democracy at work ...

... on the USC campus.  But who can tell how they're voting?  Yes, I know it's California.  But.  

Sitting watching the results come in.  Georgia just called for Trump.  I never had an especially optimistic view of this election - but part of me suspects that this was a superstitious, cautious, stance to take, hoping that I'd transition into wide-eyed wonder.  It doesn't look like it.  

 

in the 'hood

White roses and skulls; and the blunt message to end all blunt messages.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if, after tomorrow, we didn't have to see that thick orange makeup (and nasty hair) for very much longer on our screens and in our papers ... Mind you, walking around Los Feliz - rather like walking around Eldorado - might be an unrepresentative sample of the total electorate.

All the same ... we're not going back.

 

A collision of ghouls

Really, the collision of horrors is too much - the end of Halloween, and the election on Tuesday.  Kevin de Leon, if you don't know, is the local councilman who was caught making terrible racist comments at a City council meeting - when he wasn't, as he thought, off mike.  

But in less inflammatory news, has anyone else noticed the striking explosion in the number of animal (and bird) skeletons haunting our front yards this year?

 

Storm Cloud, Day 2

When we moved over from the conference hall to the exhibition this afternoon, we had our very own storm cloud - and indeed, driving home, the first rain of the season.  That was a treat - but not as much of one as the conference itself - another excellent morning of papers (half hour, rather than twenty minute, slots really does make a difference to the thickness - in a good way - of argument and example); then an inspiring post-lunch panel discussion about environmental studies and the public humanities; then the show (and how great it was to go round it with truly informed friends, and discuss very nerdy - I mean specialist - details); and then dinner.  I can't believe that it's over - thinking about this has been so much part of my life for the last four years, and I've really loved being a part of it and helping make the conference come together.  Below - Devin Griffiths, and a whole galaxy of Carroll's Alices from Japan; Jesse Oak Taylor and a big fold out Hooker map of the Himalayas, and Eleanor Harvey and some Durand trees.  I learned so much from everyone, and hope someone will have another event soon at which we can continue the conversation.

Oh, and I think that this is what our grass is meant to look like, but it doesn't.  Maybe the rain will help ...

 

Storm Cloud conference, Day 1

There ought to be some witty caption to put under this image, but I can't think of an appropriate one (although it was an odd day for birds - driving away I had, at one point, to stop for a flock of about eight wild peacocks).  It was Day One of the Storm Cloud conference - accompanying the Huntington Exhibition of the same name - and it's been, like the show, about four years in the making.  It was terrific to see it coming into being (terrific to see a lot of friends) - and absolutely every paper was intellectually exciting and fitted well into its particular panel.  I was so happy to have been a co-convener of this ...

 

Happy Halloween

As always, the neighborhood is putting on a fine Halloween show.  Nothing can ever beat the annual Party Girls, who this year are being kept company by an excellent skeletal Archaeopteryx or a version of it.

Then across the street from this exuberance was a decidedly sinister party boat.

The bruja, of course, was wearing her cat on her shoulder, as usual.  Unfortunately I couldn't take him into USC, but I did find a long black dress/coat/thingy, and some designs in the shape of bones for earrings.

 

lunch, en route to the airport

The only good thing about not having cats with us when we're in Santa Fe for a couple of days is being able to stop for lunch en route to the airport: Harry's, of course (half a grilled cheese and green chile sandwich and a cup of curried pumpkin soup, since you asked).  And then back to grind my teeth for three and a half hours watching the Dodgers - but, miraculously, they pulled it off!  And of course, Gramsci and Moth are delighted to have us back ...