LACMA - Los Angeles County Museum and ART - Dec. 26, 2025

What a wonderful museum and art gallery!!!   With the torrential rain storm continuing and surfing in the rivers on the freeway with flooding in the north we were so pleased we’d scheduled ourselves an indoor activity.  

Easy to access parking was great, the whole grounds was celebration of art, with exotic mounted animals sculptures and whimsical lights.  I had investigated LACMA months before joining for the Impressionists and Post Impressionist Exhibit. 

I’m a major fan of impressionist works since I bought my first Renoir print and the Picasso Man of La Mancho print to adorn my undergraduate  bachelor across from the University of Winnipeg.  Next I’d love the impressionist exhibits at the National Gallery in London  then it was just  something I looked forward to seeing travelling.  Like Brandenburg concertos for the eyes or the Beatles or Steely Dan.  There were superb exhibits of impressionists in New York’s MET,  Moscow and St. Petersburg.  Of course Paris was the best with the Louvre and Musee d’Orsay. 

Now I’m here in LA and have so enjoyed the impressionist exhibits  at the LACMA.  

There’s never a lot of impressionists together except at Musee d’Orsay or the Winter Palace.  At LACMA there were quite a few Claude Monet.  There was a Degas or two.  I loved the Renoir Sisters and vase of Roses. . There were a few Pissaro and Toulouse Lautrec.  Impressionists are always uplifting. I enjoy now that I’ve seen a few over time guessing who the painter is.  I loved seeing the American impressionists which I’d not known. I enjoyed seeing the Van Gogh. I  like the atmosphere of galleries and museums. LACMA is spiritual in that way. A mix of library and church. 

 

After the Impressionist exhibit we moseyed through the Realms of Dharma exhibit. I loved the accompanying history discussing the basic tenets of Mahayana Buddhism, multidimensions and Boddhisatavas, Compasion and Wisdom. The exhibit separated the original works from India and then showed how they’d spread through Nepal Tibet, Japan China and Korea.  

Next there was an exhibit of wood cuts from different times and different parts of the world. The only one that I really know is the Scream but these were all interesting as an early form of reproduction.

I’m not usually a fan of modern art but I really was taken by the Sierra exhibit, the Band, This was an installation of over 200 tons of steel made over 2 1/2 have years. A woman said she kept returning to it because it was her ‘church’.  I certainly felt ‘sacred’ standing inside the safety of folds of steel.  

I love art gallery and museum stores. It’s a very best place for buying art books and elegant gifts.   The Vancouver Art Gallery gift shop is a perennial favourite.   Now. LACMA was no exception.  I was able to buy Laura  designer sweats Christmas gift while she found the perfect gift for artist sister.  What fun.  An incredible day .  I love LACMA. 

Tranquility by the Sea, Golden Shores RV Park, Day 7, Long Beach, California

I woke at 3 am.  I’d hardly been able to keep my eyes open at 8 am. It was a long day.  I’d arrived in Los Angeles at the Golden Shores RV Park in Long Beach.  I’d waited to be registered uncertain if I’d have a place.  At 1 pm I was there to register.  Larry and Peter drove in just then. What synchronicity!  There was a place open till the 9th. I took it.  I set up  even unloading the Vespa.  

Peter came by with Bella and Luka.  The dogs were discombobulated .  Bella and Madigan know each other from the north but this is the first time they’ve met in the south.  We all walked together in the little park along the shore.  

I actually got organized to make a run to Vons on the Vespa. I explored Long Beach a bit. With the help of my iPhone 16 GPS I found it by typing in grocery stories near to me. I was 2 blocks away at the time.  I wanted to celebrate and treat Madigan so I bought a couple steaks, a zucchini and potato egg salad.  I bought another milk forgetting I already had a quart so expect I’ll be having macaroni and cheese.

I walked Madigan again.  

There’s a routine to life with a dog.  There are a lot of little dogs here.

I tried to go back to sleep at 3 am and nodded till 4 am but was on a todo list.  I left my recliner at home with the ATV. I’d bought it in Yuma last year and loved it but didn’t want to be carrying it all this way with the Starlink near where it is carried. I’ve thought of how to protect the cord,

I need a new water hose since there’s a very slight leak but enough to be a problem in California. 

If I take Madigan I need to take his box which I then have to carry about with me.  

I have the Garmin GPS which I need a mount for the Vespa if I plan to go to art galleries on the freeway that are 30 minutes away.  I can check my phone but have problems with that though the buzzing in the watch might work

These are all Cadillac problems

I climbed out of bed at 5 am and meditated.  At 6 I was in the shower and cleaning the bathroom.  I spilt a blue ball of toilet sanitizer and rinsed that down the drain today.

I’m tired.  I didn’t want to stay in bed wrestling with insomnia but the truth is my schedule is off and I’ll need some naps and rest days to recuperate.  My problems are all just Cadillac problems.  I’m watching the light come up out my window. I have laundry to do but think of dropping it off somewhere because I have limited time in LA right now and don’t want to be spending a morning doing laundry if I cab drop it off.  

I’d like to go to the Art Gallery.  There’s a Long Beach Latin American one. The ones I looked at before I came are 30 minutes away.  I’m a bit anxious about the high speed 10 lane freeways on the Vespa.  I expect I’d appreciate the art if I served

I love this view.

Thank you Jesus.

Motel 6, i5 south of San Francisco. (on return from Yuma)

I left the Best Western in Yuma at 745 am . The distance from Yuma to San Diego was 171 mile (275 km), approx 2 hour and 37 minutes according to Google. I stopped at the Marina to pee. It was exciting to see the Pacific Ocean and San Diego harbour

I drove over this hill in a residential area and there it was.

