Today was an off day for me. Well, relatively speaking, I work every day, including the weekends, and I try to block off a few hours at a time to prepare materials for classes, to grade, to prepare things for the department, and of course, to worry, worry, worry. But today was not a Zoom day for me.
I've been wanting to return to the Huntington Library for some time. I went twice last year, and each time it was a mesmerizing experience for me. The opulence of the place, the variety, the elegance, it entrances almost every visitor, although I must admit that, yes, these are not natural landscapes, and it is elitist in orientation. After all, you are talking about very wealthy businessmen, in this case a Huntington, who left a stamp throughout the entire southland, with communities here and there named after him, from Huntington Beach to Huntington Park. The big, prized legacy was this museum and this garden, and it is lavishly cared for, arranged and expanded. The expansion is taking place even now, as I saw while wandering through the desert landscape (with an area blocked off for future arrangements) and the Chinese garden.
So, I was at home, debating whether or not to go today. I really wanted to go, but I feel guilty if I leave my mother at home. She never goes anywhere, and she helps so much with the kids, but I was selfish, I couldn't take the kids, and I don't want to risk taking my mom to a place with as many visitors as this one. We cannot risk it in the year of the pandemic.
I decided to go, and I bought my $25 ticket and left. It was for 11:30 a.m., but I arrived a little early. You drive to Pasadena and exit on Allen Street, and it is a straight drive through modest but incredibly expensive houses. Yes, I know, it sounds like an oxymoron, but these houses are nice, but not mansions, but this being California, they must sell for between one and two million dollars each.
This time, I decided, I will not join the stampede to the Chinese and Japanese Gardens. I will hit the statues first, then do down and look for roses, then head to the desert garden. If I have time I will go to the Asian gardens, if not, I will count if a very pleasurable visit as it is. I set a goal for myself: two hours. My feet have been hurting when I walk more than an hour and a half at the Hidden Valley Nature Reserve, so I said, two hours, and if I have energy, I will stay, otherwise, I will get a head start from the miserable mid-week traffic and go home early.
Well, I did as I planned, but it was crowded today! Much more than has been the case in the past. Maybe it is because Los Angeles county as gotten over the peak of the Covid crisis that hit in December, and maybe, they all wanted to escape. Tons of moms with strollers, this is maternity heaven. They are looking for something "educational" and "enriching" for their kids, even though it is hard for me to see what might attract the young ones to these gardens. It is a bit of exercise for the moms, though, pushing a stroller around those trails is a workout.
I photographed a few statues, and went off and explored. I was using my DSLR today, my Nikon D750, but after awhile, I grew tired of snapping away. After visiting the ponds I put it away and stuck to my cellphone and my Fuji GW690.
Here are a few cellphone photos. I will upload in batches, I think I must have taken several hundred. And yes, I made it beyond two hours! I was able to stay for four hours, and at the end, I made a quick visit to the Chinese Garden.
No comments:
Post a Comment