Seiko

Hiking Hillsides with Seiko

Nov 25, 2020,09:04 AM

Today we went up to Presidio Park.

A presidio (Spanish, "presidio" from Latin "praesidium" meaning protection or defense) is a base established by Spanish explorers in areas coming under their control or influence. In San Diego this presidio was built on a hill above the river and a mile or so from what we now call "Old Town". The San Diego Mission de Alcala was about 5 miles up the river where the climate was better and the land more arable.

When we got out of the car we were greeted by this sober cat:

And these bushy-tailed vandals.

I only got one toenail in focus but I liked this shot anyway.

When I was a kid growing up in San Diego there were no Home Depot stores, and not much in the way of concrete blocks or bricks. But we had a surplus of rocks, and they were free.

So my step-dad and I built everything in our yard with stones and cement, like this.

We still have a surplus of rocks! (my yard 15 years ago)

Back to the Park. Here's a view looking towards the ocean, with the San Diego River in the foreground. The marine layer is obvious. We have been walking there the past few weeks, as regular readers know.

Statue of the former governor of Mexico

Soldier from the Mormon Battalian

From Wikipedia: The Mormon Battalion was the only unit in US military history to be recruited solely from one religious body with their religion as the unit designation. They served one year, from July 1846 – July 1847 during the Mexican–American War of 1846–1848. About 550 Latter-day Saint men were led by Mormon officers and commanded by regular U.S. Army officers. The battalion made a grueling march of nearly 2,100 miles from Council Bluffs, Iowa, to San Diego, California, supporting the cession of the American Southwest from Mexico to the United States. The march also opened a southern wagon route to California. Veterans of the Battalion played significant roles in America's westward expansion in California, Utah, Arizona and other areas.

The Kumeyaay are Indigenous people living at the border of Baja California, MX and California, US. They divided into three related groups, the Ipai, Tipai, and Kamia. The Ipai lived to the north of the river while the Tipai lived below the river, eastward to the Laguna Mountains and Ensenada and Tecate (now Mexico). The Kamia lived much farther east, in the desert to Mexicali and the Salton Sea. Today there are 14 Kumeyaay reservations in San Diego County and another 7 communities in Mexico.