Near my apartment building, there is a somewhat abandoned, yet regularly used piece of land. Over the years, I've watched how people use the land and talked to some of those people. No one has ever said they liked how it is being used right now. The current plant coverage and accommodations brings many issues with it including trash, rats, homeless individuals, tagging and lack of necessary pathways. Pretty much everyone would like to see it in more of a park-like state friendly for people sitting, walking their dogs and possibly some community garden aspects. I've been trying to work with some of my neighborhood associations, but it seems to be a semi-slow process.
Next to this piece of land is another little strip of land that no one seems to pay attention to and no one claims to own. It pretty much consists of trash, dead plants, plants with giant burrs and dandelions.
For the past couple of weeks I have been trying to spend time outside dealing with these areas. On one hand, I just want it fixed and what better way than to do it myself. I use this land every day when walking to my destinations and it bothers me. I am sure the trash there only makes people see it as being ownerless.
The first evening I went out with a plastic grocery bag and went to work. After only a couple of minutes someone came up to me and asked if I was being paid to do this. In the conversation that followed I made a friend and found someone that was older, but excited to see someone doing something. He gave me some suggestions and encouragement and was excited to see what I could do. I ended up collecting probably 8 bags of trash that evening. I picked up bag after bag, easily recycled cans and bottles, paper of all sorts, plastic wrappers and other random plastic pieces.
A week later, the plants were already filled with trash again, but I held back and instead started focusing on the little, somewhat super abandoned land without anyone claiming it. I started intensely weeding it, getting deep at the roots of the plants and digging into the ground. I was surprised to find it's quite a few inches of rocks with some dirt.
I haven't made too much progress with that, but the process of digging in the soil, sifting it through my fingers and picking up things is somewhat soothing. My friend came out again this evening while I worked, excited as ever, wondering what I have in store. I guess he's been trying to get someone to do something with this land for a while, trying to find the owner, but no one wants to claim it. I managed to pick up some baby aloe plants on freecycle recently, so I'm thinking about adding some of those. I'm somewhat interested in the possible challenge of trying to fill the space with freecycle or gathered plant seeds/sprouts, but we'll see. In some ways I've started approaching this as a challenge to myself to see what I can do. While I always played in the dirt growing up and helped my mom and whatnot in the garden, I've never done something like this as an adult.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Subway Adventures
This morning seemed pretty normal. I woke up, took care of my pets and plants and left for the train on time. The Red Line train arrived at Universal City station as expected. Somewhere along the way between Universal and Hollywood and Highland while I was enjoying music on my mp3 player, I heard the driver announcing something. I didn't think much of it as they frequently announce train stops and what train and direction you're riding in. A guy standing near me suddenly had a taken aback expression on his face, so I pulled off my headphones only to find out the announcement was over. We gradually slowed down, a horrible smell began permeating the air and then we stopped.
Everyone stood and sat in the train quietly as the driver announced he was going to see if he could repair the train. The air turned off an on as he ran up and down the side of the train along the subway tunnel walkway. When the air was off, the car was oddly quiet. Considering everyone was sitting there silently save for the occasional cough or sneeze and the quiet buzzing of people listening to music that's maybe a little too loud. At one point the guy that made the expression that first alerted me to the situation said "Why can't we go? I thought they said it was a power problem. The air is on."
After about 30 minutes, we got an announcement saying we would evacuate the train and walk to the next station or a cross walk. Although I could sense some people were starting to get anxious, this was suddenly getting more exciting. They gave us some general direction on only opening one door of each car and everyone exiting from the car, one car at a time. As soon as the announcement stopped, one woman got up from her seat and started walking towards the end of the car where I was standing and most everyone else on that end of the car followed.
While standing around trying to figure out what was going on, I noticed a stream of riders walking along the outside of the car. Someone asked what was going on because based on the evacuation announcement, we expected people to walk through the middle of each car to the front car and from there, exit through a single door onto the pathway, however the people walking outside of the car were walking toward the front of the train. People inside of the car I was in stood with their cameras flashing, taking pictures of the stream of people walking by and periodically stopping.
