Sunday, April 1, 2012

Theme Day: Cobblestones

There may be cobblestones in Pasadena. I don't remember any offhand but that doesn't mean they're not here. The city was founded in the late 1800s and vestiges of the early town remain.

But mostly when I think of the stones we walk on I think of what we sometimes call "river rocks." They come from the Arroyo Seco and the mountains as well, and they're everywhere: lining walkways, decorating columns and adorning every other garden. Pasadenish have been building with them for the last century. Entire homes are made of them. They're part of our architectural vernacular.

This path leads off the main road into the Angeles National Forest north of NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL). I haven't climbed it in quite some time. Boz declines to take it anymore (it's a bit steep) and for now I don't mind, because most of that greenery you see is poison oak. But I think the photo gives you an idea of our rocks. They're embedded in each woodland path, every trail, even in the history of our Pasadena home.

City Daily Photo's website was the victim of -- well, not nice people. So the wonderful Julie of Sydney set up a special page for us to use this time around. I posted a little early this time to make mine work.

If you'd like to see how other CDP bloggers around the world are handling the cobblestones theme, go here. And many thanks to Julie!

22 comments:

Jilly said...

Absolutely beautiful. This is so similar to walks above Gorbio - sometimes the stones there are even more of a pathway or steps but incredibly alike. I love the definition in the greens in your photo. Not easy that.

Chrissy Brand said...

I like your intereptation; one person's river rocks are another's cobblestones.

Chrissy at Mancunian Wave photo blog

Valladolid Daily Photo said...

Although not exactly cobblestones the picture is beautiful.

Zenserly said...

such a beautiful photo....so relaxing to look at....

Kalei's Best Friend said...

We have similar areas like that... May be a bit drier but the similarities are there... Hiking trails are my fave... thanks for pointing out poison oak- a friend's hubby accidently used it once for toilet paper... yep, u can imagine what happened next....

BaysideLife said...

Cobblestones in nature. That's a very invitiing path, poison oak notwithstanding. Back in RI you couldn't put shovel to earth without hearing the ping of rock. I miss those stone walls that marked farm boundaries. I had two in my backyard and they were home to a family of chipmunks. Here in Florida, if you want rock you have to buy it! :(

Laurie Allee said...

River rock over at my place today, too! Don't ya just love it in all it's forms?

Susan Campisi said...

That path looked so inviting, until you pointed out the poison oak. It's beautiful.

Petrea Burchard said...

I wonder if anyone has ever made a walkway out of them. It seems they're not flat enough, but it's possible. I'd love to see it if there is one.

Petrea Burchard said...

Diana, who hasn't been able to comment on Blogger for a while, sent me an email. She says: "There are cobblestones in the alleys and courtyard of the One Colorado project. The entire area was once cobblestoned, but I guess it was felt that they'd pose a liability to the walking public, so only a narrow band of them has been preserved, just to show what it was like."

So I feel it's my duty to get over there and get a picture of those cobblestones asap.

John Sandel said...

Cobbles-before-the-fact. They're mined by stoned dwarves listening to rock music.

Petrea Burchard said...

A pebble for your thoughts...

Virginia said...

I think this is a gorgeous example of cobblestones P. I regret my bad knees kept me from this walk with you all on my last visit.
V

Margaret said...

Well, that looks like it should lead straight to a candy house.

Ms M said...

Lovely scene! With the beautiful greenery being poison oak, it's like a fairy tale of an enchanted forest that lures you in -- and then an evil spell is cast upon you.
Fortunately there is treatment for the evil spell of poison oak. :-)

Petrea Burchard said...

There's always a next time, V.

Petrea Burchard said...

That's why we don't go up there anymore. Too scary.

Petrea Burchard said...

I keep thinking of Hansel and Gretel. Something about chicken bones?

Ms M said...

Yes, I think Hansel does something with a chicken bone to fool the witch. And there's bread crumbs, too. And a candy house, like Margaret said. And, of course, the evil stepmother.

Katie said...

Stunner of a photo and a wonderful interpretation of the stone theme. Cool to hear that the locals have been building with them for a long time.

TheChieftess said...

The house that I grew up in had river rock walls, pathways, a rock garden...love the river rock!!!

Dina said...

Ahh, the best kind of cobblestones--still embedded in nature.