Signs of winter, sort of

When the earthmovers arrive by the Venice Beach pier and start building mountains of sand, winter is coming.

Every year, they do this to protect the low-lying residential and business properties from flooding when tides get high and waves get massive.

And every year, kids bring snow saucers or any flat object and slide downhill.

There's been a lot of pounding going on, as well, as they put sand fences up along the bike path to keep the whipping winter wind from acting like sandpaper to any creature passing by.





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I found this darkly humorous--a tsunami warning sign perched atop a new mountain of sand.

This little wall of sand wouldn't do much good and it's a long way to higher ground on this stretch of coast. It's really rather sobering in light of the horrifying disaster in Japan. Mostly, I try not to think about that, but these signs are hard to ignore.

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On a lighter note, a little haiku on a blustery day.



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emerald-green wave,

white-ruffed, trailing a veil of

mist on its shoulder



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