I heard some noise on the end of the train car with the driver area and some metro officers appeared and told us to travel through the middle of the train cars. 2 guys in front of my walked their bikes through, but I wondered how this would have worked with some of the people I've seen in wheelchairs in the past, as there were decent sized gaps between the doors on each car. It was an odd sensation to walk in a line through the middle of each train car (I think we went through 3 cars) while watching people travel along a somewhat dark path in a parallel line on the other side of the train windows.
Finally we got to the front of the train where more metro officers were standing and we had to exit the train and integrate into the line of people traveling on the walkway. Since I had just traveled through the train up until then, I have to admit I felt a little nervous as I stood in the tube shaped tunnel with the 2, maybe 2 1/2 foot wide walkway pressed against the left side and nothing on the right. It's somewhat surprisingly clean and empty outside of odd patterns all over the walls. Maybe every 20 feet along the walkway on the wall is a florescent light tube and along the entire way there is a railing. The floor was bare concrete and there was a straight drop to the tracks below. Just like walking along the train tracks in the station, but with a somewhat narrow walkway and less lighting.
A girl behind me said "I bet no one was expecting this today!" and another girl in front of me had out her video camera and was recording the whole walk. The walk was stop and go and occasionally I'd look back at the train and try to look ahead. I didn't realize that we were walking uphill until we were almost to the station and when I looked back to the train, it was suspended there shining it's crazy train light-eyes at us. I forgot to look for the little plaques telling you how many feet in either direction to the nearest station, but I think we probably walked between 600-800 feet before we walked down some steps and past a weird metal cage looking area that allowed you to see through to the train on the other side of the tracks and a giant marked area on the wall that said "DANGER DO NOT DRILL HIGH VOLTAGE" with giant yellow lines over it. We then walked up a few more stairs and we were at Hollywood and Highland on a jammed platform.
In all, the trip between Universal City and Hollywood and Highland took about an hour. I know some people were agitated with the delay because they were late, but in all I don't feel like it was a bad experience. In fact, I thought it was fun in some ways and outside of the horrible smell at the beginning (I didn't smell it when we walked through the trains) and a little bit of discomfort when the air was off on the train. I image the experience might have been a little confusing for people that didn't speak English as I only heard English announcements and no one did any sort of translations on the car I was on. Walking along the tunnel was exciting if not a little scary as well. Not that I'd want to do this every day or anything, but I felt reasonably safe throughout the process.
Everyone stood and sat in the train quietly as the driver announced he was going to see if he could repair the train. The air turned off an on as he ran up and down the side of the train along the subway tunnel walkway. When the air was off, the car was oddly quiet. Considering everyone was sitting there silently save for the occasional cough or sneeze and the quiet buzzing of people listening to music that's maybe a little too loud. At one point the guy that made the expression that first alerted me to the situation said "Why can't we go? I thought they said it was a power problem. The air is on."
After about 30 minutes, we got an announcement saying we would evacuate the train and walk to the next station or a cross walk. Although I could sense some people were starting to get anxious, this was suddenly getting more exciting. They gave us some general direction on only opening one door of each car and everyone exiting from the car, one car at a time. As soon as the announcement stopped, one woman got up from her seat and started walking towards the end of the car where I was standing and most everyone else on that end of the car followed.
While standing around trying to figure out what was going on, I noticed a stream of riders walking along the outside of the car. Someone asked what was going on because based on the evacuation announcement, we expected people to walk through the middle of each car to the front car and from there, exit through a single door onto the pathway, however the people walking outside of the car were walking toward the front of the train. People inside of the car I was in stood with their cameras flashing, taking pictures of the stream of people walking by and periodically stopping.
I heard some noise on the end of the train car with the driver area and some metro officers appeared and told us to travel through the middle of the train cars. 2 guys in front of my walked their bikes through, but I wondered how this would have worked with some of the people I've seen in wheelchairs in the past, as there were decent sized gaps between the doors on each car. It was an odd sensation to walk in a line through the middle of each train car (I think we went through 3 cars) while watching people travel along a somewhat dark path in a parallel line on the other side of the train windows.
