Lunar New Year
The Lunar New Year on February 12 will herald the arrival of the Year of the Ox. For anyone who is still struggling with turmoil in the aftermath of 2020—the Year of the Rat— this could be a good...
The Devil Wind
This year’s continuous Santa Ana wind conditions have created a season of extremes: warm days, cold nights, fiery sunsets, and an ocean pressed so smooth and flat by the relentless wind that it looks like watered silk. There’s a...
Let There Be Light: A Drive-Thru Holiday Celebration
In good times and bad, Santa has counted on his trusty sleigh and reindeer pack. Jewish Americans ride in every Hanukkah with menorah lightings accompanied with stories about the Maccabes’ triumph over adversity with the help of an efficient oil that burned for eight days. Until now,...
Two New Books Celebrate the Life of Mountain Lion P-22
Mountain lion P-22 was catapulted to fame in 2012, when Griffith Park ecologist Miguel Ordenana first captured the big cat on film with a remote camera. Genetic testing revealed that P-22 was born in the Santa Monica Mountains, and...
The Gift of Dignity
One sunny, fall morning several years ago, my kids and I woke early and headed down Fernwood to Pine Tree Circle. We grabbed some treats from the Waterlily, and then we met Lin Ilsley and Karen Sherwood who had...
Artist Lisa Baldwin Celebrates Wild Places
It hasn’t rained in months and it’s a long way to spring, but Topanga Canyon Gallery is experiencing a spectacular super bloom this week, with an exhibition of new work by Los Angeles-based Canadian artist Lisa Baldwin. Wild Places...
Photo Album Preserves Memories of Thanksgiving in Topanga in 1917
We are on our own this Thanksgiving holiday. Los Angeles County health officials, concerned with the recent increase in COVID-19 cases, are cautioning against having even small gatherings this year and are recommending that holiday festivities, like everything else...
Topanga Artist Studio Tour Reimagined
The challenges of this year have asked us to separate the important from the disposable. It’s not just prioritizing – it’s what are we keeping and what we are letting go. The artists of Topanga don’t need to ask...
Scorpions Are an Unexpected Part of Life in Topanga
Beasties Spotlight! Although many residents have never seen one, scorpions are common in the Santa Monica Mountains and there are several native species in the Los Angeles area. While they look like their larger tropical relatives, none of the...
Architect Who Helped Shaped L.A. Left Local Legacy
Paul Revere Williams (1894–1980) is considered the most significant African American architect of the 20th century. Williams’ distinctive designs helped shape the glamorous Hollywood aesthetic of the 1930s and Southern California’s iconic mid-century modern character a generation later. Although...
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