SELFIES & Selfish Behavior

I admit I am getting old.  At 55 years of age, I am not intrigued nor very interested in "Selfies."  Perhaps I should be.  Everyone else seems to be on the Selfie bandwagon.  In November, 2013 the Oxford English Dictionary named "selfie" as the "word of the year."  It's the ultimate symbol of this narcissistic age in which we live.

I don't appreciate the "It's all about me" age in which people think they can do whatever they want, and that the rules of society don't apply to them.  I live near Griffith Park and there is a leash law in the park, which is blatantly disobeyed.  Easily 70 percent of the people who walk their dogs up Bronson Canyon have their dogs off leash.

And just when I thought I've seen it all re park behavior and activities.....

Sometime during the middle of the night, Monday June 29th, a group of renegade artists brought into the park a beautiful 80 square foot tea house.  The park trails are closed at night, but the artists paid no mind to the rules and regulations.

Folks hike up to see the tree house.
 

The view from inside the tea house looking out

People have been making the pilgrimage to check out the tea house and pay their respects.  Hundreds, if not thousands have come.  Supposedly, the city will allow the tea house to remain until July 27th.  The future of the tea house remains to be seen.  There has been talk it will be relocated to another location, possibly within Griffith Park or another park.   

Beautiful as the house is, I believe this sets a dangerous precedent of allowing people to do whatever they want in the Park.  At least the tea house has not been tagged  (yet.)



  

A WEEK IN THE SOUTHERN SIERRAS

Gerry and I spent the past week at the Golden Trout Wilderness Camp, in the John Muir Wilderness area, west of Lone Pine.  What a fabulous week it was!  Camp is at 10,100 feet elevation.  We backpacked in 3 miles, and carried in our sleeping bags, pads, clothing and essentials we needed for the week.  Then we used our day packs for the daily hikes, led by the renowned naturalists, Mike Prather and Louis Bevier. 

From the get-go, with an "Oh Wow" sunset on the first night,

I love mother nature

to the day we left camp, it was fabulous.

Welcome to Golden Trout

Our "home" for 6 snights.

We hiked each and every day.  Average distance was perhaps 7 or 8 miles with the destination of a scenic lake or mesa.  We made many stops along the way to learn about the environment, to take pictures of a flower or a tree or a butterfly or bird, and to simply rest. 

From above

Rock formations provide an interesting view at top of the mesa

Naturalist Mike and Gerry celebrate the top of the mesa.

We are fortunate; even in this time of drought native plants still bloom.

Mountain heather

penstemon

                             

Six days with no cellular, no internet, no radio or TV...it was a pleasure to disconnect from electronic devices and connect with nature.

Cottonwood Lake

Jenny Lake

We're back home now, and grateful for our time well spent in the Sierras.  We met wonderful people.  It was a week of walks and talks, and great food, too.

The Cabin, where we gathered for meals and conversations

Outside the cabin, where we ate gourmet dinners al fresco.

I have the feeling, "We'll be Back...."