Verdes Drive North, past Malaga Cove Plaza.

The first of the month is City Daily Photo's theme day.
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