Today we went back to Placerita Nature Center, determined to walk all of the way to the Oak of the Golden Dream. Well, this was super easy, because it is actually located JUST THROUGH THE TUNNEL!!! lol 😃 Had I realized that...Well, no matter. Today we went and it was a wonderful outing. A bright (sadly, some smog), warm (84 degrees) day. Lots of families with young children were there, shouting echos through the tunnel, just like we did. Heehee Here are some pics for you.
Tiny purple flowers and murals in the tunnels, starting with:
"Placerita Canyon, Before Man"
"A Dream Come True!"
Can you see him there, holding up the gold filled onions?!
For me, the history is interesting in the moment of learning it (while there or researching later) and actually being there - looking at the historical site and markers,
but is not the standout part of a day like this.
There is signage in Braille, with the tree depicted in 3-D, as it stands, hollowed out by fire an all.
Isn't that cool?!
Yet, hearing the squeals of delight and laughter of the children and being in Nature...
smelling the plant life, feeling the dirt trail under my shoes, the breeze in my hair...warm sunshine on my arms and face & seeing green everywhere...looking up, up through the trees, seeing the light shining through their leaves and their shadows dancing on the ground before me...and catching the light through the red tail of a hawk...
this is what fills me, what I latch onto, what I will remember.
I looked up and out or over a lot today.
Crow
🌳
After the hike, we stopped at the grocery store and saw this plant.
We did not eat this Swiss Cheese, we got chocolate chip cookies!
I leave you with this, recorded pre-wartime and sending home the message that Love is what matters.
Love of Self, Love of Others, Love of Planet
❤️ Love ❤️
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his wife "Endless Love"
1. This morning, awful traffic from a bad accident on the freeway, which pushed the traffic to every nearby road. Stopped on the 'wraps around the mountain' road, I noticed beautiful, small white flowers and got to finally snap a photo of the spot where the curious pineapple sat. I still can't tell what this is. I thought it was a melon or a round rock? I like that it looks like a cairn. It looks like some sort of offering.
2. Tonight we had the rare privilege of hearing aparliament of owls out back.
I was compelled to do some reading about a Skep when I got home.
The quote on the wall inside surprised me (I don't know why it should) and I thought Oh TTW is here!
we again saw so much green and a variety of sage plants.
It smelled so wonderful there today...I wish I could post that!
The Lyons Oak was new to me. I have to have seen it in the past, but I don't recall that.
I thought the time markers they chose to put on the sign were curious.
Look at all of those rings on this old mama!
The view from the bench across from the sign had a lovely view of more, living oaks.
A different bench on the trail to the 'Oak of the Golden Dream'.
I tried out a few of the benches today!
Below one of the beautiful blooming Yucca plants.
Down the path, the tunnel that leads further on to the Oak of the Golden Dream was as far as we got, today. Perhaps the next time we'll head straight down this path and actually get there.
May you take many trails
May you find new ones and revisit old ones
May you travel as far as you are able, and then travel again
2. I've been noticing the light in the hall in the mornings as I head out. The window at the far end spreads such interesting patterns and such, sometimes looking like a portal to another place. I've taken a few pics and altered many! Here is just one...other worldly!
3. I saw this guy driving this thing the other night. Not exactly made for rush hour traffic!
4. Vines that look like creatures climbing up the parking lot wall. They have bird feet!
I remember a while ago, I heard some story or another that talked about how mis-used the word RANDOM is. I hadn't really considered this, so this tid-bit stayed with me for a long while.
My random things, like my use of the term, may not be TRULY random. This is fine by me. Words and their meaning morph over time. J. often mentions the true definition of "irony" and we go back and forth about coincidence-odd-strange and weird, among other words I throw about, using them as I wish. My mama would cringe!
1. When I casually took the rusty washer out of my back pocket and placed it on the tissue box, I did not notice the similar design on the box. Random placement?
I looked for that old story, only to discover these videos instead. Aren't they fun? Of course, say the word "quantum" and my eyes glaze over and I am lost. But, I did enjoy, as he makes it easier to understand. That being said, folks sure do get uptight about precise meanings of words! I have grown to realize I use much more slang than precision!
2. Playing solitaire: I will say that I used to think the cards that would pop up as I turned them over in my hand were quite 'random'. I even started experimenting with shuffling VS not shuffling. Only with time after playing on my lunch breaks over and over and over, did I begin to notice patterns. I'd often get 3 cards in a row that are of the same suit (i.e. 3 hearts), so I can't remove any of them from my hand. Or I will flip the card suits in an every other fashion (heart-diamond-heart-diamond) , so again I can't pull any out to set aside. Something interesting to consider as I play. I have also noticed one red or black suit often follows another (club, club, club, spade). However, I still can't predict what I WILL turn over!
3. Noticing: Perhaps this is more coincidence than anything else, which led me to google "random coincidence"...finding lots of scientific and spiritual information. Spreading it out to ideas of synchronicity
all of which just goes to show what we know, think we know or make up.
Anyway, as usual, we've been watching the morning crows before I leave for work. I am happy to report that they like the new water feature and continue to wash their food. I tried to get a photo, but was in a hurry and didn't want to disturb the crows, so excuse the burry mess.
Anyway, recently while heading down my street on my way to work, I Noticed (for the first time) two yard art fence sitting crows. I did a double-take to see if they were real or not. They are not. This led to many thoughts connected to the ideas here, along with my wondering: How long have they been there? Why did I not notice them in all of the many days I passed by this fence?
Perhaps some cases of Random are us not noticing?!
After finally taking the fake crow photos, driving away - around the corner, I notice a fake cat.
Has that always been there? I drive by this place twice a day! Do you see it below?
It's kinda strange looking, eh?
*NOTE: While looking to see if I'd used the crow pic already, I found this statement in a 3-20-22 post:
"AFTER NOTE: J. found a MAYA ANGELO QUARTER while doing laundry today. Isn't it grand?!"
This falls right in line with my choosing this part of Random to delve into, Noticing...as Marti sent me a Maya Angelo book for my birthday in early April, Random, coincidence, synchronicity, Baader-Meinhof phenomenon...you decide...or perhaps she read that post of mine and figured I'd like this particular book?! (Thank you again Marti!)
4. Perception: Through watching those two videos above, I came upon this one. Once he began explaining the shape of the 'window' , how could I not think of Jude and her Perspective Patch?!
Upon noticing this connection, I would say how 'weird'...but J. would claim a mere coincidence. I would then conclude, yeah a weird coincidence! 🤪 This was a super fun illusion video to watch, but was there a random factor in my finding it so close to Jude's playful sewing?
5. Intentionally Searching: How does Random happen when we go off searching for things? I dunno, but this follow-up to a previously posted story...this real story will just be my #5 "Random" for today. I was wondering about this man and his hill, so I did a search. It turns out that this was a local news story during the time I was not commuting.
I've also noticed since, that hidden up against the freeway on the other side of the street, is another encampment, with a white picket fence (I believe Sanity Hill had one too). The configuration of the road, where I sit at that stoplight has not made it easy to notice, unlike Sanity Hill. But, yep there it is. So, is there some reason, deeper meaning to these white picket fences or it it some random coincidence? Why did my eyes suddenly 'find' this home? Some American Dream, eh?
I recently came across this quote (below) and in my brain, connected it to these hillside homes.
One much more well-known than the other.
Some folks remembered, some not so much.
"As long as there is one person on earth who remembers you, it isn't over"
~ Oscar Hammerstein from Carousel
🪶
May you discover, delving deeper at times
May you embrace things, whatever way they come to you
May you find things in 5's ~ or if you don't, may you make 'em up!