17 February: Long Beach trees and planters

Thursday, 18 February 2022

Long Beach

We worked our way from south to north on the street trees and planters.

Fighting with a cold wind

I got a happy visit with my friend Mitzu, formerly co-manager (or at least greeter and mascot) at The Anchorage Cottages. She got attacked by a big dog on the beach last year and was rescued by her human “dad”, and has a jaw deformation as a result so her little tongue always sticks out. She is still a happy little girl.

Allan tackled the weediest street tree, the one where the roots are all entwined with rugosa roses.

Some flowers through the town…

I decided two old tatty lavenders must be removed. Allan did the deed.

The Malai Thai Restaurant looks and smells so good. I wish we had eaten there more before the pandemic began.

The Fun Rides have sold and will be no more. This is the site of the old carousel that features in many of my flower photos over the years. There is a possibility Long Beach may acquire the carousel and relocate it. I will miss hearing the screaming from the scarier rides! It amused me greatly while working.

I think we must take a trip down memory lane. You can click on the photos to embiggen them.

Back to the present day, and more February flowers.

Trimming santolina:

I had a talk with Kite Guy from Wind World Kites about whether or not to remove the lavenders from the planter by his shop. He said every day in summer, tourists stop and admire how profusely such old plants bloom. We agreed that being old does not mean being relegated to the scrap heap, so they will stay.

Every time he sees me, he asks, “How’s the hardest working girl in Long Beach?”

In other downtown news, Herb ‘N Legend has moved into a new storefront.

More flowers:

Deer are eating the grape hyacinth!

If I had been carrying my big loppers, I could have cut this escallonia even further.

I’m pleased to report that we got through all the downtown trees and planters. (Almost all. I realized the next day that we had skipped one, but I had already erased it from the work board!)

I also had a work-free erasure today when I learned that a longtime business client is retiring, and we took the opportunity to retire from the job, also, which is awesome because it gives us a bit more free time.