station fire continues to burn

i'm beginning to feel a little like a broken record, but our mountains are still ablaze. many churches canceled their sunday services, and many schools are closed today. two firefighters have lost their lives in a vehicle accident while in the line of duty. the "la canada fire" or "station fire" has claimed well over 80,000 acres of forested area and 18 homes.

and yet life goes on (at least in a less outdoor, more air conditioning kind of way). such is life in southern california - a strange place to live during a time like this.

the list of links i have been compiling continues to grow. you can check it out right here.

dual post: la canada-station fire/belgian beer fest at lucky baldwins

forest fires continue in la county. i've been compiling a significant list of bloggers who have been working on the continuing story which you can find at yesterday's post.




the above photo is what i had planned to run today. however with the continued presence of the fires, it is taking a back seat today. never the less, if this heat is making you thirsty, head to lucky baldwins. much like the ipa festival that i attended a few months ago, this one is worth attending for a pint or two. today is the last day to check it out.

more perspectives on the la canada fire

the smoke continues to billow from the forest fires north of la canada. plenty of other bloggers are writing about this massive fire that is clouding the sky in the san gabriel valley. everything tastes like ashes.

petrea's photos here and here, x3, x4(big)
pio right here, x2, x3
kchblog, here, x3, x4
little homestead, x2, x3
laurie's perspective in south pas. x2, x3, x4, x5, x6, x7(big), x8, x9
hometown pasadena, x2
keith over in monrovia, x2, x3, x4, x5(big)
some german insight from hoecki
deb at altadena daily photo, x2, x3
hatching a patch
west coast grrlie
mr. earl, x2
stan's blog, x3
east of allen, x2, x3
daily photo la, x2
pasadena adjacent, x2
altadena hiker, x2
grow something new
brian and kelly
firefighter blog
matthew j krabill
loving pretty things
gershom's journal
john barkman photography
cafe pasadena
and of course the always fantastic altadenablog.

altadena hiker has a fantastic rundown of the aftermath.

pasadena rose magazine has a great rundown of places to get your info.

the pasadena star news also has a slideshow.

skywatch friday: la canada fire

temperatures above 100 degrees have created a perfect wildfire environment. in pasadena we've had fires burning to the east and now to the west with the recent la canada fire.

this photo is of our view of the sky last night looking toward the fire. look closely and you can actually see an orange glow from the flames where the smoke rises from the horizon. hopefully the fires will be put out soon.

petrea has some more great shots right here.
here is the pasadena star news' take.

another post on the fires at kchblog and an update
and another at little homestead
and yet another at hometown pasadena
and of course our public information officer


more skywatch friday photos can be found here.

coldest beer in town

i snapped this photo on a recent bike ride through highland park. any beer connoisseur will tell you that cold beer is nothing to brag about. but my guess is that isn't the clientele that they are aiming for.

i love the classic neon sign.

facelift complete

pasadena's courthouse has been undergoing an exterior change lately - but if you are a faithful reader of this blog, or live in pasadena you knew that already. here is the finished product. it certainly seems like an improvement to me, but i'm still not terribly impressed by this building.

thoughts?

palms and the clock tower from memorial park

the mixture of the silhouettes, trees, the building, and the flags... i really like this one.

with friends like these...

uh... uh...

i'm not sure what to say about this photo. enjoy!

chivas usa vs. toronto fc

we journeyed south to carson to watch a soccer game last night. while i'm far from a big soccer fan, i'm always interested in rooting for a team from toronto in any sport. unfortunately the visitors from the north lost 2-0, but we still had a great time.

chris peirce at the levitt pavillion

on thursday night we went to see chris peirce as one of the final few events of pasadena's summer concert series at levitt pavillion. as such a cool aspect of the summer months of life in pasadena, we're sad to see it go - but of course we've got next summer to look forward to!

santa monica sky

taking a shift from pasadena for today's skywatch friday photo during a recent trip to the ocean. enjoy!

northwest pasadena from an airplane

you can make out the 210 as it snakes north, as well as the golf course at the rose bowl and parts of la canada flintridge.

back from the bike trip

i'm back in pasadena now after a week of riding from pittsburgh to dc via bike paths and campgrounds. i'm exhausted but i also had a fantastic time.


