Palm trees before a storm is my favorite photo from a trip to Miami in April 2013. I had my DSLR for about 4 months and didn’t have a clue what I was doing. I was still using it in Automatic mode like a point & shoot camera and only shooting JPEGs, not in RAW. I didn’t know much about photo composition either, but as an artist and graphic designer I suppose it was innate. Nevertheless, looking at this photo today I can see if I had moved around a little I could have done a better job positioning the buildings. I had it printed on canvas and hung it in the bathroom where I still enjoy looking at it.
A couple of weeks ago I took my beloved Cinnamon Girl (otherwise known as a 2002 Subaru Outback) to the dealer for servicing. I always look forward to this as the dealer is located a mere twelve blocks from Ocean Avenue on Santa Monica Boulevard. Then it’s just a short walk south to the Santa Monica Pier.
At this point from Palisades Park (that stretches along Ocean Avenue) you can see the pier in the distance.
Here you can see the erosion over the years of the cliffs overlooking Pacific Coast Highway.
These two photos look on to the park and Ocean Avenue.
The bridge between the two palm trunks is the one I’ll be walking over to get to the beach and pier.
There a lot of steps going down before getting to the actual bridge. My ankles, knees and hips give me trouble walking down stairs… although I can run going up the stairs! Several of my friends can fly down the stairs but have trouble going up.
But considering the friends my age I lost last year I am grateful to be alive and kicking…. especially on such a gorgeous January day!
Looking back from whence I came…
It was pretty clear and I could see all the way out to Point Dume at the end of the Santa Monica Mountain range.
This mural is at the stairs going from the beach up to the pier. There is a small aquarium and sea life exhibit which is Heal the Bay’s public marine-education center. I need to pay a visit but it has odd hours and I never seem to be there at the right time. I must schedule a visit soon.
I was there about 9:45am, too early for the tourist crowd. Nice to see so few people around though.
I never get tired of this view. During the summer it isn’t always this clear. Winter is my favorite time in LA.
Route 66 starts in Chicago. I’m happy to live at this end!
Beach, beach, beach and more beach…
This bird is like the gull I photoed on my trip to Catalina Island last year. I wonder if this was the same guy?
I love shadows as much as reflections. Self portraits!
Looking back to downtown Santa Monica.
No swimming? No worries… doesn’t apply to seagulls!
The ocean, the sand, the mountains… it doesn’t get better than this in my book…
Recycling or trash? A difficult decision. Either way I don’t think it’s a good place to look for lunch, fellas!
No, that should read, Please DO feed the birds. Obviously a typographical error!
A great way to pass the day. Certainly better than sitting in an office. I wonder what he’ll have for dinner tonight?
A nautical theme of decoration on the restaurant at the end of the pier.
I am in love with piers. I grew up with piers in England. There is something thrilling about walking out on them and being far out in the ocean. I live within a half hour bus ride of this pier and could not imagine ever living further inland.
I am not a birder. But in all my many years of looking out into the Santa Monica bay I have never ever seen a bird like this in the water. Did it get washed in from some foreign shore in a storm? At least he seemed to be enjoying himself and not concerned at all about being on the shores of Los Angeles.
At this point I received a phone call from my service manager to tell me the bushings needed to be replaced and it would be three o’clock before I could pick up Cinnamon Girl.
Oh, what a tragedy! What could I possibly do for the next four hours on this beautiful day at the beach? Let me think…
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Beverly Gardens Park is a narrow stretch that runs the length of Beverly Hills on the north side of Santa Monica Boulevard, about two miles or 23 blocks. It is divided into various sections with different kinds of plants, sculptures and fountains.
The Cactus Garden is located between N. Camden Drive and N. Bedford Drive. It contains desert plants including cactus and succulents.
The photo above and below shows The Church of the Good Shepherd bell tower rising above the trees at the north end.
I love century plants. This one below is the agave americana var. medio-picta – Yellow-Striped Century Plant
Eons ago I worked in Beverly Hills as project manager for an interior design company. I used to enjoy strolling through this park at lunch time. I am not a plant expert so I am afraid I can’t tell you what these are… I am sure if I took the time I could find the names but it is already past my bedtime after a very tiring day!
I love all the plants of the desert, they are the most mysterious and striking of all plant life, in my opinion.
And who doesn’t love the majestic Washingtonia (Mexican Fan) palm trees?
I’ll be posting more photos of other parts of the garden from time to time with more information about the park. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of the photos of the Cactus Garden.
All photos and content copyright roslyn m wilkins. Please feel free to pass along this post via email or social media, but if you wish to use some of our images or text outside of the context of this blog, either give full credit to myself and link to One Good Life in Los Angeles, or contact us for proper usage. Thanks!
Yes, Photoshopping is the only kind of shopping I really enjoy! The photo above is the revised version of a photo I took last year.
I took the photo below from my deck but from my vantage point, no matter how I tried to move around, the Sony Studios water tower ended up splat in the middle of the palm tree.
I had the original photo printed on canvas but whenever I looked at it I wanted to take my scissors and move the water tower to the left. But thanks to Photoshop, I didn’t need to use scissors.
I like the revised image sooooooooo much better… and added a couple of birds for good measure!
What do you think?
All photos and content copyright roslyn m wilkins. Please feel free to pass along this post via email or social media, but if you wish to use some of our images or text outside of the context of this blog, either give full credit to myself and link to One Good Life in Los Angeles, or contact us for proper usage. Thanks!
All photos and content copyright roslyn m wilkins. Please feel free to pass along this post via email or social media, but if you wish to use some of our images or text outside of the context of this blog, either give full credit to myself and link to One Good Life Travels, or contact us for proper usage. Thanks!
Playa del Rey is directly south of Marina del Rey and the Lagoon is merely a few feet south of the end of Ballona Creek that runs about five miles from Culver City to the Pacific Ocean. A bike path borders the creek.
The Lagoon supports a varied assortment of bird life from Great Blue Herons and Snowy Egrets to ducks and geese. Mud hens (American coots) love the area too. And don’t let’s forget pigeons and seagulls.
In the photo above you see a clear view of the Santa Monica Mountains in the background.
As much as I love visiting other parts of the US or the world, I appreciate the various and sundry neighborhoods of Los Angeles just as much. And I feel fortunate to live in such a diverse area.
As we were eating lunch at a restaurant a short walk from the Lagoon, all these pigeons suddenly descended on the power lines. A few minutes later they were gone.
The lagoon is surrounded by apartments and condos. Not a bad place to live.
Click on any of the photos below to start the slide show.
An amazing day for a visit
Looking north to Santa Monica Mountains
I love the reflections on this Lagoon
Can never get enough palm trees
Palm trees, palm trees
Bird nesting boxes
Grasses growing along the edge
The pink of the building matches the pink of the flowers in the foreground
Perfect day for paragliding with endless views
Only thing better than palm trees is reflections of palm trees
Palm trees before a storm is my favorite photo from a trip to Miami in April 2013. I had my DSLR for about 4 months and didn’t have a clue what I was doing. I was still using it in Automatic mode like a point & shoot camera and only shooting JPEGs, not in RAW. I didn’t know much about photo composition either, but as an artist and graphic designer I suppose it was innate. Nevertheless, looking at this photo today I can see if I had moved around a little I could have done a better job positioning the buildings. I had it printed on canvas and hung it in the bathroom where I still enjoy looking at it. 
RMW: the blog 