Urban Hike? Well, sorta.

By now, y’all are familiar with my Urban Hike series. Yesterday I did an Urban Hike, of sorts, but didn’t really approach the outing as such when I set out. I just happened to take a lot of pix I want to share. 🙂

Yesterday was a rainy day, and that precluded me being able to do the gardening gig I’d planned on. (Not a good idea to trample wet soil. It compacts it and damages roots on existing plants.) I took our dog Spoon out on a couple of long, slow walks instead. I revisited a couple of areas I’ve posted about before – Dolores Heights and Kite Hill. Frankly, I walk these two areas frequently, given that they flank both sides of the street where I live. This time, though, I came across some inspiring scenes that have to be shared.

As usual, click los fotitos for larger photos…

Spoon poses beautifully on the fallen Monterey cypress at Kite HIll.

Split rail fence along Kite Hill’s western precipice. Like a bit of the countryside right in the middle of the city…

Grey and cloudy downtown skyline.

Came across a couple of discarded orchids against a blue-green wall on Douglass and 20th, and thought they made nice tableaux.

Mmm. Check out that color!

Amazing how much floral color we get here year round! I love California.

Dyckia does not hold up well to dog pee. 😦 The aloes seem to handle it well enough.

Random shot. Purple glass doorknob on 20th/Dolores.

The topiary gumdrops in the Liberty St median strip at Church St.

Nice entryway planting on Liberty.

Gorgeous bromeliad on Sanchez above Liberty.

Same house as the previous bromeliad, on Sanchez above Liberty. Took a few shots of this house… Isn’t this just striking?!

The Sanchez house entry again. Floating stone steps and an awesome tribal art bench.

Seriously. Check out the stacked 12×12’s as a front porch. LOVE that!

Sanchez and 21st has this lovely inviting carved bench tucked into the streetside garden.

Vivid greens on a rainy day, at Sanchez/21st.

Another angle of the Sanchez/21st vivid greens.

I can always recognize a Flora Grubb Gardens customer! This will be gorgeous when it all grows in!

In a street tree well on 21st near Noe. Fallen leaves of Catalina Ironwood on pebbles…

Hilarious! (Well, except from the perspective of the damage to this meticulously maintained rosemary hedge on Castro/Liberty.) Half a scarecrow that’s been floating around the ‘hood since Halloween. 🙂