A Summer Day in Southern California
"It was June, and the world smelled of roses. The sunshine was like powdered gold over the grassy hillside." — Maud Hart Lovelace
Spring was spent traveling, so I missed the early bloom after the rainy winter that we had here in Southern California. I returned to a season of gloom, overcast skies, cold blustery days, I shivered, remembering and longing for the familiar Southern California sunshine.
Finally, the gloom has given way to sunny days, temperatures soaring into the familiar eighties motivating wandering Veena to shake off the gloom and head to one of her favorite places near her home.
I might have missed the wild poppies covering the hillsides but roses though somewhat overblown are still blooming in the Rose Garden and the gardens are awash in the colors and scents of Summer.
Pinch! Am I truly back home in Southern California and not wandering some exotic place in Europe?
The color spread and beautiful feature in the local news had people flocking to the garden even in the middle of the week. For the first time in all the years that I have been coming here I had to park in a pathway far from the normal parking area. Lo and behold I discovered this gate with its intriguing possibilities and hidden pathway beckoning me on a voyage of discovery.
Paths lined with shady trees interspersed with a burst of beautiful color urged me to walk on and look around the corner to see the next new and shiny that I could discover.
Summer flowers were blooming with butterflies sipping nectar though nary a butterfly could I catch with my camera.
Neptune, God of the sea and water holding his trident as though blessing or perhaps enjoying the perfumed air.
The tearoom was open though I was not lucky enough to score a reservation or even catch a cancellation. Yes! I tried. So, I contented myself with wandering through the rose garden enjoying the color and variety of all that was in bloom.
A sea of color greeted me as I walked along.
A visit to the Huntington for me is always incomplete without a peek into the Chinese Garden. There’s always something new to see and admire.
Here too the lotus flowers were in bloom and people were walking around enjoying the Wednesday live music and the overall ambiance.
I stopped to absorb the tranquility and beauty of this scene that seemed to be something from another world. Who says one has to get on an airplane and travel hundreds of thousands of miles to find beauty and adventure.
Summer is a time for concerts in the local parks and live music at the Huntington Chinese Garden. Definitely worth taking the time to enjoy both.
The winged messenger Mercury looks ready to fly on his next mission even as it’s time for Wandering Veena to bid goodbye to this most perfect summer afternoon and head home.