It is possibly the most citified river in the world. In some places, dusty oleanders line the narrow path that separates the river from condominiums and commercial buildings. In others, the paths are wider, and beyond them the occasional rabbit scampers among the cactus, sage and wild mustard. In still others, whimsical wrought iron gates and fences frame pocket parks landscaped with native flowers and trees. Even deep inside the concrete canyon, life abounds.
Islands grow from the forbidding floor.
The river has laid down stepping-stones to some. On one of these miniature wildernesses, it is possible to imagine that the canyon does not exist. Whips of green willow branches drape down to the water s edge, so thick that they enclose the tiny clearing within. Fluffy seeds float through the air. A nest lined with down lies hidden deep in the brush.