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I love the way this sidewalk comes together…and the little twin rooflets accent the front of the house. Funky cool.

Originally uploaded by Living in Monrovia

Spotted this guy outside my front door tonight. He was more than two inches long. Really fantastic. I can’t get over how “tame” moths are…or maybe they are just hyponitized by the porch light.

What is is about the first warm, er, sort of hot (for Monrovia) day that gets people a little panicky? Or a bit cranky, or perhaps, nuts? Two friends of mine both remarked how crazy the drivers out there have been today, the first (dare I say) really warm day we have had. It’s a preview of what is inevitably to come this summer, and I think it gets under our skin more than we’d like.

My friend said people were driving very erratically today, cutting in front of her, braking fast, making illegal turns, suddenly coming out of nowhere. Sounds like panic to me.

I have only lived here for about 5 years, but I already know that there are times when I can be lulled into thinking that maybe all the weather changes will mean that this summer won’t really be hot after all. Then, one day, you step out of doors into an oven, and realize that it’s is a preview of three months of crispy heat that will rattle your calm on the best days.

While I was listening to one friend discuss the crazy drivers today, another friend beeped in and told me that just moments after her aunt was driving home in a brand new Lexus, someone ran a red light and plowed right into her, totalling her new car. Luckily, she wasn’t seriously hurt, just a bit shaken up and startled.

I’m telling you, there’s something in the air.

I’ve been noticing more deer in my neighborhood lately, and spotted these four out while walking my dog. For some reason when I see them am overtaken by a sense of wonder and awe and delight. I want to just stop breathing and bask in the magic that surrounds them. It’s like people that seem them are momentarily overcome by a delicate and fleeting sense of bliss.

The best part is seeing the effect they have on cats: uttter and complete mesmerization. Somewhere in the mad kitty brain they are linking into a remnant of their big cat ancestry, and suddenly the cement under their paws becomes an african savannah, and they hunker down and wait for an opportunity that never really comes, despite their best efforts to calculate all the possibilities.

I’ve been meaning to give a friend of mine, Monrovia resident Charlotte Schamadan, a mention on this blog for some time, and am finally getting around to it. She’s got a gem of a column in the Pasadena Star News, and you can read the latest here. Her writing is friendly, straightforward and always has a local flavor, even if, as in this most recent one, she is writing about getting out-of-town. She knows just about everyone who is anyone in the Monrovia area, so if you run into her, tell her I said, “hi.”

It’s notoriously hard to find good contractors, but I’ve been fairly lucky when it comes to specialists. I had a shower door put in a few days ago by Thrifty Glass Co. in Arcadia, and Bob did a fantastic job. I’d love to hear about anyone you’ve had a good experience with here (or your bad experiences, too!) Oh, and by the way, I’m looking for a good roofer. Anyone know of someone they could recommend?

Home-made is always nicer!

A few of you might wonder why I’ve changed over the site. Well, I got tired of the login issues with Blogger and decided just to host the blog myself. Also, Wordpress has a bit more going for it.

You will now be able to look at posts by category (after I have assigned all 500 plus posts a category), and you can just continue reading at the bottom of the page. Also, photos are larger and you have a dandy new design. With all the new construction going on it seemed more appropriate to replace the grass with concrete. Ha ha.

I won’t bore you with the other goodies that Wordpress offers, but let’s just say that the new Blogger was catching up with what Wordpress already offered. I hope you enjoy the new site, and please feel free to comment as much as you like.

Living in Monrovia is moving from Blogger to Wordpress. You may access the old blog here. Please be patient while the site is converted. I am still tweaking colors and adding links…note that the images are now bit bit larger. YAY!

I just found out that the city has posted a live webcam that allows anyone online to view the construction from the privacy of their own computer. Woo Hoo! It can even pan and tilt. Try it out and enjoy the view of the vast dirt plain! Check out the webcam here.

I suspect that maybe what the really want to do is keep an eye on the place to make sure no pesky teenagers get it in their heads to scale the fence and climb any trees.

Photo courtesy of the City of Monrovia’s website.

Aztec Hotel, Monrovia, originally uploaded by jericl cat.

What happened to the feathered greeters in the Aztec Hotel Lobby? Looks as if I’ll have to stop by again one of these days to see what’s been done.

Nice photo by jerici cat.