Portapotty Pastoral

Couldn't resist this one at the Rose Bowl the day before the big U2 concert.

Interlude

I went to Disneyland!

Fire Storm

Check out more images and fire coverage on my daily photo blog.

After days and days of breathing smoke and seeing flames, South Pasadena has almost gotten used to having an inferno next door. Above, residents of Via del Rey quietly sleep while firefighters battle on in nearby mountains. Below, another sunset blends with ash and embers.

And Still Burning...

Check out all of my images from the Station Fire at my regular daily blog.

The fire moves toward Mount Wilson, toward Acton and Sunland, but trails of flame still snake up the mountain behind Brookside Park near the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Life (or at least a game of catch) goes on...
I captured one of the many aerial drops of red flame retardant. The grain of this picture is actually from zooming in through so much smoke and haze. I took the picture standing on Raymond Hill.
As the fire moved, we saw less flames from our vantage point. But there was smoke. Lots of smoke. Here, a shot from late morning.
More and more smoke made mountains literally disappear.

The reason the smoke looks so much like cumulus clouds? A phenomenon called pyrocumulus clouds -- what happens to water vapor when it is affected by fire or volcanic activity.

Burning Out of Control

Read more about the Station Fire at my daily blog here.

The first two shots were taken around 9:00PM from Via Del Rey in South Pasadena.

The above image was taken at sunset, from under the main South Pasadena water tower. You can see the flames on the far side of the left and far side of the right. The fire tripled in size in the course of one day.

More from the water tower.

The above shot was taken from Arroyo Drive in South Pasadena, just after sunset.
Arroyo Drive again, a little before sunset and a little further south than the previous image.
More from Arroyo Drive.

The above two pictures show the same blaze I shot last night from above the Rose Bowl. These images are from Arroyo Drive in Pasadena, looking under the 134 freeway bridge.
Self explanatory.

See yesterday's posts here and here for links to other local bloggers.

Inferno

I really don't have words to describe what it felt like standing on this lovely street in Pasadena, directly above Brookside Golf Course and The Rose Bowl. The Station Fire in the hills above La Canada/Flintridge gave an otherwise serene view a nightmarish animation.

Here, standing on Via Del Rey in South Pasadena, I found it difficult not to cry ... and it wasn't just from all that smoke.

Let's all hope for cooler days and calm winds. And to each and every firefighter: thank you.

For more images and links to fire updates, check out Petrea's coverage over at Pasadena Daily Photo, Ben's information at the sky is big in pasadena and Altadenahiker's reports from Altadena.

Cross Walk, Del Mar Station

I always think this looks like a newfangled backgammon board or linear hopscotch. Isn't it cool?

Stained Glass Macro

Egg on the Counter

And why not?

Old Soul

Couldn't resist posting this recent portrait of my dog Misty.

South Pasadena Fourth of July Parade 2009 Part 2

Fasten your seatbelts, folks ... and then click to play this slideshow of vintage cars from the South Pasadena Festival of Balloons Fourth of July parade. Vroom vroom!

South Pasadena Fourth of July Parade 2009 Part 1

Fog Dance

Blogger 2 Blogger

Who is that fabulous local blogger, lurking with a camera by the beer vats at Brix 42?

Night view from the In 'n Out drive thru...

Mockingbird song, with crickets, around 1:00AM

I am so fond of this little bird. He's always up way too late, like me.

Boys

Spotted on El Molino in Pasadena.

Views from the South Pasadena Fun Fair

Big rides...

About a bazillion used books available dirt cheap...

Lots of bands -- and not a single cover of Sweet Home Alabama or Radar Love...

View from the top of the Ferris wheel. (My little daughter loved this part.)

Too many wonderful faces to count...

Dancers in fancy skirts and shiny shoes...

Lots of various grade school buddies...

...and great vantage points for someone with a camera.