Four wheels down to two

This is my view on my way to and from work. Luckily I live within a few miles of work so I can arrive in a presentable condition. My wife and I downsized to one car a few years ago to save on all the expenses of owning a second car.

How have you economized during these difficult times?

"Life is like a ten speed bicycle. Most of us have gears we never use."
~Charles M. Schulz

'Tis the season

Well, Halloween is over so now it's time for the next holiday, Christmas. Or at least that's what the stores want us to believe. I went to Home Depot today to get a part I needed and was surrounded by Christmas decorations when I entered the store.

But of course we all know that presents are the most important part of Christmas. So I thought I would remind all the ladies out there of the two words that will bring a smile to any man this season, Power Tools and barbecue.

Express yourself!

 

It's election day, November 6th. It is our time to to vote for what we think is right. The right choice for president, the right propositions. It isn't a right that all Americans automatically received. There was a significant amount of struggle before we got to where we are now. Did you realize that it has only been since 1920 that women could even vote?

Now we are a nation, with much diversity (as you can suppose just by looking at this "vote here" sign).

When I dropped off my ballot, the polls were pretty quiet...just the volunteers staffing the church gym.  Somehow I was expecting lines of people.

“Have you ever stopped to ponder the amount of blood spilt, the volume of tears shed, the degree of pain and anguish endured, the number of noble men and women lost in battle so that we as individuals might have a say in governing our country?  Honor the lives sacrificed for your freedoms. Vote.”
― Richelle E. Goodrich

Patterns

Sometimes you don't need a whole picture to know what you're looking at. Sometimes just a glimpse of a pattern or texture gives it away.

Afternoon delight

I spent today enjoying some up-close-and-personal interaction with the beasts at the Los Angeles Zoo at the 23rd Annual Photo Day.

The elephants at the zoo have had a remodeled home for about three years now. It's such a big area that sometimes you can walk all the way around and not see any of the three elephants that live there. But today that wasn't the case.

It was hot today in southern California. 90 degree-hard-to-believe-it's-fall hot. So it was no surprise to see this elephant thoroughly enjoying a dip in the water.

She started by spraying herself, then lay down and rolled until she was completely submerged. Her trunk came up briefly like a periscope, then back down for some more rolling. When she was done, she looked delighted with herself.

Pretty in pink

Furman Park is only a few blocks away from where we live, so I often head to the park to walk the dog or for a little exercise.

One of the things I like about the park is the variety of trees. One of my favorites has been in bloom for a while. It's this amazing pink canopy of color and it's right in the middle of the park. I've decided to call it an Orchid tree for lack of better information.

Not only is the tree a profusion of color, but the ground is blanketed with these darkening pink blossoms that seem to float to the ground as you simply stand and watch. It feels just a little magical.

A gateway to downtown

After what seems like months (years?) of little progress, the Downey Gateway project, which will feature a variety of food places (sandwiches, pizza, and so on) in downtown Downey, finally looks like it's making some progress.

When it's done, this will be one more addition that will provide a lot more life (night or otherwise) for downtown Downey.

Can't wait!

Halloween...the day after

One of the consequences of giving young people an abundance of candy is that they are going to want to eat some of it before they get home. When they finish eating that Butterfinger between your house and the next, they have an age old problem on their hands. What to do with the wrapper. Some people's solution is to put it in their bag to dispose of it later. Other people's solution is to throw it down and let someone else pick it up. Luckily for me, the street sweeper comes tomorrow.