…but it says a lot about living in LA. To the right of the small house is an apartment block. Probably as LA prices go, they might be quite cheap to rent. I'm not sure quite how old the small house in the centre might be but if it's pre 1926 then it would have been built before Freeway 101 was built. The small road to the left of the house is an entrance to Freeway 101 that cuts through this area. That is around ten lanes of moving traffic. In front of the house is Laurel Canyon Boulevard, which is a busy road of around eight lanes of traffic. Can you see where I'm going here?
I walked past this the other day on my way to a small art supplies shop. Crossing these roads must be done at a traffic light, so there's every chance that to get from one side of the road to the other by a distance considerably more than the actual distance. You can naturally not cross a freeway. When the little white man signal comes on you can cross safely, but it then starts to countdown on the signal telling you how many seconds you have left to get across, before eight lanes of traffic is free to go. Jaywalking, walking across a road at a place you choose instead of a light is I think, an arrestable offence. It would also be on these roads very dangerous.
I've often wondered at how people come to live on the Cromwell Road in London which has the constant traffic of the A4/M4, but this house is almost surrounded by road. I suspect that the people in these apartments and the small house did not choose to live there, they must have been forced by circumstances to be there. In addition in LA, freeway entrances and bridges attract homeless people in tents and other home made shelters, it's a bit grim. On this trip and at this location there was just one tent under the freeway bridge, and there seemed to be a slight improvement in the visibility of the homeless from a year ago, when it seemed almost every freeway entrance was dotted with tents and old shopping trollies. The problem has not gone away I think, just been moved elsewhere.
In a place where some people pay 22 dollars for a vegan soup, you'd think they would be able to afford to do something. Perhaps they are and have plans.
On the plus side I have many positive thoughts about the City. People are positive and friendly and tremendously welcoming. There's a distinct lack of cynicism. Physically there's an almost crystal clear light that illuminates the place. They seem able to grow the biggest vegetables in the world. Their food is imaginative and in most cases very tasty. Service in eateries is pleasant and relaxed.
Home sweet home for someone….
So we are home now. Our LA family gave us the very best time and just like last year at the same time, we had unbroken sunshine. Apparently it is raining today, but I don't believe it will amount to much. As witnessed by all the blogs I've posted in the past weeks my camera needs time to cool down a little and my typing fingers need a rest from over stimulation. So I'm going to take a break from posting for a while.
I have friends to see in person and bore with my wittering. I bet they can't wait. Drawings to do, projects to look at and a book that has recently done 10 k miles without a page being opened, to read. It rested in my suitcase which on getting home had been inspected by " The US Authorities " which is disconcerting, but they packed it back exactly as they found it. I wonder what they thought of my unwashed boxers? Seditious? How did they know my cunningly conceived pass number lock.
"Y'all come back now! Y'hear?"
Toodaloo.
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