Long way from the loch

This photo of Silver Lake, with Loch Ness/ Sylvie superimposed in the lake, is known as the "physician's photo" and was taken anonymously.

By Elizabeth Schneider

From the deck of her house in Silver Lake, Valerie Elson has a spectacular view of the lake, and if she keeps a lookout maybe one day it will offer a glimpse of that curious creature, Silver Lake's own Loch Ness monster.

To foster discussion on the matter, and more importantly "have fun with it," Elson and her husband, Donald, created a website dedicated to the beloved Nessie and her adventures in Silver Lake.

Sylvia, better know by neighbors as Sylvie the Silver Lake Nessie, is a "being which may or may not exist, but is frequently seen in the water," Elson says. "There have also been some sightings of a land Sylvie in the Ralphs parking lot."

Really, the site shows off Elson's talent for superimposing pictures that she has taken during her and her husband's travels around the world onto photos of the reservoir itself.

Theelsonmall.elson.com website, which first appeared in 1998, has served not only as an "interesting place for people to visit, but a place to express creativity not only for myself but for people interested in mythology," Elson says.

Sylvie has been the inspiration for some of Elson's poetry:

Sylvie calls from the lake, dear Mum,

Entreats me, begs me to come.

With her beckoning eyes

And her pleading sighs

To embrace me as playmate and chum!

Not only does the site feature a superimposed picture of the famous 1930s photo of the Loch Ness Monster known as the "physician's photo," which received tremendous publicity, onto a picture of the lake -- "We don't want to take too much of the magic out," Elson says -- there are photos of Silver Lake prior to the 1998 sale/relocation of the London Bridge to Echo Park and the Solstice Celebration and rededication of Stonehenge in 1998 following the bridge removal.

"The site pretty much has everything about myself and my husband and all the stuff we do," Elson says, including graphic art, theater, movies, television, computer consulting and most recently book publishing.

But not everybody enjoys the Elsons' twisted humor.

"Surprisingly enough," Elson says, "there are quite a few people who take sea and lake monsters extremely seriously."

Over the years she says she has received some pretty "strong e-mails" reminding her that "the question of sea creatures is no laughing matter."

"Some people have contacted me to say that sea monsters are real and how dare I make fun of them," Elson says.

But overall, she thinks that most people enjoy the site.

The website has a Nessie quiz, "which tries to put a perspective of reality to the whole situation," where users can win a prize if they answer all of the questions correctly. But only eight or nine people have actually claimed their prizes, she says.

"I guess some people are a bit hesitant about sending their home address to a blind website," Elson says, but the prizes -- home-made bookmarks -- are legitimate.

The burning question is whether or not Elson really believes in Sylvie's existence?

"I believe in the fascination of such creatures and in the magic that the imagination can color the world," she says. "She's given me a great deal of enjoyment...and that's real."

Elizabeth Schneider can be reached at (323) 932-6397, ext. 162, or by e-mail at eschneider@laindependent.com

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