man vs. wild

LA has an amazing amount of green space for being the second largest city in the country. Most homes, and a large number of apartment complexes, have lawns or courtyards that are constantly being tended by gardeners, and I've mentioned before my surprise at the number of hiking trails smack dab in the middle of the city (like Runyon Canyon). I really enjoy the outdoor-mindedness of Los Angeles, and how remote areas can be situated so close to busy destinations (last week, Dane & I went for a walk on the secluded beach at Will Roger's State Beach, about a mile and a half north of the Santa Monica Pier).

There's a large orange tree growing in the middle of our courtyard (too bad I don't like oranges). In Chicago, the closest we could get to nature was probably Lincoln Park and the lakeshore--which I LOVED, don't get me wrong! But it's nice to have numerous hiking trails and beaches just a short drive away.

It also doesn't hurt to see so much green when 80% of your facebook friends are complaining about snow. :)

a neighborhood walk with my new friend

I have a new friend. A Canon Powershot SX10 IS, to be exact. I am so, so excited to work on my photography skills with this excellent camera (but I know that I can't be lazy now and put up sub-par photos, blaming them on my point & shoot camera's limitations).

A lot of the plants in my neighborhood look like they belong in Jurassic Park.

Of course, I had to play with the settings and focus of my new friend.

And I had to get some shots of my favorite tree on the block--this spiny fellow:

Shall I end with a quintessential Southern California picture? I think I shall.