Unexpected Delight: Casting Pond Refill

While camping in Mammoth Lakes, my youngest son found a cast off broken fishing pole, truly a treasured find. Thanks to his treasure, his interest, and his older brother's, in fishing or rather casting has increased. Luckily, we live near the Pasadena Casting Pond. When we marched over to spend the day, we were surprised to find the newly revamped pond being refilled.

You can cast anywhere, as the oak trees on our property wrapped in fishing line will attest. A few dry casts were thrown, but the bulk of time was spent playing in the water.

We have gone back regularly to watch the developments. The pond is now completely full and resuming it's steady algae growth. Our casting continues.

Mount Wilson Expedition

Mount Wilson Observatory 100 inch scope

I found myself feeling quite thankful this Thanksgiving. Thankful for our time together as a family. Thankful for friends. Thankful for where we live.

Los Angeles is a complex city that draws many people. The weather is typically mild. Gardening is a year round possibility. The city is close to the ocean, mountains, desert and snow. One might spend the morning in the snow, trek down the mountain and head towards the sea to watch the sun slip behind the Pacific. And, of course, the film/television/entertainment industry and tastemakers that shape and curate media imagery also hold a stake in this town.

Although the latter group might skew the perception of the city, Los Angeles offers much more.

150 foot Solar Scope

The clear skies and exceptional viewing caught the interest of George Ellery Hale, who founded the Mount Wilson Observatory in 1904. Mount Wilson stands 5,710 feet above the Los Angeles Basin in the Angeles National Forest with views to the sea and Channel Islands. For over 40 years, Mount Wilson housed the biggest scopes in the world. The eyes of Albert Einstein, Harlow Shapely and Edwin Hubble peered through the eye piece to discover the earth's location in the Milky Way, other galaxies and more.

Over the weekend, we headed up to Mount Wilson Observatory for the last docent lead tour of the season to literally walk in the footsteps of Albert Einstein and other preeminent astronomers and scientists.

In the 150 foot solar scope, scientists continue to gather information about solar sun spots on antiquated equipment. The scientist hired by the man in the picture above let us into the "Computer Museum" to see the Raytheon computer still in operation.

Although the data is still culled using the Hal-esque computer, the scientists transfer the information to an online database.

Inside the 100 inch scope where Hubble worked.

The 100 inch scope is open to tours but no longer in use. Light pollution from the growing city, and the creation of larger scopes elsewhere, have diminished the relevance of the scope for scientific research. Although the 60 inch scope is open for rental to private groups. We are already discussing the possibilities.

Imagine being able to look through the eye piece that so many great scientists have peered through: a small window to the limitlessness of space, light traveling millions and in some cases billions of years, right to your eyeball.

The sun tracked west. We headed down the mountain while sailing through the galaxy.

Thankful.

Common Thread Tote Bag Class

Owner Jin Kim (center), author, writer & tote bag student Ernessa T. Carter (left)

Months ago, I bought a Groupon for Common Thread Studio in South Pasadena. Common Thread Studio is one of those places that I love to visit, but somehow, I never made time to take a class there or schedule a sewing session. I took advantage of Groupon and a pending expiration date to get my A into G.

Although I was seriously tempted to take the Detail Couture class, I signed up for the Tote Bag class because I wanted a take away. Owner Jin Kim lead the class and made the pattern for the tote bag with a sweet pleat (see last photo). I love taking sewing classes. As a self-taught sewer, I always find it incredibly informative to sit in a session and learn from the pros, like Jin, who is also a designer.

My first serged seam.

In addition to classes, Common Thread Studio offers studio rental for $10/hour, first two hours ($8/hour after). While renting studio space, you have access to a great commercial grade serger, sewing machines, cutting table, iron and the luxury of spreading out your work area.

Classmate Joy & her beautiful tote bag.

In July and August, Common Thread Studio offers Sewing Summer Camp for budding designers ages 8-17. Judging from last year's photos, it looks like a great experience.

I finished my tote bag with just enough time to pick up my kids from school (ended yesterday for the youngest and next week for the oldest. Hello summer!). Common Thread Studio also has a kid area with toys and a chalkboard in the back behind plexiglass. I think I'm going to throw caution to the wind and take advantage of studio rental time this summer. Some time in Common Thread Studio for me with a bit of ice cream at Buster's for the boys. What project should I tackle?

