It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood. . .

Alexandria is a short avenue, but interesting, with lots of great architecture

A rare Southern California rain washed the streets of our Normandie neighborhood last night, setting up Stan and Birdie for their morning explorations. First up was a walk down adjacent Alexandria Avenue, giving some hometown nostalgia to Stan in name only, because there is nothing on this avenue that looks like Alexandria, Minnesota in January.

Hillside mansion across the street from us.
(We haven't been invited over yet.)

Our rental clings to the hillside below the famed Griffith Observatory. Walking north we get various views of it, framed by houses and palms.
Looking over the shoulder, we see downtown LA, shrouded this morning in a velvety wet fog.
The neighbor's bougainvillea takes center stage with its brilliant reds; further on, Birdie, with her more grounded viewpoint, is distracted by the massive roots bulging along the boulevards of this urban forest. Most species we admire are not native, but are doing very well nevertheless, thank you.

The bane of city engineers.
Click to enlarge and see our
concerned sidewalk inspector.

We chat it up briefly with Roger and Stephanie from Michigan, a friendly newly-retired couple staying in our tri-plex.  He shows Stan where they live, using his upraised palm as a map, as Michiganders are wont to do. They're now on their way to Starbucks. They have a 33-year-old son in Burbank and are here for a couple of weeks. We promise to talk more later.
We watch a driver attempt to back a mini-van down an impossibly tight driveway. His wife and child coach from the front, his parents offer guidance from the rear. She says to the unfortunate driver: "Are you yelling? There's no reason to yell." Though we empathetically disagree, we just smile and walk on.
Like a pebble rippling a pond, our morning walks take us ever wider into this strange land; it's a comfort to know that our home base has a foot on Alexandria Avenue soil.

 Griffith Observatory
View from Normandie Avenue.