Friday, on the Santa Monica Pier at Sunset

Yeah, it’s basically a cliche, isn’t it? Who hasn’t seen pictures of a sunset off the famous Santa Monica Pier? I first saw the attraction way back in 1999, on my first adult trip to the area. I remembered how beautiful it was, and jumped at the chance to repeat the experience. February can get cold, and it was about 54 degrees with a brisk wind. Here’s what we saw.

PierOverview

The view from the little park on the street above.

PlayingErhu

This gentleman was playing an amplified Erhu, a Chinese stringed instrument. Very nice!

PierPeople

SunsetPalms

SunsetSurf

SouthSurf

EndofPier

The pier has an amusement park, with some nicely-lit rides. I was taken with the Ferris wheel, which looked like it was wrapped up in the roller-coaster.

Rides

And later, after the sun sank below the horizon, the lights came into their own.

Pinwheel

Just good fun.

SoCal Interlude: Patterns

Over the weekend in California, my eye was caught by the many interesting patterns I saw in the hotel, and outside in nature. Some were repeated, some not. A guy at the hotel front desk told me that the carpet pattern in many places was the Golden Poppy, which is found in California.

This pattern and variations was found in many places in the hotel.

This one is on a high-back sofa in the lobby.

Then, there was an interesting side table, with a marquetry top, and metal stand that worked very well together. Pattern on pattern!

Then, if you looked up, you could see the right-angled patterns of the windows and walls on higher floors.

I was taken by the pattern on the elevator doors, too. My readers will know that I am a fan of the Art Deco period, and this looked like a pattern from that period of design.

Even the walls and ceilings carried eye-pleasing patterns. The first one is the front of the front desk, and the second one was the ceiling in the restaurant.

Nice lattice patterns-different execution of the same basic idea, and both very pleasing to the eye.

Speaking of eye-pleasing, this is what greeted guests stepping off the elevators behind the front desk. I just loved the colors.

And, finally, this very pretty mirror on the floor where the Hillsdale seminars were held.

Patterns, patterns everywhere you looked. Definitely not boring!

Beautiful Japanese Dolls

Last weekend, Hubby and I visited Uwajimaya, a local Asian store. There was a gorgeous exhibit of intricately-made dolls. Someone spent many hours making these authentic dolls in their gorgeous costumes. I was impressed!

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Snow-Capped

I got out this afternoon with the camera. There are a lot of plants and structures that are snow-capped.

That Japanese Maple in the back yard sure looks funny with its tiny asymmetrical cap.

Our neighborhood has a surfeit of dentists. The office has some nice landscaping, all capped with snow this week.

These concrete structures are found at Silver Lake Park. I have no idea what they are, but they look like raised mausoleums at a cemetery. Capped with snow.

Snow Birds

I love watching the birds that come to our seed and suet feeders in the back yard. Especially when it’s snowing. Here’s who showed up the last couple of days.