Wife and I recently spent some time out in Los Angeles. While wife worked, I was on fall break from teaching, and got to explore. I can’t say that I’m a fan of LA. Too much traffic, not enough parking. And, we were there when it was hot. Not just typically California warm and sunny, but Indiana summer hot and muggy.
I was supposed to scout out good locations to eat, and play chauffeur for her on her daily 45-minute commute. In-between drop off and pick up, my time was my own. Despite the hot muggies – not quite New York City cling to you like a psychopathic ex-girfriend muggy, but more the annoying, got to flap your shirt when sitting to get a little airflow under the pits mugginess – I found it enjoyable to spend some time exploring the area while my wife had her business meetings, and managed things for her job.
We were near Culver City, a fresh looking town on LA’s south-west edge. It’s not quite close enough to the ocean to have gorgeous views, but it does have Sony Pictures Studio, and some good shopping and restaurants.
We had a rental car – a grey Hyundai California eco-boost car. It’s pick-up was almost non-existent, always waiting a few beats after I pressed the accelerator down farther, when I wanted to zip around a slower car. The Hyundai had a way of pausing, then oh, you want to go… faster? Now? Are you sure? Ok, I’ll give it some more oomphff!
I googled “Parks, Culver City” and saw the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook State Park right next to Culver City’s main park and thought that one looked good. I wasn’t sure what I’d find, but the term “overlook” told me I’d probably do more photography than sitting under a shade tree. Once I hit the bottom of my beverage, and had the laptop and assorted devices packed, I headed out to try to coax the Hyundai into making the trip. The slow part of the city drive it did it’s normal sightseeing speed… just fast enough to avoid meeting a friendly Culver City Officer and his ticket book.
The area was definitely hilly by the time the Hyundai and I made it out to the Culver City Park. I glanced over at the small concrete waves that made up the skate park along the front edge of the city park, then at the traditional ball diamond behind the skate park. The drive up into the park was steep, but seemed short. The Hyundai might complain, but it would make it up that. I, however, kept going. A block or so farther down was the overlook park entrance. I wanted to start there.
I turned in at the stop light, and immediately wondered if I’d made the correct choice. That hill was steep. Not just regular Indiana steep, but STEEEEEEP. And curvy. I pushed the accelerator down to get the Hyundai awake. After the climbing the first hill, the engine kicked in enough that it seemed to say, Hey! Let’s DO THIS!
I backed off the pedal a bit, and the engine dropped back into it’s slow rhythm. I pushed the accelerator down again. Let’s GO! The engine surged. The speed limit sign at the first curve read 15 mph. The Hyundai kept arguing with me. It wanted to climb the hill at about 25 mph. I didn’t want a ticket from whatever ranger was stationed half-way up the climb out of site.
Eventually the car and I settled into an understanding… like an old married couple where one spouse pokes the other to get a reaction, then settles down with an expression of “I didn’t do anything…” I poked the accelerator, the car got the oomphff! to climb, it hit 20 mph, I backed off the accelerator, it dropped back down to struggle speed… I poked it again…
Despite our differences, the grey ghost of a car and I made it up the mile long climb (probably shorter, but it seemed longer, so I’ll go with a round mile) to the top of the hill. The sign said it was $6 to park. I parked and wandered over to the honor box. Cash in the little envelope, tear the tab off and put it on your dash.
I grabbed the camera, and headed off on the path. I kept an eye out for things that slithered. They and I don’t get along. I’d rather spend all day arguing with the Hyundai, than find a creepy slithering thing. Fortunately, the heat meant the cold-blooded hissers would probably be hiding in the shade. I stayed in the middle of the paths I walked and kept my eyes on the ground.
Eventually I came to the overlook patio. My first glance over the dry brown scrub and small tumble weeds that grew on the top of the small mountain showed me a gorgeous view looking. As well as a thin, bald gent, clad in dark shorts, doing a long hand-stand below me on the patio.
I took the curving path down the the crescent shaped concrete patio poured just below the top of this short mountain. Once there I saw a few other folks. One girl lay on the concrete retaining wall that also served as a bench along the back of the crescent. A few backpacks, one with a small chow type purse-dog poking it’s fluffy head out of the aqua-colored nylon, sat next to several people tossing balls back and forth. I wondered if I was in a circus tryout, or at least a Penn Jillette Juggling Fan Club meeting.
Two gents, mid-twenties perhaps stood facing each other. One wore tan shorts with a blue T-shirt. the other wore blue shorts with a camo tank top. Camo guy had a bandana wrapped around his head, covering his scalp. His beard was reddish. Tan shorts guy, had no head wear, but did have on dark sunglasses. His beard was more sun-bleached brown. The other corner of their trio, sitting next to the dog, was a girl in a fuschia-pink tank top, cut-off denim shorts, and black sneakers with aqua laces. The laces matched the color of the purse-dog’s backpack.
The guys were facing each other, each trying to keep three of the squishy, leather balls – about the size of a baseball, with two white pieces of leather interspersed with another color of leather (dark green, red and blue) – moving in front of them. The got their individual circles going well. Shades guy would toss a ball into camo-guy’s orbit, and he’d toss one back. That’s when the throws and catches got out of sync. Down went a squishy ball. Jugglers like squishy (like a bean bag) bags for that reason. Chasing an errant ball down the mile long hill-side, then climbing back up wouldn’t be fun.
I try to show my students that there are stories everywhere, you just have to look. In this case, I just had to ask. When Shades-guy stepped out for a break, and motioned the girl to step in, I introduced myself and asked if they’d mind if I photographed them. No problems. Go right ahead.
The girl, and camo-guy tried a side-by-side two person exchange. They did better than I could have. But, it only takes one off-target throw.
They even handed me several of the squishy juggling balls. I gave them a few tosses. Left, right toss, toss, catch, toss, catch, toss… drop!
After a few minutes of chatting, of tossing and dropping squishy balls, and even taking a photo of purse dog, I bid them farewell. Down the hill was a small amphitheater. I had spied a couple of gents putting on pads and fighting gloves. Another story awaited me.