Finally we got to the front of the train where more metro officers were standing and we had to exit the train and integrate into the line of people traveling on the walkway. Since I had just traveled through the train up until then, I have to admit I felt a little nervous as I stood in the tube shaped tunnel with the 2, maybe 2 1/2 foot wide walkway pressed against the left side and nothing on the right. It's somewhat surprisingly clean and empty outside of odd patterns all over the walls. Maybe every 20 feet along the walkway on the wall is a florescent light tube and along the entire way there is a railing. The floor was bare concrete and there was a straight drop to the tracks below. Just like walking along the train tracks in the station, but with a somewhat narrow walkway and less lighting.
A girl behind me said "I bet no one was expecting this today!" and another girl in front of me had out her video camera and was recording the whole walk. The walk was stop and go and occasionally I'd look back at the train and try to look ahead. I didn't realize that we were walking uphill until we were almost to the station and when I looked back to the train, it was suspended there shining it's crazy train light-eyes at us. I forgot to look for the little plaques telling you how many feet in either direction to the nearest station, but I think we probably walked between 600-800 feet before we walked down some steps and past a weird metal cage looking area that allowed you to see through to the train on the other side of the tracks and a giant marked area on the wall that said "DANGER DO NOT DRILL HIGH VOLTAGE" with giant yellow lines over it. We then walked up a few more stairs and we were at Hollywood and Highland on a jammed platform.
In all, the trip between Universal City and Hollywood and Highland took about an hour. I know some people were agitated with the delay because they were late, but in all I don't feel like it was a bad experience. In fact, I thought it was fun in some ways and outside of the horrible smell at the beginning (I didn't smell it when we walked through the trains) and a little bit of discomfort when the air was off on the train. I image the experience might have been a little confusing for people that didn't speak English as I only heard English announcements and no one did any sort of translations on the car I was on. Walking along the tunnel was exciting if not a little scary as well. Not that I'd want to do this every day or anything, but I felt reasonably safe throughout the process.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Book Review - The Organic Food Shopper's Guide
The Organic Food Shopper's Guide by Jeff Cox, a former editor for Organic Gardening Magazine is a straightforward book that gives one information on the basic components of a healthy organic diet. The book begins by explaining what it means for good to be considered organic. This includes an explanation of the wordings you might see on food labels in the U.S., how pesticides, compost, genetic engineered foods fit in with organics and some information on how grocery stores must handle organics.
The rest of the book is divided into 6 sections on vegetables, fruits, nuts/seeds/grains, herbs & spices, meat/fish/dairy/eggs and kitchen staples. Each has a similar structure in that foods in that category are organics in alphabetical order. Each food has it's own section with information including:
-when the food is in season
-notable varieties of the food
-how to pick out the best/ripe foods
-how to store and prepare the food
-major nutritional highlights
-complimentary foods/flavors
-general information on the food
-the "organic advantage"
-uses
-recipes featuring each ingredient
Some of the information in this book is truly interesting. I had been searching on information about eating wild fennel I see all the time while hiking and this book finally told me what parts were usable. Some of the organic advantages were interesting, but some of the reasons were a little weak and repetitive when reading from the beginning to the end. The end of the book includes a list of resources to buy organic varieties of the food, mostly through the internet.
Even for someone like me that's been visiting the local farmers market for years and cooks nearly every meal at home, there was some new information in this book for me on ingredients I just wasn't sure about. I'd recommend this book for anyone that is just learning to cook at home or becoming more interesting in whole food and organic food cooking. I don't know if I'd read this book from beginning to end, but it's a good reference book. I could see using it as a compliment to discovering new farmers market foods, especially here in California. This book is also a bit refreshing in that you don't feel as if there are hidden motives in this information.
