south pasadena

So, I kinda love it here.

Got out on my rollerblades this morning and spent an hour plus meandering/zigzagging back and forth through my new neighborhood. It's about time (both that I got back on my skates and that I explored where I live)!

It's a neighborhood of tree forts and front yard soccer fields.  Joggers, dog-walkers and porch swings.

I mean, there were two tree forts on opposite ends of one block! They were empty, of course, being that it's only 8:30 on Saturday morning... and that's when cartoons are on TV.  =)  But really!  I can just imagine epic acorn battles and daring espionage with kids from one fort sending "secret" messages down the block to the enemy (probably by way of a little sister =).

I saw a middle-aged guy in his bath robe, out for a walk with the dog. They crossed someone's lawn and took a seat on a park bench at the edge of the garden (not his - they got up and moved along after a while).  It was fun to think, that's probably their routine.  I think I'd like that.  Minus the bath robe, perhaps. =)

There's a sign I drive past regularly that says South Pas has been one of the Tree City USA cities for 13 years now.  I knew we had a lot of trees down here (haha, I like saying "we"), but I hadn't realized how many until today.  Well, not that I know how many exactly, like a number, but the point is that I was really surprised by how green and shady and cool this area is!  It's really relaxing.  Little streets so populated with big trees that they become tunnels of green.

And unlike so many neighborhoods, no one builds ugly houses here! Okay, maybe there're a few oddball ones, but for the most part people have decent taste.  Lots of craftsman style homes with wide covered porches and healthy gardens.  I found myself wanting to take pictures of everything so I could show you, but a picture only tells so much.

I did take this one.  I feel like it captures something of the way the morning felt.

imagine another petal falling every few seconds

It's picturesque!  That's what it is!  It's the "Father of the Bride" neighborhood.  A picturesque slice of So Cal suburbia that feels friendly, like family, like neighbors talking after work in the evenings, kids playing tag across multiple yards.

Anyway, I like it okay.