Echo Park

Echo Park, originally uploaded by emdot.

A couple of nights ago my friend Heather was in town with her boyfriend Jim who is screening two of his films tonight in Echo Park.

The minute I heard the words Echo Park I started to swoon because I love Echo Park and my most favorite part of Echo Park? The lotus flowers.

I started in, "you have to go to the park -- you have to see the lotus -- they are amazing. There are so many. They are gorgeous. I could go there every day --"

And 7s interrupted me.

"The lotus are gone."

WHAT?!

I haven't been to LA in a god-awful long time. And in that amount of time the lotus of Echo Park have all but vanished (these events are unrelated, as far as I can tell).

(Tho, the lotus may be in mourning from my not having visited.)

I didn't believe him. Couldn't believe him. I mean, there are so many lotus and they are each so huge -- how could they have just disappeared? Impossible. And unfathomable. And just not right.

Today 7s gave me a link to this LA Times article about what has happened to the lotus of Echo Park. They really are gone. This makes me incredibly sad. I can't imagine how Angelenos must feel....

The article is good and has a great slide show showing you how the lake looks now and contrasts with with days of yore.