At Corner of Via Nivel and Via Velmonte

A lovely house, probably built in the early '50s, in the old Valmonte neighborhood of PVE. (This was taken last weekend, the mist is still with us.)

Misty days (with pets)

It's the worst of "June gloom" as today is the 2nd day of complete mist in PV. It would be a good time to have snuggle up next to a fire and read a book. But, in May, the local markets do not carry fire wood and the animals want to be outside.Single minded Smokey on the balcony.
Amy, the interpid squirrel tracker, is on alert in any weather.

Good Year in the Alps? (SkyWatch Friday)

I may be overdoing the blimp thing but the airship operations (i.e. its home base) is right on my way home on the North-East side of the San Diego (405) and Harbor (110) freeways, so as long as I'm not on the freeway, I have plenty of chances to take pictures of it. The cupola belongs to a small chapel in Alpine Village (Torrance, CA) which is just a few miles from the blimp's parking spot.
Alpine Village has been there for as long as I remember (I went there with my aunt and my parents in 1970 when I was 12 and a new immigrant from Yugoslavia, to what my parents thought would be a respectable dinner/dance spot which turned out to be a smokey bar with a dance floor). Later visits there were during October fest (right after college) and a couple of times to Croatian picnics (excellent food and fun music). These days, I stop there when I feel nostalgic for Croatian or Serbian products such as Karlovacko pivo (beer), Radenska (mineral water), Kiki (taffy candy), Illustrovana Politika (weekly magazine)... You get the idea. At one of the stores, I found a forgotten treasure - German produced Western movie (in German) - Winnetou which I adored as a kid and which had an added attraction of being filmed in Yugoslavia. However, I did not remember any of the movie and my German is not good enough to understand any but the basic exchanges between the characters. So in the end, remembering a forgotten part of my childhood was the best part of that discovery.

Evening at Malaga Cove Plaza (1)

Shown is the Gardner Building (from the right corner, posted before here) along with others that make up the West end of Malaga Cove Plaza.

In the comments for the previous post, Fran (a PV Library Trustee) shared that "The first Palos Verdes Library, a branch of LA County Library, was established in the Gardner Bldg in 1926. In 1928 the people voted to establish the PV Library District, and the Malaga Cove Library was opened on June 3, 1930."

Go Beach! - 2009 Graduates from Cal State Long Beach

Today, my niece (on the right in the 2nd photo) graduated cum laude with Bachelors of Science in Nursing today. Way to go, girl!

View of Torrance from Palos Verdes

We took a walk with Amy, our dog, last Sunday afternoon from Ernie Howlett park, up the hill overlooking Torrance to the old tower gatehouse that was once a main entrance to Palos Verdes. More photos from the hike to follow.
The main artery seen in the photo cutting through Torrance, as it does through Palos Verdes, is Hawthorne Blvd. To the right is the western end of Torrance Municipal Airport, Torrance Memorial Hospital, and (if you click on the photo to enlarge) a shopping center with Best Buy that my husband tells me was a Food Giant in the '50s and '60s.

Green Hills Memorial Park

USMC West Coast Band played at last year's Memorial Day Observance.

James Burdick - Classical Guitarist at PV Library

Two Saturdays ago was the last of this season's Music at the Library series, arranged by the talented young librarian, Ashley Burdick. This time, her brother James gave a wonderful concert of solo guitar pieces and delighted the audiance with the Concierto de Aranjuez by Joaquin Rodrigo, accompanied by the accomplished pianist Albert Mendoza.

About the guitarist: James Burdick is a young Southern California classical guitarist, who began his formal studies at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music. Since then, James has performed in a number of exciting venues, including the “Guitar Nights” series at the South Pasadena Public Library, and a private concert under the auspices of the Pasadena Symphony Orchestra.

Ashley Burdick, James Burdick and Albert Mendoza

Stripes at Palos Verdes Main Library

The shadows on the library wall is one of the favorite subjects with the Palos Verdes photographers. See also: Daily photo from Rancho Palos Verdes

Foggy Morning Walk (SkyWatch Friday)

This section of Highridge Road, adjacent to Highridge Park, is a favorite stretch with joggers and dog walkers. Here is a typical foggy mornings in May and June as the marine layer hugs the coastline.

Not so ticky-tacky houses...

...but they do almost look the same. The complex is just above the Golden Cove Center and just below the Rancho Palos Verdes City Hall.

'R' is for Red Hatters (abc Wednesday)

These ladies are members of the Red Hat Society. I thought they looked so good dressed so well in bright colors. After I finished taking their photo, I heard one of them say, "It's so funny that she wanted a photo of us."
Join Mrs. Nesbitt's ABC Wednesday Round 4!

A Good Year Passed By - 1st Anniversary of PVDP

I want to thank all my old friends and new friends, from nearby and far away, for the wonderful support throughout the year.

Coastline in May

My friend L. (in the photo below) and I took a walk from northern end of San Pedro to the southern end of Portuguese Bend beach, along the cliffs. This is typical of the marine layer mornings (Lori Lynn described the marine layer in San Pedro Daily Photo) or June Gloom (that starts in May). The fog usually burns off by noon and then rolls back in in the afternoons. We did have a bit of color along the way.