The rest of the book is divided into 6 sections on vegetables, fruits, nuts/seeds/grains, herbs & spices, meat/fish/dairy/eggs and kitchen staples. Each has a similar structure in that foods in that category are organics in alphabetical order. Each food has it's own section with information including:
-when the food is in season
-notable varieties of the food
-how to pick out the best/ripe foods
-how to store and prepare the food
-major nutritional highlights
-complimentary foods/flavors
-general information on the food
-the "organic advantage"
-uses
-recipes featuring each ingredient
Some of the information in this book is truly interesting. I had been searching on information about eating wild fennel I see all the time while hiking and this book finally told me what parts were usable. Some of the organic advantages were interesting, but some of the reasons were a little weak and repetitive when reading from the beginning to the end. The end of the book includes a list of resources to buy organic varieties of the food, mostly through the internet.
Even for someone like me that's been visiting the local farmers market for years and cooks nearly every meal at home, there was some new information in this book for me on ingredients I just wasn't sure about. I'd recommend this book for anyone that is just learning to cook at home or becoming more interesting in whole food and organic food cooking. I don't know if I'd read this book from beginning to end, but it's a good reference book. I could see using it as a compliment to discovering new farmers market foods, especially here in California. This book is also a bit refreshing in that you don't feel as if there are hidden motives in this information.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Happy 4th of July!
SOUTH COAST AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT
PARTICULATE ADVISORY
Valid: Saturday, July 4 and Sunday, July 5, 2009
Air quality is likely to reach unhealthful levels in localized areas throughout the South Coast Air Basin and in the Coachella Valley, starting in the evening of July 4th and continuing through the morning of July 5th. Emissions from fireworks are expected to contribute to elevated concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), which can reach the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups category, or higher, after the evening fireworks displays on Independence Day. The smoke and combustion products from fireworks add to the fine particles already present in the Basin that are primarily caused by motor vehicle emissions, as well as fugitive dust and industrial emissions.
Such is life in Southern California! This morning was beautiful bicycling weather with fewer cars than normal on the road. I didn't even mind when another biker came up next to me and biked with me for a few seconds -- enough time to say hi to one another and then continue on our own ways.
PARTICULATE ADVISORY
Valid: Saturday, July 4 and Sunday, July 5, 2009
Air quality is likely to reach unhealthful levels in localized areas throughout the South Coast Air Basin and in the Coachella Valley, starting in the evening of July 4th and continuing through the morning of July 5th. Emissions from fireworks are expected to contribute to elevated concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), which can reach the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups category, or higher, after the evening fireworks displays on Independence Day. The smoke and combustion products from fireworks add to the fine particles already present in the Basin that are primarily caused by motor vehicle emissions, as well as fugitive dust and industrial emissions.
Such is life in Southern California! This morning was beautiful bicycling weather with fewer cars than normal on the road. I didn't even mind when another biker came up next to me and biked with me for a few seconds -- enough time to say hi to one another and then continue on our own ways.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Valley Bikery
A few weeks ago I ran into a couple of people from the San Fernando Valley based biking group Valley Bikery at the Studio City Farmers Market. The group isn't based out of a specific location yet, but their focus is biking in the San Fernando Valley. They seem particularly interest in reaching out to people that might be new to various aspects of biking as a transportation method. I was super excited to see someone was doing something like this and signed up for their mailing list. I haven't made it to any events, but I am looking forward to it. Some of the things they mentioned are holding beginner or intermediate level bike rides and workshops with basic bicycle maintenance.
On Sunday July 5th and Sunday July 19th from 12pm to 4pm at Lake Balboa (right at the Lake), they are holding clinics on basic bike maintenance. If you don't feel comfortable biking to Lake Balboa from your home or can't fit your bike in your car, Lake Balboa is easily accessible from the Orange Line.
It seems like this group is fairly new, but I am excited about the possibilities!
On Sunday July 5th and Sunday July 19th from 12pm to 4pm at Lake Balboa (right at the Lake), they are holding clinics on basic bike maintenance. If you don't feel comfortable biking to Lake Balboa from your home or can't fit your bike in your car, Lake Balboa is easily accessible from the Orange Line.
It seems like this group is fairly new, but I am excited about the possibilities!
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