Monday, July 31, 2006
What I love about San Diego
Recently, members of the foundation that subsidized my internship asked me what I most enjoyed about San Diego. It is a good question. And I believe that expressing appreciation only brings more things to appreciate into the horizon.
I have enjoyed San Diego. Not just because it is so very different from my native New York and Connecticut, it is that, but that is not what makes San Diego enjoyable for me. I enjoy San Diego for the variety that is here. I had a stereotypical image of San Diego that every day is the same here, year round perpetual summer. This is simply not true. I have discovered that there are distinct seasons here as well. It is not temperature that defines the seasons but the life that grows here that defines it. The flowers that bloom in spring are vastly different than those that bloom in summer, fall, and winter. The colors that burst onto the scene in spring are yellows and lavenders. Summer has the full array of flowers, the pink, blue, orange, reds, and violets seem to abound everywhere. Fall has a different set of colors and winter, the reds of the poinsetia's towering over 6 feet tall are simply amazing. I love seeing colors everywhere. It gives me a sense of vitality and well-being.
Then there are the butterflies here. Those who know ProtectedPeace know that I have an affinity for Monarchs. I always have loved them since my childhood. Well to see them fly around is always a joy. And here are also the Mourning Cloak, with dark brown wings with midnight blue eyes and pale yellow borders ... I have only seen a few of them in New England but here they seem to teem in abundance. I love seeing all the various kinds of butterflies here. They seem to have an understanding of life that we humans seem to forget that life is meant to be enjoyable.
I really enjoy Balboa Park. The Unitarian woman who had the foresight to bring in trees and flowers from all over to this strip of land, I am very grateful to her. She must have known that future generations would flock to Balboa Park and marvel at the various blooming trees and foilage that they offer. It truly is a wonderful park. I enjoy walking it with my Frontrunners and Walkers group. Always something new happening there, always something blooming in the Rose garden, in the cactus garden, amazing canyons with trails. It is wonderful and I for one and grateful that I have been able to enjoy this park.
Yesterday, I took my friend from LA to Sunset Cliffs Boulevard. This street runs along the pacific ocean in Ocean Beach. It is another favorite spot for me. The cliffs drop into the ocean. You can see Mexico in the south. There are pelicans that fly in formation over head, you hear the crash of the ocean against the cliffs. And far out in the distance you can see surfers riding the waves into shore. There is one spot where there are stairs going down to the ocean, where many surfers use as their launching spot. Yesterday it was high tide so the ocean met the stairs. THe cliffs had iceplants cascading down in thick waterfall like flow. I fell in love with the place when I was here for my interview in February of 2005 and the Iceplants were ablaze in purple and green. What a beautiful sight. If Solomon had lived here, he would have described his beloved's hair in Song of Solomon as iceplant cascading on the cliffs instead of goats on distant the hill.
I love the hummingbirds here. These small birds are everywhere darting in and out, hovering in one spot then zoom someplace else. I had no idea that they had a voice that is unique. It is a raspy sound. I love their feathers that shimmer all sorts of colors. There are also the parrots. These birds are not native but were like the Monk parrots in Hyde Park, Chicago, escapees. I appreciate their freedom. And their occasional visit to my window view.
I appreciate the longer days and the sunshine in the winter months. I had no idea how much the winters in Connecticut and Illinois affected me until my year here in San Diego. John Denver knew my heart when he wrote " Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy... " It truly does.
I love San Diego. I love the 20 foot tall umbrella tree outside my living room window. I love watching the barren trunk push forth new branches since my arrival here. It makes me long for my houseplant umbrella tree that I have given over in care to a friend back in Chicago. Soon, very soon, it will be back home with me in Chicago.
I love the bouganvillia (spelling?) growing over my neighbors roof that I can see from my bedroom window. It is the most lovely magenta I have ever seen. And the palm tree, also outside my bedroom window. I love watching it sway in the breeze.
