Our Lady of Sorrows
by Pasadena Adjacent
It’s been a time of intense debate marked by deadlines and heat waves. All roads headed south towards water are choked. All roads north have been staked out by MetroScheme as potential freeways. And streams are dry (Arroyo Seco). After the second power outage, this editor, in a fit of despair, headed east to the closest water source she knows, “be it ever so ersatz, theres no place like home.” Those refuges of the wilder-nanity, suburb-anity interface, Bambi and Wiley, agree.
As for keeping it “real” please consider signing the Save Hahamongna Petition
Update: Thumbs up to the Los Angeles City Council for its unanimous vote to oppose ALL of Metro’s proposed 710 extension highway and tunnel routes. A historical moment. The editor was there.
*[Difficulty withVimeo? TRY THIS]
Pasadena Adjacent 
Our Editor responds: Despite being a third generation Angeleno, the editor has no friends who own pools. She finds this wrong.
The stream is a fake “ersatz”
http://www.passionist.org/materdolorosa/welcome/missionhistory
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That’s a beautiful video. It’d be appropriate if the statue carrying the cross was St. Francis, wouldn’t it? It’s been a while since I saw deer in the actual forest, they seem to prefer gardens and ersatz streams, don’t they? I haven’t been to Mater Dolorosa for years, so I didn’t know about the bubbling stream. is it still OK just to walk around there?
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Our Editor Responds: Thank you. Re; St Francis – how do you know it’s not? This garden is a recent addition. Every time we visit the monastery, I tell Mr V that he ought to build me a pergola just like that one. And every time he ignores me.
Btw: concerning the 710 extension, you’ve been rather quiet on that front. Did you even know about it? That bitch showed up out of the blue. Although the fight continues, I was paralyzed with fear. Blogging really helped alleviate the terror and gave me back a sense of power.
UPDATE Not St Christopher *The Holy Founder, St. Paul of the Cross
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Does “fake ‘ersatz'” mean it’s real and natural? :) I’m sorry if the stream fake because I was going to rhapsodize about it. Now I’m just another plastic American . . . . Lie to me, dammit!
My other thought is an old one for me–you’ve gotta hand it to Catholicism for building and preserving a lot of beautiful structures. Of course, that doesn’t excuse the Church from all its . . . excesses, but at least humanity got some beautiful things in exchange for the bad stuff. (I’m not Catholic, never was).
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Our Editor Responds: I fear I’m going to disappoint you on all sides. First off “Ersatz” – German – (a replacement). I could have used simulacrum, but that would have been a tad pretentious.
Actually, in the case of the monastery, they did tear down the oldest structure. It was damaged in the Whittier earthquake. We were so angry that the cash heavy Catholic church (pre-molestations) couldn’t be bothered with repairing the church. They replaced it with a semi cheesy garden. They later added this upper tier garden with ersatz water feature, pergola and native plants. This I think is lovely; as is the rest of the grounds.
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That was very refreshing.
Ditto what Banjo said about the stream and the Catholics.
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Our Editor Responds: Yes, and as we well know, western civilization is indebted to the role monks played in transcribing art, science, law, history etc. Thirty-five craters on the moon are named after Jesuit scientists and mathematicians.
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Wonderful that you got to commune with the coyote and deer. That’s a lovely spot. I used to bring Tommy there before I had a yard and was desperate for him to run off his excess energy. It was risky but I was desperate so I’d let him go. Fortunately we got away with it. I never saw coyote or deer there, and I don’t remember the ersatz stream. At least the animals can quench their thirst now.
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Our Editor Responds: I think we all had our beams focused on that ersatz stream; like addicts towards a fix. This was one of the first places Vic introduced me to when we got together. That and the Cobb estate; both places that played a part in his childhood.
The ersatz water garden and pergola is somewhat recent. They now have signage up excluding dogs. The looseness that Vic and I treasured seems to be fading. Twice we’ve been pushed out by some hired fool we call catholic cop. That particular night we, and the four legged crowd had the place to ourselves. Actually, one of the priests told us that inside the Lazarus cave, in the older garden, they discovered a mountain lion’s litter of cubs.
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Lovely choice for a dry day; you, the deer, the coyote all got it right.
A cousin, who still lives in the old neighborhood, is also quite concerned about the 710 plans. I hope you all stop this from happening.
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Our Editor Responds: Does your cousin have a pool?
The latest from MetroScheme recommendations (down from the 42 original proposals) – including the removal of the Ave 64 above/below route (dropped).
• No Build
• BRT 6 refinements – Los Angeles to Pasadena
• LRT 4 refinements – East Los Angles to Pasadena
• F-7 (freeway tunnel) – Connecting north and south termini of existing SR 710b (South Pasadena)
• TSM/TDM
Back to the South Pasadena route (as this was so DISHONESTLY ABOUT to begin with.) We are out to stop it PERIOD. Clean Freight is the answer. Hecklers were down at city council calling the No 710 speakers cowards???? the oil industry – the truck unions ???
Three cities want this – three cities where the tunnel doesn’t run under. Alhambra, Monterey Park and San Marino. Follow the money?
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Great video – as always. What a nice break from the day. I haven’t been up there in quite some time, but you and Petrea have homed in on an area I can get to in one single walk, so I guess I’m now obliged to go there, eh?. I’m fairly convinced that this is St. Francis, and even if it’s not true, am going to think it is anyway. I’m not Catholic either, but really like “Frank” (as he’s called in my yard…).
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Our Editor Responds: It’s Paul but I think we should rename him Frank; also not catholic.
I’ve always loved Sierra Madre; even as a kid. So many nooks and cranies. Definitely a photo op (hint – mid century aqua tile benches recently removed from the “re-do” dormitory fountain. Upper east side. They line a makeshift shuffle board lane – or the recently torn out tennis court.
