Make a Wish

by Laurie Allee

I didn't notice the shooting star when I took this long-exposure shot on St. Albans Drive (aka: Christmas Tree Lane!) in neighboring San Marino a few years ago. I guess it's just another Christmas miracle...

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Sunset from Monterey Hills...

by Laurie Allee

...up by the water tower.

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then leaf subsides to leaf

By Laurie Allee

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

--Robert Frost

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Lovely Decay

by Laurie Allee

"The Buddha knew one thing science didn't prove for millennia after his death: Entropy increases.  Things fall apart."  --John Green, Looking for Alaska

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Palm Fronds Noir?

Why not?

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Working it Out...

These two South Pasadena parrots had been having quite a squabble.  The one on the right had been chasing after the one on the left for most of the morning.  The one on the left had no problem divebombing and pecking the one on the right.

After about twenty minutes of talking it out on this palm frond, they seemed to patch things up.  Whew!  I hate it when the neighbors fight.


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A Treehugger's Paradise in South Pasadena

Trees, trees and more South Pasadena trees!

We all know that South Pasadena has a lot of gorgeous old-growth and heritage trees.  But did you know that our city is part of Tree City USA?  South Pas meets the program's four requirements:

1. A tree board or department 

2. A tree care ordinance

3. An annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita

and...

4. An Arbor Day observance and proclamation.  (I'll admit, I've never officially observed Arbor Day.)

Tree cities not only look better than their more sparse cousins, they enjoy things like better storm water management, energy savings and increased property values.  As an unabashed treehugger, I agree that these are all good things.  But I think I'd love trees even if they offered nothing of tangible value.  Come on... they're beautiful, lush trees! What more do you want?

Before you click on the above video compilation of South Pas trees, I am reminded of my very favorite South Pasadena tree story.  I've told this one before, but it's worth a repeat:

South Pasadena Abstract #6

Zoom into the puddle near Trader Joes ... tune in to a parallel universe!  The last few days have been all about finding abstract art in unlikely places.  (Like the gutter.)

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South Pasadena Abstract #5

"Abstraction allows man to see with his mind what he cannot see physically with his eyes."  --Arshile Gorky

With your eyes you see autumn leaves from a tree on the Arroyo Seco.  What does your mind see?

(Tell me here!)

Week of South Pasadena Noir #6

"Deep into that darkness peering, long ago I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before..." --Edgar Allen Poe

Still feeling a Halloween vibe?  I'm wrapping up my latest noir week tomorrow.

Quote the raven: Nevermore!  Quote you?  Go here and say what you will.

Week of South Pasadena Noir #5

"The two elements the traveler first captures in the big city are extra human architecture and furious rhythm.  Geometry and anguish."  --Federico Garcia Lorca

Feeling dark and mysterious yet?  I'm heading into Halloween with some noirish delights this week.

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Week of South Pasadena Noir #4

"No object is mysterious.  The mystery is your eye."  -- Elizabeth Bowen

It's a black and white world of South Pasadena mysteries this week, folks.  Check in for a daily dose of Halloween eye candy.

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Week of South Pasadena Noir #2

"It was one of those hot dry Santa Anas that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch." -- Raymond Chandler

Stay tuned this week as I get in the mood for Halloween with a little South Pasadena noir.



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Noir in Daylight

It's really hard to pick a favorite of all the old cars I've captured in South Pasadena over the years, but this one is definitely up in the top ten. Okay, in the top twenty. Oh, who am I kidding? I love them all.

Originally published on April 10, 2011

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A Post for Fellow Treehuggers...

Trees, trees and more South Pasadena trees!

I want to thank readers Johnny and Greenman for emailing me after yesterday's post on the library tree.  You guys asked if I had any video slideshows of my many (many!) tree pictures?  I aim to please...

But before you click on the above video, I am reminded of my very favorite South Pasadena tree story:

South Pasadena Family Tree

Ever wonder about the history of the majestic Moreton Bay fig tree outside the South Pasadena Public Library? It certainly seems primordial -- like a remnant of our earth's distant past. My daughter  once said that she thought the tree surely must have been around when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

Even though I could imagine generations of pterodactyls making nests in that beautiful tree, I knew it wasn't that ancient. But I was genuinely surprised when it was revealed a few years ago that the tree is barely 100 years old...

Everyday Miracles

It's hard not to get caught up in the horrors of recent news.  I find my solace and inspiration in the ever-changing sky.  Clouds part.  Darkness turns to light.  

And for a few brief moments every day, it's magic hour.

Want to leave a comment?  (Come on.  Don't be shy.  I can see you thinking about it...) Head over to the Glimpses of South Pasadena Community Forum and start a conversation.  (Or just say hello!)

Freeway Noir: 4

Nothing in this place was truly civilized.  Even the palm trees stood like wild sentries threatening to attack all who approached the concrete jungle.

Freeway Noir Week continues.  Share my shots taken while stuck in traffic on the 110.  

Freeway Noir: 3

With all of the infernal sunshine in this town, there are bound to be shadows.  A lot of shadows.

Join me this week for Freeway Noir: a series shot from the 110 Freeway.  

two golden hours

"Lost, yesterday, somewhere between sunrise and sunset, two golden hours, each set with sixty diamond minutes. No reward is offered for they are gone forever."

--Horace Mann