Well I have more things to appreciate about San Diego but I will stop here for now. Blessings abound, ProtectedPeace
I have enjoyed San Diego. Not just because it is so very different from my native New York and Connecticut, it is that, but that is not what makes San Diego enjoyable for me. I enjoy San Diego for the variety that is here. I had a stereotypical image of San Diego that every day is the same here, year round perpetual summer. This is simply not true. I have discovered that there are distinct seasons here as well. It is not temperature that defines the seasons but the life that grows here that defines it. The flowers that bloom in spring are vastly different than those that bloom in summer, fall, and winter. The colors that burst onto the scene in spring are yellows and lavenders. Summer has the full array of flowers, the pink, blue, orange, reds, and violets seem to abound everywhere. Fall has a different set of colors and winter, the reds of the poinsetia's towering over 6 feet tall are simply amazing. I love seeing colors everywhere. It gives me a sense of vitality and well-being.
Then there are the butterflies here. Those who know ProtectedPeace know that I have an affinity for Monarchs. I always have loved them since my childhood. Well to see them fly around is always a joy. And here are also the Mourning Cloak, with dark brown wings with midnight blue eyes and pale yellow borders ... I have only seen a few of them in New England but here they seem to teem in abundance. I love seeing all the various kinds of butterflies here. They seem to have an understanding of life that we humans seem to forget that life is meant to be enjoyable.
I really enjoy Balboa Park. The Unitarian woman who had the foresight to bring in trees and flowers from all over to this strip of land, I am very grateful to her. She must have known that future generations would flock to Balboa Park and marvel at the various blooming trees and foilage that they offer. It truly is a wonderful park. I enjoy walking it with my Frontrunners and Walkers group. Always something new happening there, always something blooming in the Rose garden, in the cactus garden, amazing canyons with trails. It is wonderful and I for one and grateful that I have been able to enjoy this park.
Yesterday, I took my friend from LA to Sunset Cliffs Boulevard. This street runs along the pacific ocean in Ocean Beach. It is another favorite spot for me. The cliffs drop into the ocean. You can see Mexico in the south. There are pelicans that fly in formation over head, you hear the crash of the ocean against the cliffs. And far out in the distance you can see surfers riding the waves into shore. There is one spot where there are stairs going down to the ocean, where many surfers use as their launching spot. Yesterday it was high tide so the ocean met the stairs. THe cliffs had iceplants cascading down in thick waterfall like flow. I fell in love with the place when I was here for my interview in February of 2005 and the Iceplants were ablaze in purple and green. What a beautiful sight. If Solomon had lived here, he would have described his beloved's hair in Song of Solomon as iceplant cascading on the cliffs instead of goats on distant the hill.
I love the hummingbirds here. These small birds are everywhere darting in and out, hovering in one spot then zoom someplace else. I had no idea that they had a voice that is unique. It is a raspy sound. I love their feathers that shimmer all sorts of colors. There are also the parrots. These birds are not native but were like the Monk parrots in Hyde Park, Chicago, escapees. I appreciate their freedom. And their occasional visit to my window view.
I appreciate the longer days and the sunshine in the winter months. I had no idea how much the winters in Connecticut and Illinois affected me until my year here in San Diego. John Denver knew my heart when he wrote " Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy... " It truly does.
I love San Diego. I love the 20 foot tall umbrella tree outside my living room window. I love watching the barren trunk push forth new branches since my arrival here. It makes me long for my houseplant umbrella tree that I have given over in care to a friend back in Chicago. Soon, very soon, it will be back home with me in Chicago.
I love the bouganvillia (spelling?) growing over my neighbors roof that I can see from my bedroom window. It is the most lovely magenta I have ever seen. And the palm tree, also outside my bedroom window. I love watching it sway in the breeze.
Well I have more things to appreciate about San Diego but I will stop here for now. Blessings abound, ProtectedPeace
# posted by ProtectedPeace @ 9:17 AM 
