Japanese Garden in CSULB

When I was a kid, I’d often tag along as my father would drop my sister off at university.  One day he noticed there was a Japanese Garden, and decided to check it out.  I didn’t really remember much of it, I only remember the bridge and that it was pretty.  I do remember that we had finished pretty quickly, and going back there I realized how small it is.  Pretty surprising given how much open space there is around the garden.  What else is surprising is that there are no names near the plants, and I really hate not knowing the names.  They do realize the garden is within the university, and hence a little bit of free knowledge for the passerby would be nice, right? Second gripe is the lack of cherry blossom trees.  Maybe they’re tired of Japanese Gardens and cherry blossom trees being synonymous, but I’m not tired of it…yet.  Third gripe…ok, nah, there is no third gripe.  😉

I did have a good time though.  The day was bright, the flowers were pretty, the koi were lively.  There was this cute little girl in a red kimono, and I really wanted to take her picture but felt way too nervous asking the parents if I could take a picture.  The memory is in my head at least. 🙂

This was a lucky shot in the parking lot. Lucky because the battery was depleted and I almost didn't get it.

 

Victoria Beach: Searching For The Treasure

So we walked down the steep pathways and loads of stairs, and lo and behold the beach is in sight.  We get to the water, and look around.  Wait.  This is Victoria Beach, right?  So, um, where’s the tower?  Ok, oh well, some other time we’ll get it, for now let’s just enjoy the water.  Nah, instead my sister ever so persistently decides to trek through the rocky path, and then comes back to triumphantly tell me she found it.  So I nervously follow…  I just realized she had to make that trek twice just cuz she had to come back to get me.  Oops.  Sorry sis.

Victoria Beach: Gettin’ There

We decided to go down a different route from the PCH, and it ended up being a path that felt very un-Orange County, which was cool.

 

Well, well, a bit steep. Why did I wear my boots?

I'm a lil crazy daizy.

Go down the stairs, then there's a flat pathway that's slightly steep and slightly sandy. Oh yay? #SlightlyScaredForTheCamerasLife

Seal Beach Pier: The End

It irks me that the trash can at the back had to be there. But I'll get another chance with another iron bench on another day. Maybe.

It's facing the wrong way. Does that mean the water is staring at me? *gasp*

The lifeguard tower. Of course. I had to.

Ahh, California Washintonian Palm Trees, prettier in picture sometimes than they are in person.

Corona del Mar: Living on the Edge

 

Alone in the Park

My sister was going to class, and I had a bright idea.  The park is pretty close, so I figured while she was patiently suffering a monotonous lecture, I’d have fun snapping some pictures.  It was 9am, and I walked around for maybe 20 minutes before I decided I didn’t really like being alone.  So I went in the library, sat down to check up on some gluten-free books, and an hour later headed back out when there were mothers walking with their kids, and a lotof dog owners with their dogs.  But as long mothers are around, things feel quite a bit safer. Yay.

T’was a good thing indeed that I headed back out when I did, for if I hadn’t I would have missed that cute, furry little squirrel.  I got pretty lucky.  I saw the lil guy munching away on whatever it is that they eat, and I inched closer, and closer, and closerr, and he stops to stare into my eyes very suspiciously.  I stop and stand still, and he goes back to munching happily.  Good to know there are creatures out that don’t perceive me as a threat.  Squirrels are smarter than some humans.

Trekking into New Land

This time around I went to take more pictures of the pretty pink flowers, since last time around they were mostly wilting.  I peered through the gate and noticed there was a tree with pink blossoms on the other side in the other neighborhood.  I assumed it was cherry blossoms or something like that.  I got closer the flowers looked so amazingly awesome.  Not what I was expecting at all.

Takin a Stroll

I don’t typically go for walk in our neighborhood much.  I didn’t even intend to go for a walk.  I went to take a few pictures of a bare tree in the middle of our street, when I saw a pink flower pop out.  So then I was like, hmmm, I wonder if there are any other flowers to be found around here!  Sure enough there were a few others.  I particularly love the white with yellow and purple flower, it has just a hint of color.

Already the 2nd Night Moon