Catching it at Cabrillo Beach Pier - San Pedro, CA

The shadows tell who has the goods.
Shovelnose guitarfish -Identification: the nose is long and pointed and the disk is longer than it is wide. The tail is long and thin. Color is sandy brown above, white below. (They also have the “most soulful, woebegone eyes you have ever seen.” quote from Probably More Than You Want To Know About The Fishes Of The Pacific Coast by the eminent marine biologist Dr. Robin Milton Love).

Ref. www.pierfishing.com-shovelnose_guitarfish
And the sad story is that most of what is caught should not be eaten.

Fishing Pier - Cabrillo Beach, San Pedro, CA

Fishing in style on the pier.

More Fishing at Cabrillo Beach Pier (SkyWatch Friday)

The gulls like to hang out & even try to catch the fish off the poles.

The wall shown is the breakwater.

Fishing Pier - Cabrillo Beach, San Pedro, CA

Busy Saturday afternoon, with the hill of PV in the background.

'Q' is for Quarry - Palos Verdes Peninsula - Aerial Views (3)

Chandler's sand and gravel quarry on the northern side of PV.

"First operational in the '30s, Chandler's has been infilling the quarry since the '70s. It is now the center of a redevelopment project to turn the quarry and adjacent country club into 112 single family homes, a new golf course, and a new clubhouse."

Palos Verdes Peninsula - Aerial Views (2) - "Swim Club" & Malaga School

Palos Verdes Beach and Athletic Club (posted here) and Malaga School (posted here) in Palos Verdes Estates.

Palos Verdes Peninsula - Aerial Views (1)

Point Vicente with the PV landmark - Pt. Vicente lighthouse and Coast Guard residential buildings. On the far left is the Interpretive Center from Saturday's photo. The between the overcast morning duing the flight and some camera shake, the photos are not so crisp. But the pilot in command, my 14 year-old student pilot son, did an excellent job.

Happy Mother's Day!

I will get a special Mother's Day treat today - my son and his instructor will fly me around the Palos Verdes coastline. Photos will follow next week(although the marine layer has not cleared up yet.)

Wishing all the moms a very happy Mother's Day.

Party Prep

... or photographing the photographers. The private event was held at the Pt. Vicente Interpretive Center.

Sunset (SkyWatch Friday)

Palms along Highridge Road. The clouds were unfortunately smoke from the Santa Barbara fire.

Angel's Gate Lighthouse

The photo was taken from the farthest end of the fishing pier that parallels the LA harbor breakwater, starting at Cabrillo Beach. My City Daily Photo neighbor, Lori Lynn, has been posting port activity, including the breakwater in San Pedro Daily Photo.
More information on the lighthouse can be found at Light House Friends - Angel's Gate.

'P' is for Puzzled Pigeon Pondering in a Pool...

... and thinking, "Are you looking at me? Are you?"
The location is away from Palos Verdes in the Maguire Gardens of the Los Angeles Central Library. The inquisitive pigeon is standing on "a skeleton of a Labyrinthodont, a representative of the first "fish" to develop both feet and lungs, i.e., the first amphibians. (Spine, p. 101)", an art work by the sculptor and creator, Jud Fine. Jud developed the sculptures in the garden around the spine theme - with the spine being the backbone of a book also. I had the luck of having Jud as a professor at USC for a sculpture class in the late '70s. He is the head of the sculpture department there now.

Join Mrs. Nesbitt's ABC Wednesday Round 4!

!Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

"Cinco de Mayo is a regional holiday in Mexico, and commemorates the Mexican army's unlikely defeat of French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. While Cinco de Mayo has limited significance nationwide in Mexico, the date is observed in the U.S. as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride." (Ref. Wikipedia).

The RED (not ED) ONION Mexican Restaurant is a peninsula tradition, and has been in business since 1963 at the same location on Silver Spur Road. Originally opened by the restaurater Bart Earle and his wife, Joanne, it was purchased by Bart's son, Jeff in 1995. In the '60s, it hosted daily fashion shows, and mariachi bands that played until 2 AM. My in-laws always enjoyed dining there and many who grew up in the South Bay remember eating there as children.
(The info & the 70's photo are from Rolling Hills Estates: 50 Years of Country Living With Style.)

Crazing the Full Moon

February full moon through the trees at the Wayfarers Chapel.

Crazing - The cracking of a glaze on a fired ceramic pot. It is the result of the glaze shrinking more than the clay body in cooling process.

Pews with a View - Neighborhood Church

Inside the Neighborhood Church, originally the J.J. Haggerty Mansion. You can see the view of the outside by clicking here.

For you, would the view be a distraction or a inspiration to accompany the service?

Shadows, Too

This stairway in the parking structure at Torrance Memorial Hospital, didn't make the Theme Day cut since it was not at the requisite Palos Verdes location - which I try to keep at least for Theme Day. Torrance is adjacent to Palos Verdes.

Shadow of Your Wing - Theme Day Shadows & SkyWatch Friday

Shadow of Your Wing by Carolyn McDade
Stay by me now that I may feel the shadow of your wing,
the shadow of your wing,
the shadow of your wing on mine.
Lay down you load that I may feel the freedom of your wings,
the freedom of your wings,
the freedom of your wings on mine.
Stay by me now that I may know the joy that lifts your soul,
the joy that lifts your soul
the joy that lifts your soul on mine.

~~~ See some fabulous skies at SKYWATCH FRIDAY. ~~~

For City Daily Photo Theme Day posts, Click here to view thumbnails for all participants