RAP for July: Return of the Terrible Trees

Mind you, it is not really an opinion that I share, the whole idea of "terrible trees" I mean and, yes I wrote essentially to the same effect two years ago when the Ride Around Pomona last explored some of the city's, supposed, terrible trees. I mean, sure, planting a Banya-Banya tree next to a bike path is probably not a good idea, but a purple flower carpet spread beneath the Jacaranda? Meh, a good rake and an able teen will make short work of that.

"Never say there is nothing beautiful in the world anymore. There is always something to make you wonder in the shape of a tree, the trembling of a leaf." (Albert Schweitzer)

While the monthly RAP route may visit singular sites within the city, the easy-paced, zig-zag route along the streets means you see, and experience, even more - all that stuff in between that we call community. Sometimes that community interacts: When we stopped to admire a gingko tree in someone's front yard, the people of the house came over and said "shoo, shoo." No, not at all. Instead they came over and told us about the tree and the house, about how the (now) mister of the house, when a young lad, recalled mowing the lawn around the tree of his grandparents' house; if you are counting that is at least three generations of house and tree. So many little stories like that go into the making of a community. It is really pretty cool, when you think of it.

"The only thing that ultimately matters is to eat an ice-cream cone, play a slide trombone, plant a small tree, good god, now you're free." (Ray Manzarek)

Don't forget, the RAP rolls the first Saturday of every month, 8:30am from Shaun Diamond Plaza.

gathering

on the road

talkin' about jacarandas

talkin' about gingkos, silk trees, and liquid ambar trees

i seemed to find myself behind Otto quite a bit - perhaps subconsciously hoping he might turn off at a great little beer joint?

talkin' about redwoods

talkin' about banya-banya trees

not a tree, but this (i believe a mallow species) is so amazingly vivid, it needed to have its photo taken.

ps. following the beer jersey was for naught, he never did turn off anywhere, but hey, if you're going to Brew Wild at the Botanic Garden tonight, I will see you there.