Young love

Was she trying to do some schoolwork when he offered her some flowers? In any case, she seems to welcome the interruption.

"I know we're too young and it's still early to say this...but I hope you're the one."

Toucan play

I'm always interested when I think I've spotted a unique mailbox, so this one made me stop in my travels around Downey. Upon closer inspection, I think this is some sort of audio system, but I still liked the boy reaching out to the toucan, both of them covered in moss-colored green.

Checkers

This statue was such a pleasant surprise. I was trolling for pictures of something new, and I pulled into the Ralph's Market parking lot to turn around. And there they were. A boy, his dog, and his girl.

The Honorable Del Clawson

Near the Downey Civic Center flag poles is a small memorial to Del Clawson, who served eight terms (1963-1975) as our representative in the U. S. House of Representatives.

After his retirement, he lived in Downey until his death in 1992.

Lady Liberty

Almost five years ago, we posted about this cottage. This woman keeps her yard perfect with little touches of red, white, and blue colors. Tucked away in the corner is a small Statue of Liberty that is lit up at night. Today as I passed her, she was touching up the paint. It is a small thing, but I was pleased to see it being done.

"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and the success of liberty".
~ John F. Kennedy

Ireland - Belfast

This was our only full day in Belfast, so we took a "hop on/ hop off" bus ride around the city in order to see what interested us. We could then take a later bus to the place we wanted to visit and then hop on to come back to the hotel. A guide was on the bus with us indicating points of interest and giving us some historical background.

A major theme of his talk was the political struggles Northern Ireland has gone through and that still exist today. These gates that separate a Protestant neighborhood from a Catholic one are opened each morning for travel but then closed and locked each evening to prevent any possibility of conflict. The fence runs for three miles between the neighborhoods. Other neighborhoods have learned to integrate different peoples but there are still some that hang on to the old hates.

Bonnie and I went to look at another side of Belfast. C. S. Lewis, one of our favorite writers, was born in Belfast and spent his early years there before moving to England to continue his schooling and later teaching.

We went to this statue of him in front of a local library. The statue is supposed to be Digory in front of The Wardrobe. We tried to get into Narnia but sometimes the magic just doesn't work.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help

Our Lady of Perpetual Help is a beautiful, old Catholic Church located in the center of Downey. We've posted about it a number of times. One of my favorite things about the church is the overall setting. Even though it is surrounded by very little land, it has managed to create a sense of space and tranquility. This statue adds to the setting.

"Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life." 
~ The prayer of St. Francis

Frozen in time

I pass this young man every day on my morning walks, and he always makes me smile at his exuberant expression.

Where music dwells...

I posted about these guys a couple of years ago. These are a set of busts set in front of a house. I think they're great. As I passed them the other day, I realized they had been repainted since I last posted.

"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything."
~ Plato

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!

Working yard art

Went into northeast Downey tonight and found these children at work in this front yard. They look very industrious at first glance, but I noticed they didn't get much done.

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
Thomas Edison (1847-1931)

Yard art revisited

 

I like the incredible variety of yard art that can be found in our city and have had fun looking for how each family or person expresses themselves through the "art" in their yard.

I discovered this statue while driving through North Downey. It is certainly the focal point of this front yard. For more yard art, click here.

"The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance."
~Aristotle

Taxation with representation

Taxation with representation ain't so hot either.
~Gerald Barzan

Driving down Firestone Blvd. this weekend, I was reminded that once again tax season is upon us. There were guys dressed up as the Statue of Liberty on each side of the street, waving to passing drivers and pointing us to the Liberty Income Tax office.

A righteous man

One of the things I enjoy each Christmas is the Nativity scene in front of the Our Lady of Perpetual Help church. Seeing Joseph's face reminds me that, even though he often doesn't get much mention in the Christmas story, he played a very important role.

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" —which means, "God with us."

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
~ Matthew 1:18-25

Almost the same

When we went to Paris in October, I kept seeing this statue right behind Notre Dame and every time I saw it, it reminded me of the statue in front of Downey's own Rives Mansion. I decided to take a picture to show the resemblance.

Poseidon masked

In the spirit of Halloween, someone 'decorated' the Poseidon statue in this business center. The statue with a skeleton mask was certainly odd to see from the street. (Of course, it is also a little comical that there is a pizza box stuck on his trident.)

I guess it is a reminder that I should have already decorated for fall and it is time to start buying goodies to hand out to the trick-or-treaters.

In the line of duty

Yesterday, the city unveiled a memorial to fallen police officers in front of the Downey Police Department. The memorial's plaque describes the death of Officer Wayne Presley, the only Downey officer killed in the line of duty.

According to the plaque:
"On the evening of April 10, 1981, Officer Wayne Presley and his partner were assisting a stalled motorist at a major Downey intersection when they were struck by a drunk driver, critically injuring one officer and instantly killing Officer Presley. He was 37 years old and left behind a wife and three children."

(On a side note, Downey Beat reports that there were 11 cars stolen in Downey on Thursday. Several of the cars were taken while Whittier Police were patrolling the city, filling in for Downey’s officers during the memorial's dedication ceremony.)

Welcome, visitor

This young girl waits hopefully and patiently for visitors outside of the Country Inn assisted living home near downtown Downey.

Spirit of progress

I've been reading a lot lately about not letting rain ruin a photo shoot. Rain can add a wonderful dimension to pictures, if you just change your focus a little. So when it started raining yesterday morning, I thought, "What would make a good picture in the rain?"

It turns out that rain is very flattering to statues, especially horses.

These statues are on Firestone Blvd., the main thoroughfare through Downey, just before you enter the city from neighboring Norwalk. According to the plaque, they were created in 1999 by Snell Johnson, and they're called "Spirit of Progress." I can't find anything on the web about the statues or the artist. Maybe somebody out there can fill me in?

The little mermaid

I read somewhere that a mermaid's tail splits in two when she becomes 30 and can then walk on land. This one was showing her age while pointing toward the heavens with her shell.

For more posts about the Rives Mansion, click here.