Monthly Archives: May 2005

I will be posting pictures of my garden here from time to time, and I can tell you that soil quality matters. I have put fish heads, bat guano, coffee grounds, vegetable cooking water, banana peels, and more into the soil around my plants, and the results are astounding. Of course, if you stick a fresh banana peel in the ground, likely you will have to wait a few months for it to break down and have access to the nutrients.

I suppose it would be prudent to create some actual compost. Anyone interested in recycling their leftovers for a fabulous garden should attend a special city-sponsored composting workshop coming up this weekend. It will be held (rain or shine) on Saturday, June 4th from 10 a.m. to noon in the Library Park. Learn more about Smart Gardening here.

All over Monrovia you can see these hidden gems. More than likely you will find them on streets with president’s names, but keep a look-out and you will start to see jigsawed details everywhere. I wish the McMansions in the hills were half as nice…

In the background of this picture, you can see that their gazebo is equally ornate. The garage is, as well. It’s really incredible. Don’t you just love the sun detail above the top window? Wow.

People smile in this town. They give you directions. They eat ice cream.

My first dinner here was more than one year ago. I sat near the window of the Tidal Wave restaurant, and watched passers-by on the sidewalk.

“It’s like Pleasantville here,” I told my dinner companion. “Look, there are actually people holding hands, kids, oldsters, and everyone looks sort of content.” We both stared in silence, bemused.

Having spent a great deal of time on the West Side, Downtown, and Hollywood, I was used to an entirely different vibe. It made me want to shift in my seat. I was in Los Angeles, but it felt like a small town. It even had a higher cute factor than Pasadena, and that’s no small feat, given its popularity.

I decided to stay.