Studio8 - Uniting the Arts

woo-eee. several inches. . . and it's snowin' too! yeah, a little snow humor.

gonna shovel later on - fun. why don't some of you people in so cal tell me a story about how nice it is on the beach?

Incredible as it may seem, S-malt, it has topped out at about seventy- five F the last four days, though we got a small dribble of rain about a week ago here in LA.

I turned on the heat at five in the morning ( when we get up so my wife can teach Algebra at seven across the county in the college where she works) for the first time a week ago-- it got down to about 48 in the early morning.

Yesterday the city did street paving right outside our house and it was a beautiful day but windy. The Santa Anas didn't arrive until late October this year, regardless of what happened in that old Randy Newman video . . .(!).

I haven't been down to the beach for a week but the beginning of November was luscious there-- my favorite weather here: cloudless, warm at 70- just under 80 and a cool ocean breeze.

We live in a simple 1966 tract, not by the beach, but we're about five miles from the Pacific as the crow flies.

You can actually see the ocean from our rooftop on a clear day. I went up there a few years ago to bring down the beercans the Mexican roofers ( a great bunch of hardworking guys) left in a bag tied to the 1971-vintage rusted tv aerial ( we have never used it) near the chimney when they finished putting on the new roof.

I'd go out while they were working on the last day and call up into the sky-- "Mas cerveza?"
"Si" was the reply.
The roof was first-rate, by the way. A little chaos and levity helps, I'm convinced.

And presto, ( when I climbed up on the roof) I could count seagulls and see the ocean fog frosting the island-channel chop from our roof.

I have never been to Chicago, but I've always wanted to see "Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" by Seurat at the Art Institute.

I lived in Alaska when I was a kid so I'm familiar with cold weather, snow and ice.

Friendly greetings from Southern California. Keep warm.


Zlatko

thanks for the update.

the art institute is an amazing, awe inspiring, humbling place. i haven't been there in years, but maybe soon.

i was in l.a. and pasadena in february. a lot of people from the midwest don't like l.a., but i do. if you appreciate it for what it is, it's great. i was in, i think, brentwood and stayed at the w hotel. it was nice, but cheesey. kind of like l.a.

anyway, if you get a chance, take a look at the ocean for me today. i think many people on the coasts tend to take the oceans for granted. oh well. have a nice morning.

S-Malt:

I resisted LA for many years-- being a Bay Area and NorCal cuss, but I've finally fallen into its great plastic cloaca and aquiesced.

Now, finally, I don't get lost in LA and just cruise down the mighty "405" and branch off on the arteries-- always finding my way back.

LA can be ugly, that's for sure, but I've finally gotten used to this dryness and the odd, brilliant light.

I was born in Oregon and grew up in the Northwest, so it was a hard adjustment. But 30 years survival in any landscape changes you.

Pasadena and Burbank are lovely, in spite of all the crap. I was introduced to the Magnolia Park area of Burbank through my artists' group. Beautiful-- an eden of trees that reminds me of Chico, California where I went to college.

--Z

been snowin' up here all week in the Great (White-ish) Gray NW. most precip ever last month since records have been kept (1891).... the desert looks better and better to me. (might have to post a few more photos).... gotta run. late for work. i may not be "in motion" (on the road) like i was, but those white-collar taskmasters certainly have me on the run....

When I went to bed last night (between 3 and 4, I think) it was raining. The first I woke up this morning (whenever the girls in the apartment above me decided that a chorus of 'Let It Snow' and blaring 'Frosty The Snowman' full volume was a good idea) the first thing I did was look outside and mentally exclaim:

"Holy Shit, Snow Explosion!"

I wish I had a camera, cause its beautiful, and the snow trucks haven't quite made it out in full force yet.

It's been like autumn in Hawaii here for the past few days. I sat outside last night wearing shorts. December 1st and it's something like 68 degrees. I'm lovin' it! I have the feeling a cold front's gonna come through soon, though. This just isn't at all normal.

I'm not much for snow. Never did like it. Sounds like you don't much enjoy snow either, malty. Here's wishing for a quick melt for ya!

we've had a hawaiian-style november as well -- temperatures in the 70's (farenheit) for weeks, and lots of sunshine.

we're still having lunch out on the balcony in the sunshine every day, wearing t-shirts and sunglasses.

forecast says it'll getting a little cooler now, though - but the sun's still shining, and there's no snow in sight yet.

in the last ten years or so, winter hasn't really started before mid-january, anyway. but then it often lasted until march.

and another gorgeous day over here, as well. The birds are what's most fascinating these days. Those who decided not to fly by on their way to Africa are here and feasting on newly planted fields. The glorious part is their sky ballets as they swoop in rhythmic flocks. It's an Escher sky in full motion.

Though i've been carrying my camera in my backpack, i can't seem to take my eyes off the bird formations even for the instant it takes to grab the camera and shoot.

No rain. That's a problem for us. But for a lone walker, it's the best kind of weather - slightly begging a zipped sweatshirt in the morning and then cotton shirt during the day.

gorgeous days.[/i]

Yikes! The temperature must have gone down 20 or 25 degrees within the past 3 or 4 hours.... brrrrr!!!! I KNEW winter was coming!

The big chill
Yesterday perfect golden fall day
Frosty morning in San Antone

near 34 C today. You can feel the air's humidity at sunset. Technicolor clouds. And mosquitos. This year we had an unusual dry weather, I almost missed this!