Images

Icy Hot?

Icy?

It’s hard for me to really pick a photo that says “warmth.” Perspective on cold is different in Southern California, where winters approach but rarely drop below freezing, and the winter rains make December through April the greenest months of the year. So we don’t use fires much, and flowers and greenery make me think of the cool winter/spring weather instead of the hot, dry, brown summers. Even beaches make me think of late afternoon ocean breezes.

So I thought I’d pull out a shot for irony: An “Icy” warning sign somewhere in the San Gabriel Mountains, seen during the warmth of spring…when it most definitely isn’t icy!

Carpet of Yellow Flowers

Blanket of yellow flowers

There are a lot of jacaranda trees near where I work, lining the walkways through the business and hotel parks and lining the sidewalks along the street. There are also a lot of these trees, which look so similar that I assumed they were more jacarandas until the first spring I was here, when they bloomed bright yellow instead of light purple. From what I can tell, they’re Tipuana trees, also known as Pride of Bolivia trees, and despite the similarities, they aren’t closely related.

The flowers act the same, though, dropping in thick blankets as spring turns to summer.

This particular tree, sadly, is no longer there. It was ripped out this fall, as part of a massive landscaping project to convert one of the office buildings into a hotel.

Must Have a Brain

Now Hiring: Must Have a Brain

I’ve been kicking myself for not taking a picture of this banner when it was still up. The best part of it showing up on George Takei’s page is that Gen Korean Bbq Torrance has been participating in the comment thread, replying to people’s jokes and pop culture references with remarks like “We strictly enforce our brain policy” and, of course, “Narf!” and “Oh My!”

On Facebook

Note: Originally linked to the Facebook thread. The export didn’t actually include a reference to the photo itself, and it didn’t show up in a search (*cough* walled garden *cough*), but I did find the corresponding Tumblr post.