Squirrel POV

The intention of the day was to shoot winterscapes. But it was more like spring. Adapt, adapt!

Caught these crazy birds out in the rain Saturday. Neither rain nor sleet are keeping these peacocks from roaming. You can occassionally see them near Glenrose and Loma Alta. And you can hear them for blocks.

We take for granted these magnificent creatures. Yes, they’ve got the worse name imaginable, and they’re loud and unexpected when one flies across the road while you’re driving. This is one of the many at the Arboretum, but we have a bevvy of them here in Altadena–right up my street–as well. I can hear them call from time to time, see one wandering the streets, or have one fly right over my car. Drove by one house and there were several sitting on the roof. It’s quite the surprise. But that’s what’s so great about Altadena. A surprise around every corner…

Consider this little guy as your greeter to the beauty that awaits inside one of L.A. Country’s treasures, the Arboretum. And lucky us, we live just a few minutes away. We’re also near the Huntington Gardens, and you’ve already seen some shots from Descanso Gardens. Let’s see if I can orient you, especially those in other countries. 

Los Angeles is about 16 miles southwest from Altadena. You can easily see the downtown skyline from certain vantage points, as we’re in the foothills. As L.A. is crazy for freeways, there are a lot of them. One, the 210, runs east/west more or less through miles of L.A. suburbs. It’s along/near this freeway path that Descanso Gardens, the Huntington, and the Arboretum are all located. And it’s just a few minutes’ drive between each of them.  If you started at Descanso in La Canada/Flintridge and drove east, you’d pass JPL/Nasa, the Rose Bowl, through Pasadena (Huntington is in San Marino, Pasadena’s ritzier neighbor), and end up at the Arboretum, located across the street from the famous Santa Anita Racetrack. Check out Google for more detail.

So barring any natural or unnatural disasters, we’ll be taking a walk through the Arboretum over the next couple of weeks. Enjoy! Just wish you could smell the fragrances and feel the energy.