Los Angeles sunset

In the past when I wanted a view of the surrounding area, I went to the top of the Embassy Suites Hotel. Recently, I discovered that there are good views from the top of the downtown Downey parking structure, including this one of the Los Angeles skyline at sunset.

Dunkin' Donuts is in town

My wife and I were driving down Firestone Blvd. tonight around 9:30 pm and saw a line of cars backed up into the street. Then we saw why—they were waiting at a new Dunkin' Donuts that opened a week and a half ago. I wrote about this building on August 21, 2013. It was previously an Arby's restaurant that had been vacant for some time.

I stopped in to see what all the commotion was about. You see, there are several other doughnut shops in Downey, so I wondered, why the lines at this one? Were they giving free doughnuts away or what? Well, the "what" is that people think they have great doughnuts, but Henry, a worker I talked to, said the fuss is all about their coffee. Whatever it is, there were 20 cars in line for the drive-up window and about 30 people waiting inside the shop just to buy doughnuts and coffee.


The decor sure says coffee.


But the racks say doughnuts.

What do you say? Have you been by yet?

Painted electrical box

I found another electrical box that the city had decorated. It is on the northeast corner of Imperial Highway and Columbia Way. I was going home for lunch last week and saw the painters but didn't have my camera so I went home, came back, but they had gone. The paintings depict the space exploration engineered just a few feet away at the former Rockwell plant.

This painting is slightly different than the previous ones I've seen. It is more impressionistic than the others. Stop by and then tell me what you think?

Impressionism is the newspaper of the soul.
~ Henri Matisse

California pepper tree

I like pepper trees. I love the incongruity of the tree: the gnarly trunk looks rugged and wild, yet the leaves are graceful and airy. It makes for an interesting contrast.



Despite the name, the California pepper tree is not native to California. It is native to the deserts of Peru but has since been cultivated in warm regions around the world. This tree can be found throughout South America, Central America, the Caribbean, the southern United States, Hawaii, Australia and Africa. It is a fast-growing tree, even though its bark makes it look ancient.

I have always thought the red berries were not edible, but according to one of the sites I researched,  they can be substituted for pepper.

Fly me to the moon

Kids playing on the space-themed play equipment at Furman Park can practice their take-offs and landings.

Miracles

The miracle of life and the miracle of science combine to give this mom her first touch with her newborn son, born six weeks early.

Los Angeles County Fair #2

Yesterday I showed you a couple of scenes from the Los Angeles County fair that caught my interest but today I'll show you why I really went. First, I went to see the Photography exhibit. I got some great ideas and really enjoyed the experience.


Next, I went to see the bunnies. They are the most adorable animals (to look at). One of them would pick up straw in its mouth then go and bite the other bunnies on the backside. They would hop away and he would go bite another. Then one bunny had had enough and came and bit the first bunny. He hopped off and stopped biting the other bunnies.


On the human side, this is Dwight, in the white shirt, helping a fair attendee. His badge read "Vice President" so I was surprised that he was walking the hallways among the crowds looking for ways to help.

Los Angeles County Fair

My wife and I went to the Los Angeles County Fair tonight. On our way to the farm area, we watched the Clydesdale horses park the Budweiser wagon. They are huge animals.

I asked the driver if the horses were good for riding. He replied that some people do ride them but they are built to pull. You need some wide legs to straddle those horses.

Once we got to the farm area, we saw a bee exhibit, a blacksmith exhibit, and lots of plants, both vegetable-bearing and just pretty ones.