Tonight's picture was taken in August of 2007. Mattie was five years old, and in a way it is hard to believe that the following summer Mattie was diagnosed with cancer. When this photo was taken, we had no idea what was ahead of us. We took Mattie to the LA Zoo and I remember that we bought this purple fan and spray bottle that he was holding. He wanted it because it was an incredibly hot day. The irony is we still have this purple fan and bottle, and Peter uses it on hot days. It always reminds of that moment in time with Mattie.
Quote of the day: Teach thy tongue to say, “I do not know,” and thous shalt progress. ~ Maimonides
Today we went to visit the LA County Arboretum. This is a very special place to spend the day and I remember taking Mattie here many times! He loved it for so MANY reasons.
The arboretum's plants are grouped by geography with gardens
for South American, Mediterranean, South African, Australian and Asiatic-North
American plants. Other displays include the Aquatic Garden, Meadowbrook,
Demonstration Home Gardens, Garden for All Seasons, Prehistoric and Jungle
Garden, Native Oaks, Herb Garden, and the Palm and Bamboo collection. The
gardens also serve as the home for summer concerts featuring the Pasadena POPS.
The Arboretum is sited on a remaining portion of the Rancho
Santa Anita, one of the Mexican land grants of Southern California. Rancho
Santa Anita was unusual in that it was located above a large part of the
Raymond Basin aquifer. Three sag ponds and numerous springs were found in the
area and the only remaining one is now called Baldwin Lake. Lacy Park in the
city of San Marino once was another sag pond and the precise location of the
third is not known but may have been on the grounds of the Huntington Library
and Botanic Garden. As a consequence of the relative abundance of water, it was
important area in prehistory as a year round source of water, the body of water
known as Baldwin Lake and the other sag ponds attracted both waterfowl and
other animals as well as Native Americans. Not surprisingly the presence of
water and game created a permanent Native American habitation in the area and
is believed to have been the location of the Tongva village of Aleupkigna. The
exact location of the village is unknown. The close proximity to the nearby San
Gabriel Mission may have led to the construction of a small seasonal dwelling
at the Arboretum site for shepherds or hunters which ultimately led to the
construction of a modest adobe structure.
The site's modern history began in 1875 when Elias Jackson
"Lucky" Baldwin purchased Rancho Santa Anita and constructed its
buildings and grounds. Baldwin's influence was a strong presence on the site. A
certain flamboyance was evident in the creation of a showcase at Santa Anita.
Baldwin in some ways anticipated the development of Las Vegas creating Arcadia
as a kind of prototype destination resort.
In addition, the arboretum is home to a flock of some 200
peafowl, which are descendants of original birds imported by Elias Jackson Baldwin from
India. The peafowl is a symbol of the city of Arcadia.
The Arboretum was featuring a new exhibit... an outdoor gallery which displayed the work of more than
80 artists from Arcadia, Pasadena, Altadena, the San Gabriel Valley and
northern and southern California. The artists selected the exact spot in the garden they wanted to showcase their work.
The Herb Garden showcases herbs and shrubs that contribute
to human cultures around the world. The garden reveals the botanical sources
for medicines, spices, textiles and other basics of living. What intrigued us and captured our noses while walking through that garden was this wonderful vine like structure of jasmine. It was SO large it looked like a tree covering a bench.
This portion of the garden maybe the most famous. It is used as a set for many motion pictures. The rose garden was designed by noted landscape architect Edward Huntsmen Trout. The Rose Garden features heritage varieties with elegant pergolas and arbors, all in a setting of citrus and swaying Mexican fan
palms.
On the property still stands Elias Jackson (“Lucky”) Baldwin’s Queen Anne Cottage, which was
constructed in 1885-86, probably as a honeymoon gift for his fourth wife,
sixteen-year-old Lillie Bennett. “For a year after she married Baldwin (May, 1884),
this little girl was queen of the ranch,” wrote the Los Angeles Times. Lillie’s
father, architect Albert A. Bennett, designed the cottage, but the honeymooners
apparently never enjoyed its beauty. Lillie and E.J. separated in 1885, and the
fanciful house was converted by its owner into a memorial to the third Mrs.
Baldwin, Jennie Dexter, who had died in 1881. A stained glass portrait of
Jennie stood welcome in the front door and an almost life-size oil painting of
her was hung in the Cottage parlor. Both items remain today.
When I tell you it was HOT out, that would be an understatement. It was even too hot for me to walk! My mom and I walked a bit, but then we had to stop because it was oppressive. Only Mr. Lizard was out sunning himself. But most people were undercover! The lizard would have been a sight Mattie would have appreciated!
As we were leaving the garden, I spotted this... a wonderful butterfly. Butterflies are very symbolic to me of Mattie. When I see them fluttering around me, they remind me that Mattie is always with me.
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