Showing posts with label Parks Project. Show all posts

Thursday, April 16, 2026

3 Places and 1 Image

On the 14th we went to "The Big Open", which is the name I gave this place that day. The grasses had been mowed and all that was growing around the walnut tree was gone. I love how big this space feels, with its unencumbered sky. For the second time we saw a crow(raven) "bothering" a hawk as they chased through that big sky. I saw this again from the bank parking lot. The hawks are so patient...that is until they've had enough and peck back! A cruddy photo of this (I know) just to mark the moment.

The hills around here are starting to brown up, even with the fairly recent rain.

🪶

I came across this video, below, of a place we've been close to...but never walked this trail. I'm not sure if it is too far of a walk for me, but being that it is paved - maybe I can walk some of it? It sure looks pretty.

How to get to Castaic Creek

LINK 10:07 minutes

Do you see it? Wait, I'll zoom in...

It was the red on its chest that caught my eye. Maybe a male house finch? Sure was pretty, whatever it was.

Anyway, since it has been trickier to get to the bridge, with all of the roadwork, we decided to visit another park. It was #22 in the Parks Project.

Another lovely open green space, which included two areas for children to climb and play, a basketball court, a beach volleyball court (where a toddler dug in the sand, so sweet), a variety of concrete paths, bathrooms, many benches and lots of white flowers. The slight breeze and the sounds of children playing made me want to sit on a bench for a long, long while.

There was also a toadstool(?) pushing up, gorgeous big-old trees and some young ones too. There were many young boys on electric bikes, racing around everywhere.

One of the things I really appreciated about this park were not only the numerous benches, but so many picnic tables and a few BBQ's too!

This cement planter was my curiosity for the day. Why is it shaped like an infinity symbol? Or maybe a figure 8? What was the non-planted side for? Surely it would not be put there to catch pine cones, although it was very good at that - especially since the pine nearby was chock full of cones! Why was it the only one? None of the other young trees had this kind of care or protection. Interesting.

The roses smelled so great and I loved the slight tint of pink to them. I tried out several of the benches. They worked just fine!

This park was a pleasant discovery. I do wish it was more on my side of the valley though.

The price of gas today, at most stations near us, was $6.19!!! We paid less than that yesterday.

Today we were back at city park path. We'd not been here for about 6 weeks. The decomposed granite is a bit tricky in a velcro shoe. haha It was nice to get back though and see how things had changed. All of the growth in the wash was back and water was flowing, gurgling through the tall cattails. The medicine bag I'd planted there was long gone after so much time. Good. There were so many crow(ravens), turkey vultures, hawks and songbirds. Again the crows were pestering like a younger sibling. Scrub Jays were doing the same to a tree sitting hawk. Two hawks circled in unison, 7 plus crows flew in and out of their space. 4 crows flew in formation, like a military exercise and 3 turkey vultures looked for meals together over the houses.

The rock rose was blooming like mad and there was some kind of egg crate on the fence.

🌸 🌸 🌸 🌸 🌸

3 turkey vultures ⬆️

Hawk VS 2 scrub jays - they would not leave that hawk alone! I love how the hawk is ducking, but standing its ground (or treetop, as the case may be). And I finally got a cool photo! Yay! ⬇️

Mentryville drive...today this tree caught my eye. Look at the trunk...super cool. It reminded me of the old fireplace at the Walker Ranch hike from long ago.

I'm still glue booking. I'm also craving weaving, so perhaps I will warp the little loom soon.

I found this image of this young girl in a story about Filipino fishing families scrambling to survive. Something about her really spoke to me. Her expression, the strength in her hands and feet, her skill...something. I don't know how I will use this image. Perhaps I will hang her on the kitchen revolving bulletin board, so I can look some more. I felt very much like Grace in my sudden attachment to this image. Isn't she something?

When or where do you see and feel specific connections?

May you visit new places

May you revisit familiar places

May you see beauty wherever you go

Thursday, April 9, 2026

Park and Bridge

Big views, many insects matting on the path...a lovely breeze with a great scent floating on it...another park explored. My camera makes it look so big! We didn't rate it very high and don't know that we'll go back, but it was still very nice. I think if I was there for some hard exercise, it would be a good one. We saw two different women 'exercising' there by doing laps around the loop. I'm not there for that, just some movement and nature and being outside is good enough for me.

A park neighbor down the hill seems to have trimmed their scrub into a poodle?!! My goodness.

It was a good day to get out, especially after watching ECM. I still listen to her for her take on the law, politics and trauma informed skills needed to get through these days. I am glad when I can understand things better, receive tips or tasks to help do my part or suggestions on how to move through these days. Every day is some new kind of awful.

TRUMP MUST GO! Insane 24 hours of Genocidal Threats: WHAT COMES NEXT?!

LINK 30:57 minutes

When we drove by the bridge, the parking lot was open...so we went to check on the owl. She was very upright in her nest. The lightly leafed cottonwood is getting her leaves more quickly now.

Something felt different in her posture. I take so many bad photos, yet I enjoy capturing her face. Some of the shots she has such a human expression. I've been seeing a lot of photos/videos where folks say the animal photographed looks human. This is something I had never even considered in the past and I still can't jump on the bandwagon...but look at her face! What is she thinking?

When we got past her nest and looked up again, we could have sworn we saw a baby! My heart skipped a beat and I tried to get a photo. However, when I uploaded them later...I don't know what we saw! It's hard to tell, but the bit of fluff on the front of the nest (pic above) is a beautiful striped feather. It was hanging down and fluttering in the breeze.

Today, we just crossed the bridge and sat on the big rocks in the rock circle. It was very warm and felt so good. Along with the usual birds (plus J. saw a road runner!), we also saw many butterflies. Two of the tiny white ones fluttered near each other for long, long moments, staying in place over the path.