Pasadena Adjacent

Honoring Saint Patrick through the color green, a cheese teapot and violence. This is a green horn worm. It hurts tomatoes (violent content)

It also influenced the creation of my biomorphic sculpture placed into the above diorama; part Weegee, Black Dalia and Hillside Strangler. I used Tom Coleman “Green to Black” satin glaze. My experience was the opposite. Mostly black with a dab of green.

Rocks and bottles: more specifically, river rocks and blue bottles.

I like the concept of asking the universe for what you want. But I usually just ask friends; they tend to be more reliable. To this end, I went forward with my heart’s desire to build a cord wood structure at the bottom of my hillside (think Grandma Prisby). Although I put out the call for blue bottles, the universe came up short. Compromised, I used the collected bottles in a wall I built with local river rock.

River rock collected from the lot above. The former site of The Virginian restaurant. I may never have dined in Virginia, but I do remember arriving at the nearby stables minutes after the owner’s sister jumped off the York Blvd Bridge. A memory that’s followed me symbolically in my paintings and now into my wall. I blame the event on menopause; an unkind condition that afflicts women.

dbdubya: thanks for the memories/recall

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A rose by any other name? doesn’t matter. Johnson/Johnston Lake is part of a gated community close(d) to you and me. That is unless you represent a Hollywood film production company. In that case, for a location fee you can change the lake’s name for the day, set up some chairs in front of it and “get real” with celebrities in recovery. I wish them well.

What’s that written at the bottom of the photo? “NEAR” Pasadena. That would put Mirror Lake’s location “IN” Garvanza. With that said, lets continue on with our Garvanza/Stairway tour of the Highlands.

From Beaudry/Mirror/Garvanza/Johnson/Johnston lake we make our way downstream to where San Rafael creek spills into the Arroyo. Further down the Arroyo is the small San Pascual auto bridge. Cross it and head west.

Off the avenue is a small dead end street named Hough. The starting point of another hidden stair way. This one is especially sweet with each riser decorated in tiles created by the children of nearby San Pascual elementary school. The hand painted tiles depict wildflowers and creatures representative of the Arroyo. Brilliant!

select to enlarge

Big Mamma cat is making tracks this morning to rescue nuclear infused Tova from her 24/7 fluorescent lit encapsulated existence

Tova thought bubble….(Please Hurry – I’m so lonely)

While Tova suffered, I took a detour to see if the surrounding territory was to my liking. I met up with the great Polish actress Madam Modjeska in front of her home “Arden” built by the notorious Stanford White. Seems Helena’s first stab at Utopia in the OC was a failure (the Anaheim Colony). Someone’s got to pick those grapes and it wasn’t going to be her. Back to Poland to restock the bank. On her return she purchased land on the west side of Saddleback Mountain range where she led me on a tour.

and I took some pretty pictures

Who can forget the medical breakdown documented in “That Cats Killing Me”? The medication prescribed turned out to be about as effective as that Dutch boy’s thumb in the dike. Backed against the wall, I was now ready to cross the border and seek out a specialist. One willing to empty my pockets at the unusual and somewhat creepy time slot of 8:00 am on a Sunday morning.

Arriving early, we waited alone in a empty parking lot of an anonymous industrial park (“Roe verses Wade” kept crossing my mind). Add more anonymous white boxes housing other animal specialist to the scene in a land I affectionately refer to as “where the fuck are we?” Irvine adjacent look alike Tustin.

“Bad mommy” has left her charge behind in a cubicle where “said charge” is spending the week being radiated until she sends the geiger counter well beyond the toxicity level of orange Bauer ware. Upon her release she will be classified as hazmat and returned with special handling directions. Visit Tova’s tumor here

“Ground control to major Tom “ < audio link

Mind you, I’m suspicious of Orange County (and the vets who drive sporty Beemers and charge an extra 75 bucks for the kitty cam password).  Just as German order and efficiency can be said to produce a Hitler, so Orange County through the arts produced “The Happiest Place on Earth”. An attitude that has easily translated into an urban planning model that would go on to replace sections of Irvine Ranch with a crimeless plethora of planned communities awash in a tasteful but limited palate. All roads lead to a cul-de-sac (French for bottom of the bucket).

Come join our failed search for a non-chain breakfast provider

…..But a trip behind the orange curtain need  not be experienced as a quicky u-turn. No, armed with a Thomas map, McKinney’s trail guide and a full tank, there are things to do here. Again, allow me to be your guide.

For starters, how about the “Mac Daddy” of post and beam construction?

After we escaped the road closed, cul-de-sac and big box retailers scene, we concluded the day at Newport Beach. A day that wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Newport’s Lovell/Schindler beach house.

There is plenty more betwix these many concrete wonders of the great OC, but why use all my material on a single post. Our saga continues into the next post; and who doesn’t wish to witness Tova’s return?

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The Discovery: Lantana St Highland Park

Wearing one’s colors, red (Bloods) blue (Crips) or green (Forest Service) may present an obstacle to our happy hunting party….but not a conclusion. Grab your galoshes and follow me.

Since the loss of a million beating hearts Station Fire, the argument for a hunting season seems a moot point. In truth, most all recreational experiences associated with our charred mountains have been postponed “until further notice“ None the less, it hasn’t curtailed our bloodlust here at Pasadena Adjacent. “We shall overcome” or try; trading in corpuscles for petrochemical byproducts. The loveless Ms Havisham will be in charge of the arrows and the hapless hiker has generously supplied our party with bows (fashioned from the remains of her dead banana tree).

and when it’s time to break for “High Tea”

I’ll supply the whisky