Up in the clouds with the flying horses

[bixaorellana]

I live down the hill from Oaxaca's big auditorium, which can be reached by a long stretch of stairs or by a parallel road that curves to the top of the stairs. Either route is a fun walk for my dogs, with the edge going to the stairs. They can get off their leashes sooner there, plus enjoy all the different levels. We go in the late afternoon and whichever way we choose, we usually wind up going through a residential area with a large parking area overlooking the city. Sometimes I bring my camera.

This first set of pictures was taken on October 13, 2017.

The young woman is carved from a tree trunk and is stationed where we turn off from the stairs to get to the parking area ~



More trunk artistry ~



I love watching the clouds roll in over the mountains ~









I also have to do a certain amount of riding herd, especially on Harley who needed to be talked down from the ledge as he gazed at this scruffy crew ~

[bixaorellana]

And now we've come to January 8 of this year, when I finally remembered to bring the camera to capture a particular group that's stationed in the parking area.

A different kind of afternoon, suffused with golden light ~

[bixaorellana]

Leaving our circusy friends, we head over to the road home and meet yet more animals ~



There is a playground, outdoor gym equipment and basketball court up here. I have a weird fondness for the auditorium parking garage.
Even though it's almost directly behind my house and up on a hill, it's invisible because of its covering of mostly fake plants.

[Deleted]

How could one possibly not click onto this thread with the title you've chosen?? Instant intrigue!!

What a cool spot.
The first set of sky pics are magnificent.
And then the pictures to follow set the stage for a whimsical place one could never suspect lie in wait.

One thing I have noticed both in this thread and in many prior threads of Oaxaca is the incredible creative use of plantings in public areas.
When I was there, all I can really recall (was it the mezcal perhaps?), were the endless beds of "cockscomb" celosia.

Magical postcard Bixa, colors.composition, and imagery all masterful.
Thanks!!

[bixaorellana]

Casimira ~ thank you SO much! I dithered about how to present such a "themeless" thread, but might have known that you at least would appreciate it.

Really, I don't know that I see the public plantings as very creative. To my mind, they are more repetitive. Obviously there are a store of tough native plants here which do make for dramatic statements, but I usually take issue with the municipal choices in planting, which are of the "endless beds" school. Next time you're here, you will see what I mean. I do think you're remembering all the celosia because it is used so extensively during Day of the Dead, the time of your visit.

Again, endless thanks for really seeing what I wanted to present.

[Deleted]

You are very welcome Bixa.
It's refreshing when every now and then a thread will appear such as this because it is a" departure" to be sure.
You call it "themeless", I beg to differ.
I would call it whimsical instead.

As for the plantings,yes, I do remember the cockscomb from when I was there but there weren't nearly as many beds of plantings as there are now.
You have lived there so long perhaps you don't see it just as I see the gazillion crape myrtles and oleanders here as boring, boring, boring...

[questa]

I love your cloud pictures, Bixa, specially the third one in all its layers. I gazed at them, trying to see flying horses in their shapes.

Nup! scrolled on and 'oh, THOSE horses.' Aren't they marvellous colours? I really appreciate the care and attention you have lavished on the horses' bums. The animal faces are imposing too.

The evening light poses a question...the wide photo shows a bare section of rock just right of centre, in the distance. Do you get landslides here?

The church looks lovely in that light....
However my heart goes out to the giraffes. Mother is obviously cross with Junior, maybe for eating all the tree leaves, but he says they all taste like plastic, anyway.

The word I would use is "quirky"...and enjoyable

[kerouac2]

This is totally delightful, all the more so since I have made the climb myself, albeit without the magical horses.

I wish that more of our members would spy such magic on their daily walks.

[mickthecactus]

Jan 25, 2018 23:13:19 GMT kerouac2 said:

This is totally delightful, all the more so since I have made the climb myself, albeit without the magical horses.

I wish that more of our members would spy such magic on their daily walks.

Once I retire you will be sick to death of reports on Hertfordshire...

[bixaorellana]

Jan 24, 2018 20:33:33 GMT casimira said:

I see the gazillion crape myrtles and oleanders here as boring, boring, boring...

Ha ~ if you could only be around on the rare occasions when I see a crape myrtle and go into ecstasies. There are oleanders here, but not all that common. I was thrilled by the ones in Sicily, which all seemed to be softly scented. And hey ~ I bask in your kind comments!

Jan 25, 2018 2:31:56 GMT questa said:

... gazed at them, trying to see flying horses in their shapes....
...  the wide photo shows a bare section of rock just right of centre, in the distance. Do you get landslides here?

Oh Questa ~ that's funny! I didn't mean to mislead with the clouds/horses, but now see how that could happen.
I think the bare section you're seeing is more likely covered with grass and weeds. It turns that dun color in the dry season. There are hilly areas which became populated and tend to have messy but unthreatening slides of dirt and gravel during rains. There are bad landslides at times in other parts of the state, though.

Jan 25, 2018 23:13:19 GMT kerouac2 said:

I wish that more of our members would spy such magic on their daily walks.

Amen to that! As pointed out in anyport's welcome message, daily life can always be an interesting topic.

Jan 26, 2018 13:00:21 GMT mickthecactus said:

Once I retire you will be sick to death of reports on Hertfordshire...

You think? I and many others eagerly look forward to Mossie's updates on his "A necessary exercise" about his walks around Ipswich, along with his many reports on places around Suffolk. And that's just singling Mossie out as an example. Many anyporters treat us to fascinating looks from their home patches. I happily anticipate lots and lots of Hertfordshire.

[mich64]

I love the mountain photographs! Especially photo #5.

And your photos of the hibernating carnival ride animals makes me wonder what the next festival to will be!

[cheerypeabrain]

The cloud pictures are particularly stunning and I love the scruffy chickens. Looks like quite a climb but a lovely walk, well worth it

[bixaorellana]

Thanks so much, Mich! I was up there yesterday and the animals were gone, no doubt off making a fair somewhere more fun. You would love the terrain here.

Thank you, Cheery! Yeah, my goal is to make the climb enough times that it feels like nothing. Often we only go a little over half the way up, to where the wooden lady is, then turn through the flying horse parking lot. It's uphill from my house to get to the steps, though, so some exercise on the way there.

Htmb got some great shots of the stairs (as did Kerouac). They are here (#52). In her 6th picture, you can see the lady. Just behind her is where we turn.