Tag: Photo on Flickr

Apparently Polliwog Park doubles as a flood control basin.

Apparently Polliwog Park doubles as a flood control basin. We moved to the area at the beginning of the drought, so it never came up before (so to speak). It was on the way to work,and the storm had moved on, so I stopped to take a look. #park #flooded #manhattanbeach #polliwogpark

Photo taken at: Polliwog Park

Apparently Polliwog Park doubles as a flood control basin. We moved to the area at the beginning of the drought, so it never came up before (so to speak). It was on the way to work,and the storm had moved on, so I stopped to take a look.

#park #flooded #manhattanbeach #polliwogpark

That’s the roof of a gazebo sticking out of the water. Correction: it’s an information kiosk.

That’s the roof of a gazebo sticking out of the water. Correction: it’s an information kiosk. Same style of roof as the picnic shelters, but not as tall. #flooded

Photo taken at: Polliwog Park

That’s the roof of a gazebo sticking out of the water.

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Correction: it’s an information kiosk. Same style of roof as the picnic shelters, but not as tall. #flooded

eighteenbelow says:
Oh geez, that seems pretty extreme! I’d heard you guys got a lot of rain and flooding, but I hope it’s a good thing in the long run and helps alleviate the drought.

Thanks, I hope so too. Our part of town did pretty well. We had an inch of water in our garage, but it only went halfway back (apparently it’s not level) and the only things that seem to have any damage are an old suitcase that might dry out ok, and some empty boxes. Power only went out for about a minute before it came back on, and we drove through some flooded roads yesterday before holing up at home.

This park is a basin in the hills, and apparently used to be part of the same seasonal marsh system as the preserve I’ve posted photos from. It’s all playground areas, benches, and picnic shelters. A friend who used to live here says flooded during heavy rain when she was here, so I imagine it’ll be fine when it dries out. Muddy, but the area near the pond is usually covered in duck and goose dropping anyway. Not my favorite part of the park, let me tell you.

The local paper reported one death a few miles away, believed to be the same person who went missing during a rescue from a flooding homeless camp. Lots of mudslides, flooded garages and damaged stuff, but not much structural damage. A retaining wall a few blocks from us collapsed and crushed an empty car.

Other parts of the LA area fared a lot worse, especially near the mountains, and especially areas downhill from last year’s fires, but we’re ok here.

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Notes: Flickr album with more photos, other commentary and pics here.

Afternoon in the woods…

Photo taken at: Switzer Falls-Bear Canyon

Afternoon in the woods.

We had lunch at a picnic area below Angeles Crest Highway. Oak trees covered most of the area with acorns and leaves, and a stream cut down the bottom of the canyon just a few paces away, well fed by the last few weeks of storms.

A foot bridge led across the stream to a trail to Switzer Falls, but we didn’t have time to explore. Or maybe we did – there was no distance printed on the sign, so it could have been just around the bend as easily as it could have been a 30-minute walk.

#forest #afternoonlight #sangabrielmountains #angelesnationalforest

Whitney Frost cosplay (Agent Carter villain) at #lacomiccon

Whitney Frost cosplay (Agent Carter villain, based on Madame Masque) at #lacomiccon over the weekend. #whitneyfrost #cosplay #lacomiccon2016 #lacomiccon16 #agentcarter #marvel #comikaze #comikaze2016 #comics #madamemasque #whitneyfrostcosplay

Photo taken at: Stan Lee’s Los Angeles Comic Con

Whitney Frost cosplay (Agent Carter villain, based on Madame Masque) at #lacomiccon over the weekend.

(Cropped version on Flickr)

Yesterday at LA Comic Con: Waiting in line, Whitney Frost cosplay, sadness and anger, and crowds…

Yesterday at #lacomiccon: Waiting in line, Whitney Frost cosplay, sadness and anger, and crowds. More photos at flickr.com/kelsonv, writeup in my blog (see profile). #lacomiccon16 #lacomiccon2016 #whitneyfrost #insideout #cosplay #comikaze

Photo taken at: Stan Lee’s Los Angeles Comic Con

Yesterday at #lacomiccon: Waiting in line, Whitney Frost cosplay, sadness and anger, and crowds. More photos at flickr.com/kelsonv, writeup in my blog (see profile). #lacomiccon16 #lacomiccon2016 #whitneyfrost #insideout #cosplay #comikaze

Killer Frost meets Whitney Frost at LA Comic Con

Killer Frost meets Whitney Frost at. More photos at flickr.com/kelsonv

Photo taken at: Stan Lee’s Los Angeles Comic Con

Killer Frost meets Whitney Frost at #lacomiccon. More photos at flickr.com/kelsonv
#cosplay #comiccon #WhitneyFrost #KillerFrost #comikaze #lacomiccon16 #caitlinsnow #madamemasque #lacomiccon2016 #comikaze2016

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H2O: Walking By The Los Angeles River

Los Angeles has a weird relationship with water. Most years there isn’t enough rain to support the region’s population, agriculture and industry without importing it from surrounding areas. Some years there really isn’t enough. And some years there’s so much rain that floods are a greater threat than drought.

The region’s flood control system is built around that threat, channeling storm water out to sea as quickly as possible. In many places, rivers are lined with concrete, typically with a narrow channel in the middle to keep it flowing during dry spells and a wider channel to prevent flooding. This stretch of the Los Angeles River in Studio City is a good example:

Lots of people walking along a path above a wide concrete-lined trench. Trees on either side, blue sky beyond.

Other parts of the river are much nicer, even navigable at times, but this stretch really is just a concrete drainage ditch inside a bigger drainage ditch.

Unfortunately what’s needed in flood years ends up hurting us in drought years, sending too much of the rain we do get into the ocean instead of collecting it. In recent years they’ve been testing systems to recharge groundwater reserves, but if drought becomes more common — and indications are that it will — we’re going to need to revamp the system.