What would I do if money were no object? I’ve known a few people in that position, and the answers vary quite a bit. Most want some basic things like a cozy place to live and some toys: cars, boats, antiques, innovations, and for some like me also planes. I’d like to have a hangar at SBA with a “tricked out” Tripp, and a cozy 2 bedroom place with lap pool and a view. Many want to help others and make a positive difference in the world. We get to see indications of the answers people come up with by flying over neighborhoods. Some are in expensive areas like this Beverly Glen area next to Stone Canyon Reservoir.
0595 Stone Canyon Res
When I look at scenes like this, sometimes the notion of permanence comes to mind. I believe everything in life is transitory, and the only constant is Change. So even if I had the money to buy a mansion or estate somewhere, there would always be the chance of unexpected change. Living beneath a dam seems to increase the chance. Economic considerations are omnipresent for everyone, and one nearby manse seems to represent that variety of change.
0597 Paradise Paused
This owner seems to have stopped work on the back yard. Maybe the economic change we encountered in 2008 brought a sudden halt to the yard work. Looks to me like there was to be a jacuzzi adjoining a lap pool with a spectacular view. Here’s a wide shot (with arrow pointing at the manse) for a sense of what that view is like.
0598 Terrain Talk
The reservoir, the hills, downtown L.A., at least part of Santa Monica, and probably also a slice of coastline on nice days. Great view. Another thing I see relates back the the notion of permanence. This neighborhood seems to me subject to flood, landslide, wild fire. To my eye, the possibility of earthquake may be relevant too. Those long ridges and furrows extending toward Santa Monica look very much like the terrain we see when flying along the San Andreas Fault.
This all brings to mind the way I hope to respond to Change. May the permanence of Love steadily bubble to the surface of a serene awareness, providing an anchor for weathering Change and a source of endless joy in difficult times.
John & Anne Wiley 
John, I am going to leave a comment on a second post i regard to your Parks in the edhat. I sent it out to many friends.
L
Comment by Marie Mancilla — 2012/03/14 @ 22:33
When we first moved to Santa Barbara, we had a condo apartment one block away from these parks. I cannot tell if the photos are flipped flopped or not, as I cannot get my bearings on it.
OK, I got it now.
The two on the left are the original parks as I noticed the large church across the street. When I moved there in March of 66 there were just trees, grass, a few tables and picnic benches on the lower left one. Young mothers would bring their babes and kids to run and play. Now the City has installed a very nice playyard, probably provided by the local civic groups.
The one on the Bottom right was still the old Miramonte Hotel , really guest cottages . The main building and surrounding walls were of the yellow stones. There were two giant Lions at the entrance. They may still be there. When Alice Keck Park died she bequeathed the place to the City to maintain as a park. She may have left the money for demolishing and some maintenance. The start of the work was in January of 1967.
We had moved to our permanent home by then, but went back to see what we could get as mementos of the old prestigious hotel. We got two large door mirrors
and a few pieces of white marble that were in the entries to the bathrooms. Giveaway prices , but not free.
Our place was on Micheltorena, the street between the lower two parks, but
our complex is at the very bottom left. That was where Scott was born. Up the hill two blocks was the St. Francis Hospital and we moved there to be close to the facility but the shut down the maternity soon after.
Later we came upon an old booklet with the history of the Miramonte. Very interesting.
So now it is the Alice Keck Park Memorial Gardens.
Hope you enjoy my memories.. Marie
Comment by Marie Mancilla — 2012/03/14 @ 22:35
I made a memory mistake. It was the old El Mirasol
Comment by Marie Mancilla — 2012/03/14 @ 23:01