Memorable Memorial Day

We camped on Santa Cruz Island, one of the Channel Islands in California.

The extended weekend came with severe winds, great food, good people.

More to come.

Note From Eric: Thanks to our friends Chrisitie and Greg for inviting us to share such a memorable time with them and their great group of friends. It was a fantastic place to visit and an amazing group of people.

Ramshackle Sea Unit

Eric has sailing blood in his veins. His maternal grandfather lived on a boat for part of his life. Pretty much since I met Eric, he's been talking about taking some sailing lessons & getting certified to charter a boat.

After about two months of lessons, that day arrived. Eric passed his last test. We chartered a boat for the day and headed out of Marina del Rey. This was my first ever sailing experience, although I've been on plenty of boats in my life. Eric had to navigate the busy weekend marina on his own.

We sailed north past Santa Monica. Feeling the wind and the keel of the boat is very exciting.

Captain Eric let me take the helm in the open water. By the time we headed back to Marina del Rey, I had a better understanding about how to tack & was able to crew a bit more than on our way out.

Eric's dream of sailing and making the time to learn the craft is such a great benefit to our family. I find it interesting how following your passions can have positive reverberations outside of yourself.

Leo Carrillo State Beach

I always feel a bit strange writing about good weather in mid-January, especially when a lot of people are suiting up in cold-weather snow gear before they open the door. But it's days like this that I am forgiving of the annoying aspects of living in Los Angeles and feel grateful to be close to the Pacific Ocean at this specific latitudinal juncture.

We took advantage of the beautiful weather to end the long Martin Luther King Jr. weekend by heading to Leo Carrillo State Beach just north of Point Dume in Malibu.

In the tide pools, my oldest son spotted a vacated shell of an urchin. Mussels blanketed the rocks like a nubby quilt. Caves were explored (free of pirates, Eric assured our youngest son).

Next time, I'd like to be at the beach all day and night. It is the rare moment in CA when you can roll up to a camp site at a state beach without reservations. These are the benefits of winter.

And a super sunny warm day makes it all that much more sweet.

Weaponry for an Elf

We have a special friend who lives in Bailey Canyon in Sierra Madre. His name is Stiple. He is an elf who rides a raft that he made of found sticks bound together with a tough stalk of grass. He likes to journey down creeks swollen by rains, which have been plenty lately.

My youngest, still obsessed with all things pirate, decided Stiple could use a cutlass, some swords, a bottle and a cup and saucer. Sculpey was pulled out and these fine pieces were made and fired in the oven.

On a recent hike, my sons and I built a home for Stiple equipped with sticks in the fireplace to warm him after his river run.

This morning, I awoke to see my oldest son and Eric have added to Stiple's Sculpey collection with a torch, a spoon, knife, sack of wheat and a "torch sword that you can use to burn your enemy's cake".

The Importance of Halloween

In a day and age where people seem to spend more time indoors, I find myself loving Halloween even more than I already do. Granted, I have a fondness for the holiday. I am reminded of spending time with my father and siblings crafting homemade costumes...a t.v., a carrot, the Headless Horseman to name a few. To this day, I still love the ritual of picking out a pumpkin, designing a face and carving it while pumpkin seeds roast in the oven and hot cider steeps on the stove.

Halloween is the holiday that gets people outside from a trip to a pumpkin patch whether it be an urban lot strung with lights or Lombardi Ranch in Santa Clarita to the anticipated evening when kids venture out in the darkness bedecked in costumes to knock on neighbor's doors in search of candy.

I love how Halloween is linked to a harvest, a time to celebrate the changing seasons.

Over the weekend, we took in two pumpkin patches with grandparents, Lombardi Ranch and Underwood Family Farms. My oldest son sleepily asked after a very full day where we closed out Underwood Farms, "Mom, can we carve our pumpkins soon?" Definitely, I'm ready for some roasted pumpkin seeds.

LACMA Art of Looking

Over the summer, the boys and I stumbled upon a lecture at LACMA on Paul Cadmus's Coney Island painting. We sat down in small foldable aluminum stools and listened to perhaps twenty minutes of lecture before my youngest needed to move. My oldest stayed on and finished the lecture.

When I saw that LACMA's Mary Lenihan was going to give an Art of Looking discussion on Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, I thought the kids, especially my oldest, might enjoy it. In the Resnick Pavilion, we first viewed some works by Henri Lehman as an example of the establishment art to get a sense of what was popular when the Impressionists were the avant-garde.

