Lilies of the field

Construction has been going on at PIH Health Hospital since 2016 when ground was broken on a major expansion of the emergency department. Progress is being made, and there's a lot less scaffolding visible these days.

But what really catches my eye when I drive past (aside from the missing letter in the sign that makes me think for a moment that I am back at the River Rance in France) is the awesome field of golden lilies out front. Especially in the glow of the late afternoon sun.

"Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: yet I say to you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."
~ Matthew 6:28-29

How old is that product?

I had to go to the hardware store today to get some wood glue. I decided while I was there to look at some other products down some other aisles. Down one aisle, I spotted this product. The first thought that came into my mind was, "This product hasn't been touched in quite some time. Not even by the staff. Maybe I should check the freshness date on the label."

"The artist is a receptacle for the emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider's web.”
Pablo Picasso

Beware of dog

It's funny what you will see if you are just paying attention. I must have walked past this one many times before, but this day it caught my attention. I'm assuming that when the new fence was added, no one bothered to remove the warning.

"A dog teaches a boy fidelity, perseverance, and to turn around three times before lying down." ~Robert Benchley

For rent, with amneties

I hope that this is an example of someone having fun with this sign under the Firestone Blvd bridge, rather than an example of the state of homelessness in Downey.

What's left?

These signs have been puzzling me for a while now.

The sidewalk becomes nearly unpassable when it goes under the freeway, because there isn't enough headroom. But these signs don't just categorically say "Don't enter." No, they expressly forbid only pedestrians and bikes.

But what else is there? Caterpillars?

Rives Mansion redux

Every day when I go to work, I drive past the Rives Mansion. I am really excited that there will soon be a new restaurant and wine garden in our neighborhood in such a potentially beautiful and historical location. I watch the progress being made and can't wait to see what it will look like when they are done.

A few days ago I noticed a red spot on the mermaid statue we've posted about before. Look at the close-up to see the nice baseball cap the mermaid is now sporting. Fun touch!

Tranquil no more

I'm waiting for my massage at Massage Envy in Downey Landing. I'm sitting on soft cushions in the peaceful, dimly lit waiting room. The harmonious colors of the room soothe my eyes, while the tranquil music soothes my mind. The three words framed on the wall reinforce all this. It's not a good picture, so I'll tell you what they say: "Harmony. Peacefull. Tranquility."

Uh-oh. The harmony is gone. There's a storm in my sea of tranquility. I'm an editor in my day job, and two errors have popped out on me. Can you spot them?

A banged up fence

There's a used auto dealership on the corner of Lakewood Blvd. and Alameda St. called Reliance Auto that I pass often on my way to work. I noticed today a slight change in their surroundings and in their inventory. When I asked David, the owner, he told me someone took the corner too fast and went through their fence and hit several autos in their inventory. He was not a happy camper. Even in Downey, there are reckless drivers.

I thought it made for an interesting picture though.

Another oops sign

You know those little things you say you'll do tomorrow and end up three months later looking at the same pile without having moved the top piece? Well, this is like that pile. I've seen this for a long time....

Puzzling

Sometimes you just have to wonder...

This utility pole is missing the bottom three feet or so. It looks like it's just hanging in mid-air, but it's attached to the pole next to it by a couple of 2x4 beams.

Why?

What a beautiful mess

A lot of stuff went wrong today. (Ps. I just spelled "wrong" -wrnog-... irony?)

We had a leak that turned into a flooded cellar, a clogged sink, a splinter, and so on. But the saddest thing that happened today was the ruined fudge. We heated the bowl and things were just fine until the chocolate wanted to fight back. It just wouldn't melt! So one of us took a knife to it. Well the bowl couldn't fight back as well and, much to our startled dismay, it shattered. No more fudge (although we did nibble precariously at the bits of chocolate that were still completely intact).

Just keep writing

My dad saw this when we were in Michael's today looking at frames. I guess someone forgot to insert the directions in French and Spanish!

Duh!

I work as an editor in my day job, so I enjoy seeing the occasional typos and unclear statements in the newspapers. In fact, I check Criggo.com for a little bit of daily fun. But I don't generally get to see these things in my local paper—except for this week, when I spotted this headline in our Downey Patriot.

Of course, the Patriot can say that they're just reporting the news. It's the CDC who is spending our tax money to tell us the obvious.

double oops

I just thought this was a funny thing to see on the side of the Downey Studios building. Looks more like computer art than a tarp covering a wall boo boo.

If the boot fits...

Trying on boots at Marshall's in Downey Landing is lots of fun.

Getting the boot off again is pretty funny!

Form without function

A couple of months ago, I was excited to read that Downey was creating a dog park. This week, I stopped by the location, at Rio San Gabriel Park, to find that it is almost complete. But—it wasn't quite what I expected.

A dog park provides features that ensure the safety of both the dogs and the people outside of the dog park. Sadly, I don't think that the Downey dog park is accomplishing this.

First, every dog park I've seen has been surrounded by a 6' chain link fence. The fence around the Downey dog park is 4' high, and the chain link doesn't extend to the back side of the dog park that parallels the riverbed. In addition, the nice shiny new benches have been placed right next to the 4' fence—the perfect stepping stool for the dog who can't quite jump the fence on his own. And the low fence and lack of chain link in the back are an invitation to the many kids at the park who don't know enough to stay away from strange dogs.

Second, every dog park I've seen has double-gated entry and exit gates. A double set of gates, like this one at Arbor Dog Park in Seal Beach, is essential to prevent dogs from getting out of the dog park and escaping into the main part of the park.

By their very nature, dogs are excited to greet each other. Imagine several dogs waiting at the gate for the newcomer, instead of the one shown. Now imagine trying to ensure that your dog and all of these other dogs don't get out the gate while you're going in!

Sadly, I don't feel that I can take my dog to this dog park. He's a runner, and if he gets out, he'll be gone. This would be heartache for me, but even worse, it could turn into a tragedy if my dog causes an injury to someone in the park!

At a minimum, we need the following changes:

• Double gates for all entry/exit areas.
• Move the benches away from the 4-foot fence.
• Put up signs warning everyone to stay back from the fence. (This is in lieu of 6-foot fences and chain link all the way around.)

If you're a Downey resident and you'd like to see these issues resolved, get involved. Contact Desi Alvarez at the Downey City Hall at 562-904-7246. According to Mr. Alvarez, part of the issue is financing. So if you're willing, let him know that you can help raise the necessary funds. Let the City know that you want a dog park that is a true value to the residents.

Mixed messages...

Walking through the park, I came across this sign.  It reminded me of the song: "Signs, signs everywhere a sign."

Watch your step

Sometimes you just wish you could ask...

Laying rubber

All of the Downey curbside addresses were recently repainted—fresh white paint, crisp black numbers. It didn't take long for this one to get dirty.

Are you sure?

Sometimes, we need to stop and think before we follow all directions given to us.