I drove from San Diego to Los Angeles.  Google give3 th distance as 120.5 miles (120 km) and 1 hour and 51.  I stopped at at Burger King so Madigan and I could have our burgers.  

Then I drove from Los Angeles to here, 300 miles short of San Francisco. Google says the distance from Los Angeles to San Francisco is 381.9 miles (615 km) or 5 hours and 41 minutes.  I’m 296 miles south of San Francisco in this  Motel 6 with Madigan. They’re almost European in their simlicity, friendliness and acceptance of dogs.  

I liked seeing this in the Best Western parking lot.

I stop at most rest areas , getting 15 minute break on the hour.  Lunch was at most an hour.  I filled up half tanks twice.  

So I started at roughly 8 am and finished at 6 pm - 10 hour driving. 1201.2 km or 546 miles,  It seemed like at lot longer but as I was travelling at 120 km / hour mostly on freeway it jives with 1201 km.  6mph and 10 hr gives close to 546 too so I guess this is accurate.  I was at 4000 km in the hills.

It was tiring especially the last hour  in the dark.  Sunset just after 5.  Warm day.  I wore a jean skirt and t shirt with sandals I changed to boots at a rest stop.

I had pull off the road to pee and some police saw my car in the bush and came to see if anything was wrong  I heard them and came out as quick as I could.  Said all was well , “I was just peeing’.  So I jumped in the car behind Madigan who’d picked up a hard piece of cow poop.  I chucked that out before I drove off.  This was up in the foothills. I’d see a sign camping but took the dump turn off 

I listened to the radio. Mostly Mexican. I didn’t like much music but it was a break.  I prayed a lot. Madigan wanted to climb in my lap but I didn’t let him.  I’m downloading audiobooks for tomorrow.

It ‘s unlikely I’ll make it home till Sunday. I read it was 15 hours, 1000 miles (2,200 km).  10 hours was exhausting for me today.  I’m glad I’ve taken the coastal route. It’s been great weather compared to the rain storm coming down.  My sciatica is much better. I just have a twinge of pain standing up from sitting and some soreness walking Madigan. But I’m not brought to my knees and I can walk without tearing soul destroying pain that seemed to ignore the pain killers.  Now I’m here and I feel okay.

I’m looking forward to a good nights sleep.

I’m still moving like I’m in the car. Almost like sea legs.  

I felt less than in the nautical world dressed au femme.  I found that unusual but all of San Diego was that experience. I didn’t care and no body dit in LA but in San Diego I was awkward.  Driving was fine but when I got out of the car at rest stops I felt little confidence. I thought this whole experiment was insane too. I thought I should purge and go masculine . It’s all just boredom and anxiety. I need to get off Netflix and Social media and set some goals like writing the books or taking courses. I’ve been coasting and resting on my laurels.  Patients have been phoning me Friday night. I’lll answer in a day or two, I tell them all my patients I’m not on call but they can have my number and I’ll get back to them in a day or two if it’s a straight forward question especially about medications,  

I really felt and looked relaxed when I left this morning.  

I’m going back to winter and rain and likely snow.  I listened to Christmas Carole’s on the Christian radio station, That was a good half hour or so while I had the reception.  

Thank you Jesus for keeping us safe and caring for Madigan and I. .  Thank you for the Mini Cooper,  

San Diego



San Diego

Motel 6 i5

Soledad to SAN Diego in the Mini Cooper with Dog and Girl

We arrived at another Motel 6.  They’re dog friendly.  Gilbert likes anything dog friendly.

We left Soledad at 830 and have arrived here just after dark at 7 pm.  We’ve stopped at rest stops for pee breaks and Gilbert walks. We’ve filled up a couple of times. The Mini is getting great mileage.

The weather has been amazing.  With the panaramic sun roof on the Mini open we’ve acquired a tan. Laura and I had to take off our sweaters before noon and Gilbert was panting most of the day.  Definitely shorts and tshirt weather tomorrow.  We love the sunshine.  

American free way rest stops are great. We stopped at one where there was even a sign in the pet area warning of rattlesnakes that might fancy one’s children.

I couldn’t drive past LA without cruising down Hollywood Blvd.  Both Laura and I have been here before. With all the NCIS Los Angeles I watch because I love the characters , especially Hetti, I wanted to see the Hollywood sign again.  They show it so often in the show.  

We ended up driving up Laurel Canyon expecting to see famous people taking out their garbage but even at Lookout point we didn’t see anyone we recognized.  

No one recognized us either. I would have at least thought someone would have known Gilbert.

We cruised Sunset Blvd but it’s not the same as it was 30 years ago.  Without Cecil de Mille or the Rat Pack it’s just another street.  

Heading back to the freeway, there was Hollywood Bowl and that fabulous Hollywood sign. We’d just listened to an audio book on the way down where the serial killer drop a body by one of the letters. On this last stretch though we really enjoyed Michael Connolly’s Detective Bosch finding suicides were really homicides.  Great writer.

On the number 5 we got off at a view point and watched the most beautiful sunset over the Pacific. It was wonderful  looking out from the coast remembering sailing down this way some 20 miles off shore. SAN Diego Harbour is something special in my memory.  

Now here we are. 2500 km, 3 1/2 days of all day driving.  Today we were speeding along in 8 lane freeways at 120 to 140 km /hour with motorcycles passing us on the white lines between cars.  

I’m exhausted. These American freeways are so demanding I had to forego reading and texting on  Facebook.

Laura is glad she arrived alive. We’re now settling in for SAN Diego pizza.