Power lines

I saw this crew out last week and remembered thinking how scary it would be to have to work so high up—really far from the ground. I don't know if they were installing lines or doing repairs, but I'm thankful someone else does it for me. On a whim, I looked up what they are paid. The median average wage was a little over $61,000 per year. Between you and me....I don't think they are paid enough.

Into the distance

At DDP, we rarely get tired of looking at railroad tracks. So I'm back again, to this section of track that goes through the back side of a commercial area in Downey. A single boxcar sits on a siding behind Leach Grain & Milling, started by Willis Leach in 1934.

The tracks soon disappear into the distance, but they don't turn. They continue on in a perfectly straight line for about 10 miles, where they make a slight curve before continuing straight again. In an area where very few streets run straight for more than a mile or so, this was a reminder to me that the railroads have been here a lot longer than many of our towns and certainly longer than our freeways. The original tracks were laid when there were few barriers to straight lines.

Humans of Downey - Hilda

"My husband and I met in Guadalajara, Mexico, when I was 8 years old. He was my neighbor. He is a musician, he plays the piano and writes music. Some for me.

"My greatest joy is when I had my daughter. She is my only daughter. I spend much of my time with her. We go to plays at school, spend time in the park, and go on field trips. These will stay with her all her life.

"The thing I miss the most is my family in Mexico. I've lived here for three years and I miss them. But I love it here. This salon is my passion. I thought, 'Downey needs a blowout and a makeup bar, right here in town.' So I opened Vanity Blowout and Makeup Bar."

Humans of Downey - Rose

"The joy that I have experienced is from the uniting of my family and their love and respect. When I came to believe that and feel that was at the age of 25. I felt it when I was a kid but I was introduced to it later in a more passionate and respectful way. The greatest model I have that introduced me to that is my mother. That has been my greatest joy. My family and friends have helped me to understand the meaning of that joy.

"I miss the passion of helping others though. I think I went to an extreme in my helping others and I needed to find a balance in my life of caring for myself and others."

Freeway close...

It's not exactly what comes to mind when you hear the phrase "freeway close." But, it did make me realize that housing in our area has pretty much been pushed to the limits. And, the 5 and the 605 freeways are among the most congested in the nation, according to a study released by the Texas Transportation Institute. Read today's edition of the Downey Beat for more details.  So, even though we live close to multiple freeways in Downey, it provides no guarantee that our commute will be better.  

Electric art

It's fun to see that more electrical boxes around Downey are still being painted. This is Candace, and she has incorporated many of the Downey landmarks into her theme of "Gangs Out Of Downey."

Peaceful assembly

In addition to the freedom of speech, the First Amendment guarantees us the right to peaceful assembly. Pro-life groups regularly exercise both freedoms at the FPA Women's Health facility in Downey. Today, about a dozen pro-life protesters gathered outside, handing out brochures.

Did you know that, at 8 weeks...

• The baby's heartbeat, which has been beating for one month already, can be heard on an office ultrasonic stethoscope.
• Brain waves were measurable two weeks ago.
• The baby feels pain and responds to touch.

"We cannot diminish the value of one category of human life — the unborn — without diminishing the value of all human life."
~ Ronald Reagan

Fire!

Driving down Florence today, we stopped for the sound of sirens. We saw the fire truck come up from behind us and head for just past the 605 freeway. We could see smoke, but didn't have a good sense of where it was coming from.

As we passed underneath the freeway overpass, we saw that the side of the road bordering the freeway was on fire. This is the view from the back side of the Honda dealership.

It was a little disconcerting when a gas tanker was stopped right in front of the action...but the light changed and they were on their way.