In the Ahmanson building, Lenihan directed us to some paintings by Claude Monet, including In the Woods at Giverny & Nymphea. I love the talks at LACMA. The art educators really encourage the art of looking and present the works so that you as the viewer use your own eyes to see the painting and witness the perspective of the artist. Mary Lenihan provides the history that puts the painting in context. The Art of Looking discussions happen every second Thursday of the month.

My kids lasted a good half hour before the large elevator and Jeff Koons's Balloon Dog beckoned them.

Although they both sat and listened for the discussion, I think they had the most fun in the Boone Children's Gallery for Korean brush painting.

Shipwreck at Machine Project

To commemorate the first week of school, the boys and I set off to see Josh Beckman's Sea Nymph at Machine Project.

Beckman created a shipwreck sculpture that is open for climbing and exploration. The exhibit is open through October 8th. Machine is also hosting lectures, puppet shows and music related to the piece. Learn more at Machine Project.

Eric even captured a picture of us aboard the Sea Nymph through the streaming mast-cam.

Great work deserves support. This is a shameless plug to support the work of Machine Project by becoming a member.

Hawk in Flight

The kids and I went to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County to catch the Pavilion of Wings butterfly exhibit before it closes for the season this weekend.

As we picnicked on the lawn, a huge hawk, possibly a juvenile red-tail hawk, swooped low to the ground and landed on the handrail of the walkway to the museum. We got about ten feet from this magnificent creature. Only after it flew away did I remember I had my camera with me. My apologies for the blurry shots and filthy lens. The event is still worth sharing. We watched the giant bird fly east towards the rose garden.

The kids followed suit and took flight.

A few more posts about the NHM:

NHM Members' Loan Service

T-Rex Puppet at LA County NHM

NASA Athlete in the Arroyo

In the spring, I was fortunate to accompany my oldest son for a field trip to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Although JPL offers yearly open houses, that trip was the first time I set foot on the campus. To get a behind the scenes tour with my son and his class was a real treat. A Mars Rover prototype was brought out for the kids. They were enlisted to act like rocks as the small vehicle rode over their supine bodies. They were able to peer down into master control while engineers worked on active space missions.

But nothing awakened their awe like ATHLETE, the All-Terrain Hex-Limbed Extra-Terrestrial Explorer. At JPL, we visited the hanger where engineers were constructing a half-scale prototype of the future moon rover. The kids were invited to walk underneath it.

Photo by my oldest son.

When a friend told us that JPL was testing ATHLETE in the Arroyo Seco, the boys and I made a point to be there. Seeing the giant robot slowly rolling through the Arroyo definitely made an impression on my almost-three-year-old who now opens most conversations with friends and strangers alike by sharing his eyewitness account of ATHLETE in action.

JPL continues to test ATHLETE in the upper Arroyo near Hahamongna Watershed Park. Remaining test days are: 8/12, 8/16, 8/17, 8/19 with morning shifts (8AM-12:30PM) and afternoon shifts (12:30-5PM).

Audubon Center at Debs Park

The Audubon Center at Debs Park (4700 North Griffin, Los Angeles 90031) just might be my absolute favorite park in Los Angeles. The Audubon Center is part of Earnest Debs Park on the northwest side. It is open Tuesday through Saturday, 9AM-5PM. If you live locally or if you are visiting Los Angeles, the Audubon Center is well worth a visit. The park is free and open to the public.

The Audubon Center has a small office where you can check out backpacks with field guides, maps and binoculars. If you'd like to use a Kelty kid carrier pack or an off-road stroller, you can also check those out free of charge from the office. The office also makes available story books, water paints and other items completely free of charge.

In the center, there are a few beautiful fountains filled with native water plants frequented often by bright red Flame Skimmers and blue damselflies. The grounds are planted with California native plants. The area is teaming with birds, lizards and other critters.

The Audubon Center grounds have many great trees for climbing, small pockets to explore from caves to shelters.

One of the most captivating parts of the park for my sons is the water pump. Kids can hand pump water to cascade over the side...

...down a small stream that leads to the pond. As the area can get hot, the water is a welcome respite from the heat. The Audubon Center at Debs Park is a classic example of a play area that allows children's and adult's imaginations to run wild and fosters those beautiful moments of unstructured play.