A Walk in the Park

Life in Los Angeles is certainly no walk in the park. I mean, I wake up everyday to the same old bright blue skies and flaming white sunshine coming through my open window. I eat tangerines with stems still on them that are so tart they make you drool, which is embarassing. I walk wherever I need to go, and people are always smiling at me when I pass by. To control the temperature inside the apartment I have to get up to open or close a window. I've fallen for the fashion, which has me carrying an oversized bag filled with hand lotion, lip gloss, water, my latest knitting project and A People's History of the United States everywhere. And the worst part is the landscaping. I don't know what it is with California that they can't decide on a favorite plant already. I swear, I must see a thousand different plants in a 30 minute stroll around my neighborhood. Aloe plants, palm trees, sycamore trees, rosemary bushes, daylillies. Can't they just get with the Boxwood-Japanese Maple-Pin Oak program that Kentucky's suburban neighborhoods have mastered. Let's take a typical January stroll.

Directly outside my front door, you'll encounter the following (keep in mind, this is January, okay):

Turn the corner and wander toward the activities center, where they show independent and foreign films, and discover whatever these are:


Enjoy the variable architecture that is a draw for multiple lifestlyles -- tower living for those wanting an urban experience and townhomes with large, shared courtyards in the back for those wanting a more family-friendly environment, all with unique plants adorning the facades:

There a little flavors of the tropics at every turn, and sandy footpaths that are prettier at night than in the day... trees here are used as light posts, which makes for dramatic lighting that feels like a part of nature:
Just when you think "Enough already!" because of all the different trees and bushes and flowers, you see that they're even adverturous with their ornamental grasses:
There are some familiar sights. For instance, I, too, have a hydrangea bush at my house. Granted it's inside right now so it won't freeze to death, but it puts out some pretty beautiful blooms... IN THE SUMMER!! And while cala lillies have always been my favorite flower, I have never actually seen one exist outside of a florist's refrigerator... until January in Los Angeles.
Hope you've enjoyed the little stroll. If you want to take one in real life, I know a real good place!