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Nothing ersatz about this blog–all simulacrums are clearly identified.
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Our Editor Responds: Transparency is important to us at Pasadena Adjacent. Sometimes.
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No pool. But he does have a large dog, provides some shade.
The tunnel is such a horrible, dangerous idea.
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Our Editor Responds: !00 feet below the surface. Two tunnels (north and south) and two additional rescue lanes. An occasional stairway leading up to the surface. Rather then the traditional 2% grade for north south traffic – 4%. I wonder what the grapevine grade is?. Makes my head scream. Maybe I can pull out a beach towel and hang out in the shadow of your sister’s dog.
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What a beautiful oasis! The deer are so lovely and graceful. I love when the one made that quick leap. This place does seem like a modern version of the biblical Garden of Eden. One does imagine it in a desert …
I hear you about the heat. What I wouldn’t do for a cloud or some rain. Right now I’m hiding inside with the blinds drawn. I feel like Dracula! Looks like we are due for more of the same next week. Sigh…
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Our Editor Responds: They keep a large part of the grounds undeveloped and cut back year round (no verdant lawns with their herbicides) thats good – and so much space is rare.
Years ago, on a moonless night, Mr V and I went up to the monastery at a late hour and sat on a low cinderblock wall (on the side where the deer crossed over). As we sat talking, we heard the sound of a stampede come down on us; a deer stampede. Racing out of the mountain, they swerved around us, jumping down off the wall. We didn’t think to question why they were in such a hurry.
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I like Portantino’s editorial about the 710: “Caltrans Can’t be Trusted”
http://bit.ly/QkF2sN
I didn’t know you could just enter the grounds of Dolorosa and hang out. I ought to give it a try. But those deer seemed sinister, did you notice? They kept creeping closer and closer to you, and there were more and more of them, like Hitchcock’s birds, and that guy with the cross didn’t have any effect on them. You’re lucky you got out alive.
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Our Editor Responds: Your comment made me bust up laughing. I was waiting for someone to catch onto my tricksterisms. I “think” I unintentionally doubled up on one of the scenes. I definitely sped up the deers (200%). Thought the shoot and run hiker might appreciate that. “Shoot”, I guess she just “ran” by.
Re Portantino: I tend to go out to hike during rush hour. One of the reasons I’m so familiar with the San Gabriels/ Tujungna/ San Rafels/ Verdugos is that (due to traffic jams) heading east on the 210 isn’t an option. The 210 West is. Don’t even get me started on how tricky that San Rafael on/off ramp is. A future that includes merging onto the 210 west with trucks on both sides of you? eh
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Isn’t the sound of water soothing? I even find the sound of water whipping around in a hurricane tranquil when it comes for the Republicans at 80 MPH. Or highway developers.
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Our Editor Responds: Yes, water; if you can’t jump into it, listening to it is the next best thing.
Btw: Ramona is going to vote for Obama a second time. She’s taking heat from the aunties. Personally, I think she likes being a rebel. She’s always been trouble, but never a rebel.
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I tried to comment on this when I looked at it earlier on my phone but I couldn’t get the comment to upload.
I saw a coyote walking along Arroyo again the other day. He/she was really healthy looking and carefree — not mangey like many of the others I’ve seen. It was kind of thrilling to see.
In Texas the deer roam the streets in packs. I’ll never forget one time when a young buck got into my mother’s neighbor’s trash cans and rooted around. Apparently the neighbor had thrown out an old wig because it got stuck on the antler. We named that dear Wiggy.
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Our Editor Responds: Wouldn’t that have been great to have digital cameras then? I was told our local mountains were the hardest to traverse when it came to hunting deer. A super challenge. It humors me to no end how abundant they are on the edge of suburbia. I counted 17 on a hike not more then a mile from me.
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I love herd and that video is so pretty. Like you promised.
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Our Editor Responds: I’ve got a beauty coming up – at the right place and time and with a chip in the camera. Like today. History in the making.
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The deer and the coyote out in broad daylight -at the same time – tells me they know a haven when they see one. The few religious retreats I’ve visited have always impressed me with their well thought out campuses and close proximity to nature. Somewhere along the way I usually am admonished by their residents to “Let nature heal you.”
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Our Editor Responds: Speaking of nature, your electricity is on. Thats good news. Be safe
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Now that my internet does not drop every 10 seconds I was able to watch it all the way through! I was worried about Bambi for a while. Clearly, Wiley did not pay his Acme bill, otherwise this video might have gone very differently.
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Our Editor Responds: And it’s a good thing too. I was to sluggish to do much more then point and shoot
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Oh, and I only had one ass. These are lovely.
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Our Editor Responds: and soon you’ll have none. Twyla needs a friend.
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Your videos are beautifully clear and unwobbly, PA. I’m relieved there was no kerfuffle between the deer and coyote. I can’t watch animal documentaries – I like to live in a happy place where they are all peaceful vegetarians.
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Our Editor Responds: An editing feature helps with the unwobbling.
My sister has been with the San Diego Zoo since she graduated from college, and we both agree – that one animal documentary based on the Lemurs of Madagascar (where they don’t intervene with the lost white baby lemur, and film it’s dying whelps) rates high as the most disturbing film footage out there.
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I signed. You are a good citizen and a brilliant editor. Thanks again and again.
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Our Editor Responds: I’m afraid I’ve turned into a public service announcement.
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Wow–such great footage! Nicely put together too. A true stress reliever in the bitter end of August.
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Our Editor Responds: I was so sluggish I managed to keep the camera rather still. Yesterday’s rain was better then this footage, but alas, no camera
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Lovely footage and well-put together. If ersatz works anywhere, it most certainly works here.
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Our Editor Responds: agreed
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