Frogs and snails and bears, oh my!

I've said it before and it bears repeating: walking around the neighborhood not only lets me steal ideas for my own yard, but it's just fun to see what other people are doing creatively. They are gifts to the street. Today was no different. There are just certain yards that make me smile or laugh out loud; there are yards that make me wish I had that talent and energy; there are yards that just blow me away. So yes, it is a requirement to share (it's the social media law so what can one do?). 

The frog with the mask (and a beret?):

A cheeky snail:

 A happy dolphin:

A topiary UCLA Bear (and it took me awhile before I figured out what that was -- should've know right away because they have a HUGE UCLA flag hung near the front door):

And last, but not least, an amazing yard with dynamic use of brick and broken concrete:

 

 

Walking the neighborhood is a creative boost

I like to pretend I'm getting fit by taking walks around different neighborhoods. It gets me outside, makes me workout a bit, and mostly allows my curiosity (OK - nosiness) to have free reign. Seeing other people's gardens and decorations inspires me. No matter how many times I've clomped down a street, there's always some new detail to see. Today was no different. What caught my eye were the stepping stones. Very different from the ones I saw a couple of days ago. 

 

 

After admiring those, I looked up and starting laughing. There is a penguin lounging in a chair clearly having a delightful time. Considering the cold weather, it no doubt is perfect for her. The rest of the yard art in general is fun and well-placed too. Definitely worth another look when next the walk takes me there -- if I can remember what street and which block. Hmmmm.

 

Amazing mosaic (way beyond my skill level)

I ran into a friend I hadn't seen in quite awhile, and after catching up about dogs and other topics, we got onto the things we're doing to stay sane in the pandemic. I mentioned mosaics and she told me about a friend of hers who is a mosaic artist. Of course I had to know more. She kindly sent me a photo of the fireplace her friend decided to beautify in her house once the pandemic started. My jaw dropped when I saw the picture. Her work is sensational. It rather reminds me of Chinese watercolor paintings: delicate and vibrant at the same time. Her medium is glass. And to celebrate, or more accurately, commemorate the pandemic, on the little bee, there is a crown.

Enjoy true art (do click on the photo for the big size):

Some people really know how to spend their time creatively.

Pretty stepping stones

On my daily fitness walk today, I ran across these stepping stones and couldn't resist posting them. The designs are so exuberant and they were in the city parkway for all to see. 

This one is my favorite (though I wouldn't dare step on it):

Sixteen feet done, another 13 feet left to go

Yup, the weather cooperated and I was able to not only finish placing the last umpteen thousand little tile pieces to the long retaining wall, but yesterday was able to go ahead and grout the entire length of the wall (which took hours but who's counting). As I've mentioned before, grout takes all the jaggedness away from the piece. It smooths out the design and makes it feel more integrated. It's a completely different look from the mosaic vine and flowers I did along a short wall and then had stuccoed. I actually like both looks, but given my penchant for making things difficult for myself, mosaic seemed to be the way to go for the longest section, because, why not?

To compare, the short wall with stucco:

The finished 16 foot wall and a detail:

Unfortunately, we're about to enter a cold spell (for tiling that is, not real cold) and work will have to stop for a bit. Anxious as I am to start on the design on the front of the wall, it will have to wait until the very much needed rains are over and the weather reaches that magic temperature range that allows everything to set up properly. It also means that shifting project gears is required and the to do list notebook, that has languished for years waiting for the right time to complete, might actually be cracked open. Or, I can just read a good mystery or ten. Decisions, decisions.

The closest thing to snow in SoCal

We've been having great weather of late and that is good news for all my mosaic adventures. What it's not great for, of course, is our rain totals. Looks like we're in a drought again, though I am very happy to be proved wrong if we get hit with good rains in February, March and April. Still, at least we're not having blizzards as so much of the country has experienced. 

The closest thing to snow in my neighborhood are the blooming jade plants. This time of year they are quite magnificent with their tiny bright white blossoms that mimic a light snowfall.  If that weren't enough, they also attract our friends the bees. Take a look (to get an even better look, click on the picture for full size):

New year, small projects

Well, it's finally here. The new year which is supposed to bring new hope. After all, we have vaccines that should assist with recovery from our dreadful pandemic which has been so potently mismanaged it is killing thousands needlessly. And true to form, the vaccine roll-out has already been beset by problems that again demonstrate that money talks, people are willing to let their politics get in the way of the common good, and nobody in charge is actually in charge. Happy New Year.

I've tried desperately to focus on good things: good friends, happy walks, and of course, my projects at home. Since the weather turned too cold to work on the mosaic, a couple of niggling little projects finally got done. 

Several posts back, there was a hint that a large open sphere languishing in the backyard was going to be re-homed. That sphere was once the framework for a globe on a Rose Bowl Parade float. It is now in the infamous thicket. I will say that there were other plans to add to the sphere, but upon trying them out, we decided they didn't quite go. Not unusual for my best laid plans. I'm still trying to figure out what else is going to happen there, but in the meantime:

 

The next project involved the back gate to the back-of-beyond (which, as a reminder, is what I call the very messy back area of our property). The gate would no longer close properly because the wonderful trees that surround it have powerful roots that made it wonky. We asked the fence professional what it would take to fix it and he said he'd get back to me. That was 6 months ago. I have a guy I like very much who comes and fixes small things for me and showed him the situation, and his solution was quick and effective (and cheap). Unfortunately it left dings in the wood and extra holes in the gate that made me crazy. Aha! I'll just use old drink cans, emboss them, and then cover it up. Little did I know how doggone hard it is to emboss old drink cans. Unlike tooling foil, cans are made of heavier metal. So, going through a drawer of stuff leftover from a class I taught on embossing, I found some small copper squares. A little glue and some tacks, and voila (detail below big gate pic):

As I type this, the Capitol Building is being overrun by people who apparently don't understand the US Constitution or the democratic electoral process and believe that dictatorships are a good thing. It saddens me we have reached this state. It angers me that Trump is fanning the flames to suit his ego rather than the good of the country. We desperately need a do-over for the new year.