A LOVELY DAY...

A beautiful day, yesterday, to celebrate our anniversary. We started out with a morning walk along a part of the Los Angeles River bank we had not previously explored--this time through the area known as "Frogtown," south of Fletcher and the 2 Freeway, where the river branches off improbably into a lively little stream with lush vegetation and river rocks.  Here's the heron we saw, perched on one of them...

Curious, coincidental incidents: we had hoped to stop for coffee along the way and did, indeed, discover the Spoke Cafe--but unfortunately it was closed. Ellie, ever curious, was poking around the building next door, and was greeted by a friendly inhabitant--an architect from the company RCA--with whom we enjoyed a chat about the Frogtown community. Just about to leave, we were called back with the offer of coffee from a group of three colleagues, one of whom we immediately recognized as our next-door neighbor on DeLoz Avenue.  Not content with making us an excellent cup of coffee, they offered breakfast in the form of a granola bar, which kept us going for the rest of our walk.

Back where we had parked our car, Ellie recognized that we had left it directly opposite the studio of our old friend, the artist Michael Todd.  Noticing a shadow behind the big industrial gate, I called out to him--it was indeed Mike--and were invited in for a cup of coffee which, this time, we declined. But we did enjoy our few minutes in the studio of this inventive and multi-talented artist, who works not only with the big sculptural objects for which he is well known, but also with ceramics and, more recently, painting--to which art he has returned after a forty-year break.  Always wonderful to feel the energy of an artist's studio.

Ellie had booked us in for a lunch at Redbird, a new downtown restaurant in the beautifully restored environment of the oldest cathedral in Los Angeles--a light, airy space with huge skylights above, comfortable seating, and a fine menu.  Here we are...

 We enjoyed an excellent, leisurely anniversary lunch, ransomed our car from the parking attendant, and returned home for a rest, and were greeted unexpectedly by our daughter, Sarah, with the gift of a card and flowers.  Then, also unexpectedly, our other neighbor's young son, Mino, knocked on the door with a request to support an activity he's involved with. It was a delight to find him so engaged by the art on our walls--he helped us see it all through new, young eyes.

And finally... a wonderful session of our artist group, with champagne and good conversation lasting until we were all very tired indeed.  Well, I should speak for myself.  I was very tired indeed.  And Ellie, too.  We could not have imagined a better way to spend our anniversary.