for those looking to waste a few minutes, i've posted the rest of the photos from the trip online.

we're watching you.

you shouldn't run a red light in your car, right? pasadena is trying to make sure that doesn't happen by installing cameras at most major intersections in town which will take photos of any red light violations.

i'm getting back home today after what seems like an extensive time on the road. it will be nice to settle back in to life in pasadena.

another quality shot of our city hall

as petrea recently pointed out yet again, you really can't take a bad shot of this beloved building. i'm not sure whether it is the setting, the architecture, or the way the light always seems to be hitting it at just the right angle. certainly a great part about living in pasadena.

update: a reader has some more pictures of our city hall posted over on her blog.

alhambra in-n-out

i've posted some images of the pasadena in-n-out, now here are some from the alhambra location - which happens to be much newer, larger, brighter, and busier. i like the above photo because it shows their trademark crossed palm trees, something you'll find at almost every in-n-out location. i guess X marks the spot.

queen of the castle

my office had a team building event a little while ago which included some wii tennis, a movie at academy 6, and miniature golf at the arroyo seco golf club - something i haven't done in a very long time. it was really a fun day, as you can see by the look on my co-worker's face :)

grand canyon skywatch

jumping back to our grand canyon trip for today's skywatch friday photo. i hope you enjoy!

mixed messages?

freeway entrance and do not enter. love it.

hitting the road (again)

after arriving back home from the grand canyon, i've headed out for my second lengthy bike trip of the summer. this time i'm heading east to ride the great allegheny passage and the c&o canal paths from pittsburgh to washington, dc. i'll be riding with a few of the guys from last summer's trip around the delaware and maryland.

it sure is nice to (1) have an incredibly supportive wife, (2) have time off from being a student during the summer, and (3) have a group of friends that love having adventures too!

one more from our grand adventure

here is another shot of the breathtaking imagery we found while visiting the grand canyon last week. we had a great time with our friends and can't wait for our next camping/hiking adventure!

grand canyon greetings

just got back from our trip to the havasupai campground and the grand canyon. we had a great time exploring the area and the beautiful water formations. lots of time hiking and swimming and soaking in the sun.

i've got a day to recoup before heading out the door again for a week long bike trip with the same guys i rode with last summer. what a life!

polaroid

is taking a picture of a polaroid using a digital camera some kind of clever comment on photography as an art form, or just being cliche?? you decide.

the caltech library

i've posted pictures of this building before, but i like this recent photo i took of the building on an angle, looking up into the beautiful pasadena sky.

vivid with palm trees

more skywatch friday photos here. as usual, you can click on the labels below to see past photos with the same theme.

heading out for a hike

we're hitting the road this evening for a long weekend trip with some friends to the grand canyon. we've never been and we're pretty excited! i'm sure i'll have plenty of photos to post when we get home, but until then, enjoy a few pasadena photos.

cherry on top

as if southern california needs more frozen yogurt places... ah well, here is one more.

pasadena's latest offering is part of the new trend of paying by the ounce. you serve it and mix in the toppings yourself, and then pay for your creation. it makes for some very unique flavor combinations, and the price is really up to you.

gyu-kaku

one of my new favorite restaurants in pasadena is a japanese bbq dining experience called gyu-kaku. while their prices aren't anything special, during happy hour you can get a pile of food for a small amount and draft japanese beer is only $1. each table includes a small grill in the center which you use to cook the marinated items which you order. i've also sampled their edamame, crispy seaweed, cheese wontons, and spicy tuna appatizer and they were all pretty wonderful - and all half price during said happy hour.

historic site

i had no idea that pasadena was the final destination of the first transcontinental flight until i found this plaque marking the location. interesting then that our public information officer's weekly mystery history lesson turned out to be about this very event! visit ann's site every monday for more mystery history and a chance to win a prize.

you can click on the image to get a full sized picture and read the fine print.

santa monica beach

i'm ashamed to admit that we've only been to the beach ONCE this summer. it was a good visit, but we need to get down there a little more frequently - maybe a bike ride there?

august theme day: night

a play on today's nocturnal theme from our recent camping trip. as usual, i'm not alone in this journey:

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