Have a Nice Day

Sometimes you have a rotten day. Maybe you get a late start. Then traffic sucks and you get to work (late) and everyone's in a lousy mood. Someone calls with bad news. Your boss isn't speaking to you.

It's not even time for your coffee break and you're already creating a list in your head--a litany of the day's woes to recite to your friend or your spouse as soon as you get the chance at the end of the day. And when that finally comes, you're beaten down.

We all have a right to our litanies. But these are the times when it's wise to count our blessings rather than our troubles. Somebody somewhere has it worse today than I do and that's always going to be true. So I'm sending my thoughts to that person--to those people--and hoping more blessings get added to their lists.

How's your day going?

Door, 4

While you're out enjoying Art Weekend it seems fitting to post another door, especially one that's padlocked, as I'm shut in with a cold.

I'm not feeling sorry for myself. Oh, no no no no no. I'm feeling all benevolent and everything because I'm not going out and spreading my germs among the multitudes, unlike whoever spread this germ to me.

This provocative portal can be found at the Hahamongna Annex north of Oak Grove Park. At least it was there when I visited last spring, and I don't believe anything's been torn down. I hope not. I love rusty old sheds with creaking doors, and I'm feeling a particular affinity with this one today.

I'll get over it and, as I said, I don't feel sorry for myself. John's taking good care of me. And there's something luscious about being forced to rest for a few days. It's an excuse to putter around the house, to write, to read, and to appreciate the days when I feel human. I promise you, those are the norm.

I'll Wear Daffodils in My Crown

daffodils grow along an old fence at the Hahamongna Annex

Monday night I went to my first Pasadena City Council meeting. Because so many of you commented on Monday's post, where I expressed concern for the fate of the Hahamongna Annex, I thought I'd report back.

Everybody won!

That's the gist of it. Everybody got some of what they wanted. Nobody got all of what they wanted. In other words, democracy worked.

With 35 people asking to speak on the Hahamongna issue, Mayor Bogaard asked the public to refrain from speaking if someone before them had already made their point. I'm sorry to say there was an awful (and I do mean awful) lot of repetition. But the mayor, known for being a gentleman, kept the meeting moving and pretty much kept commenters to the time limit. (One of those commenter occasionally comments here--Laurie Barlow. Check out her well thought-out post on the subject at The Greensward: Civitas. She's in my blogroll, by the way.)

I was impressed with the City Council. They listened to the Staff presentation and public comments and asked good questions. There are some very sharp people on the Council. And here's the best part: they included almost all reasonable public requests in the plan.

I know. The mind boggles.

There's still a "bikes only" path in the plan. (For now.) I don't want it. But this isn't about what I want or don't want, this is about what the majority of people want. Democracy worked this time. When the bike path comes up for review, maybe we can try a different governmental system, such as Petrea As Queen.

Something else you should know, by the way: it took from just after 7:30pm to 11:15pm to resolve the Hahamongna issue. Most of the people clapped, got up, put on their coats and bumbled noisily out of the room, not noticing the small group that stayed behind: the City Council. With more items on the agenda, for them the night was young.

Hahamongna Watershed; Theme day: Wood

We interrupt Zen Monday because of an important issue on the City Council agenda tonight. I promise we'll have Zen Tuesday tomorrow. (Hey, maybe I'll find Zen at City Hall!)

Item 6. on the City Council agenda is "Public Hearing: Adoption of the Initial Study and Approval of the Hahamongna Watershed Park Master Plan Addendum for Hahamongna Annex."

If you've followed this blog for more than a day or so you know that to say Hahamongna Watershed Park is close to my heart is an understatement. It's practically my muse.

The plan has benefits, including improved facilities for the Rose Bowl Riders. There will also be a nature center, but if you ask me, introducing nature via a "nature center" is a sure way to teach people that nature is boring. (Oh well. At least the kids get a field trip--that is, if there's any funding for field trips. But that's another post.)

