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Peacockpalooza!

This particular house had 8 in the front yard. They’re big birds. The lawn was in the process of being torn up.

Coming home from the track, I like to drive around the neighboring tracts, because this part of Arcadia is Peacock Central.

Guess where, LOL…

Back again, and not for the last time this season!

There’s so many big, old olive trees. I’m assuming they were planted when the place was built, 90 years ago. I love those crazy gnarled roots.

George “The Iceman” Woolf, who rode Seabiscuit to victory in the famous match race with War Admiral. He also owned The Derby, a great restaurant up the road. It’s one of Southern California’s oldest. See it before it’s swallowed up by one of those horrid “pack and stack” developments.

The statue of my favorite horse ever, Zenyatta, with flowers and memorials put up for her trainer, who had died the day before.

Gotta get a Bob’s tout sheet! I did the math, and compared his plays with the ones I made. I was more profitable by .10, LOL!

I love that art deco frontage.

I’ll be back, Santa Anita!

Movie’s Watched: February 2026

Bagdhad Cafe (1987). A quirky slice-of-life comedy about a German woman who becomes stranded in the desert at a small, rundown cafe/gas station/hotel full of the usual desert misfit types. Everything you expect to happen, does.

Pi (1998). Interesting and unpleasant film about a disturbed genius (madman?) who seeks the mathematical formula governing all life, using a homemade supercomputer, which is really a symbol for his brain. He likes to take a drill to the thing a lot. Take that as a warning.

To be honest, a lot of the film consists of this shot.

The 13th Warrior (1999). Starts out as a wonderful mashup of exotic medieval Arabian travelogue meets Viking folklore by way of explaining the origin of the Beowulf legend. However, it loses its way and becomes a joyless slog of tedious battles and scenes of bearded men uttering ponderous dialogue. Disappointing.

Song Sung Blue (2025). This the winner for the month. It’s a heartfelt ode to the joy of creativity, of family, and of love conquering all and empowering greatness, even if it is on the fair/casino circuit. Sensational performances from Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, and featuring some a generous helping of music from Neil Diamond’s stellar catalogue. I loved every minute of it.