Other parts of the plan are more complicated. I can't explain it because I don't understand it. Apparently there was a road in the original plan. Upon public outcry the road was taken out of the plan and everyone thought things were fine. Nobody wants a road through what is a bit of Eden in the city. But one group, Friends of Hahamongna, fears that the language in the plan is too vague, leaving in the possibility for a road.

I've read this stuff. The language is indeed vague. As I said in last Thursday's post, I wish people would write these documents in English. Whether it means "road" or not, I don't know. I'll have to go to the meeting and listen to what everyone has to say because on this subject I have only questions.

The plan is clear, however, that a large number (some say about 70) of trees will be removed from the park--not necessarily invasive trees, just non-native trees that support wildlife--when we've just lost 250 square miles worth of trees just north of Hahamongna in the Angeles National Forest. (See Altadena Hiker's take on the subject, also Laurie Barlow's post at The Greensward: Civitas.)

That's a long way around to today's City Daily Photo blog theme day, "wood," a lot of which will be chopped down and mulched in the implementation of this shiny plan.

I think we can compromise. If it's really, really necessary to remove those trees I'm sure someone at the meeting can explain why. Then perhaps we can remove them in a few years, once the mountains have regrown some habitat.

John, Boz and I have taken so much pleasure in the open space of Hahamongna. The park belongs to us, just as it belongs to everyone. It does make me nervous that people who don't use it are about to vote on its fate. I hope they've taken the trouble to go there, take a long walk and enjoy the serenity of an hour away from the city's clamor and agitation before they decide to turn it into the more of the same.

The meeting's at 6:30; Item 6 will be heard at 7:30. When I called City Hall I was told citizens are free to skip the first part and come at 7:30. Read the info. Come, speak up, or just be present. City Hall, room S249.

To see what other City Daily Photo bloggers do with today's theme, click here.

Nature's Course

A transient river flows through Hahamongna Watershed Park, charting its own course to carry the recent rainfall from the mountains to the dam. See it while you can. We live in the desert after all.

Tonight the Mayor's State of the City event will be held at LaSalle High School. The event's theme is "Charting a New Course." Mayor Bogaard and his staff choose a different location for his speech every year. Last year--or was it the year before?--it was the Rose Bowl locker room, remember? Wish I hadn't missed that. This year I'll be sure to attend because I did the voice-over for the video presentation and I haven't heard the final edit. Could you miss that? I can't. It's a big event (free), starting at 6:30pm, and all are invited.

Another free event I plan to attend is the upcoming City Council Meeting on Monday, February 1st. The Council will discuss the "Adoption of the Initial Study and Approval of the Hahamongna Watershed Park Master Plan Addendum for the Hahamongna Annex." I've read the addendum and find it difficult to follow (and my degree is in Rhetoric). I dearly wish they'd write these things in English. But because they don't they've got some Hahamongna lovers up in arms wondering if they're trying to pull something. Are they going to put in a road across our precious mid-city wilderness? Are they going to tear out non-invasive, non-native trees using funds that might be better used elsewhere in this economy? (Actually, that part's pretty clear. They are.) And who are "they?"

Frankly, I'm not sure. But I'll go to the meeting and listen. Since I don't understand the plan I'm dependent on others to interpret it for me, and different people have different interpretations. My request of those who wrote the plan would be to please rewrite it in English and make their intentions clear.

The time of the meeting is listed as 6:30pm and the public hearing on the Hahamongna Annex issue is listed as 7:30pm. Many postings say the meeting is at 7:30. I'll try to get to the bottom of this today and let you know what time to show up so you can get a seat. Update: I just called City Hall. The meeting begins at 6:30 but it's okay to enter late. The issue will be heard at 7:30.

Time after time, nature shows us that she will out. She showed us in Haiti just over two weeks ago and undoubtedly she'll show us again and again here at home. Whatever the powers end up doing or not doing to Hahamongna in our lifetime, nature will chart her own course long after we're gone. The decisions we make now must be about how best to flow with her in our lifetime.