the sky is big in pasadena

photos from ben

2012-01-24T17:38:00.000-08:00

greetings from pennsylvania. i'm not sure if anyone is still checking in on this blog, but in case you still have it bookmarked or running through your blog reader, i've just started using "instagram" - an iphone app that allows you to essentially be a photoblogger from anywhere.

i take photos - not surprisingly, often of the sky - around our new home area. this link is an example of what you might find if you become a follower of mine on instagram. if you have an iphone/ipod/ipad, check it out and become a follower!

the end.

2011-08-31T00:01:00.000-07:00

and so, we've reached the end.

the sky is big in pasadena lasted through four years of daily photos. this is the one thousand four hundred and forty-first consecutive daily blog post. this humble site has seen over 90,000 visitors and thousands of wonderful comments.

i set out to give myself an artistic outlet during my time in seminary, and i never imagined how big it could become. it has been an incredible journey and i am extremely proud of the result.

but to be quite honest, i am ready for a break. i'm sure i'll probably start blogging again sometime in the near future - maybe in a different format and certainly in a new location. i don't know quite what my blogging future holds, but i can say that today's post is the last one for now.

i want to say thank you to everyone who has ever visited, and an even bigger thank you to those who have commented, become daily visitors, or added this website to your blogroll or rss feed. your appreciation of my work has been what has kept this project going.

and finally, there are plenty of good blogs out there about pasadena and the san gabriel valley. the sidebar of this blog contains many of them.

my favorites are these fine sites. if you haven't already, please add these incredible blogs to your reading list...

pasadena daily photo (petrea is the best of the best and an incredible inspiration)
glimpses of south pasadena (laurie is also incredible, just further south)
91105 and beyond (newer on the pasadena scene, but lots of fun photos)
all over pasadena (the newest pasadena daily photographer whom i just discovered)
pasadena pio (our public information officer is an incredible blogger and wonderful person)
cafe pasadena (not a daily photographer, but knows and comments on ALL area blogs)
an immovable feast (my favorite local food reviewer)

#1 - friends

2011-08-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.

i have accepted a position at salford mennonite church in harleysville, pennsylvania. we will be moving in september, so august will be my farewell month to the city of pasadena. when we moved here from virginia i posted a list of the ten things i would miss most about harrisonburg. i figured that would be a good way to end our time here, so each day i will be doing one final rundown of life in this great city. i have prepared two lists - ten things i won't be sad to leave behind, and twenty of my absolute favorite things about pasadena.

today we have arrived at #1.

#1 - friends

i almost can't write these words without getting a bit choked up. without our friends, pasadena would never have felt like our home. without our friends, pasadena never would have become a place we longed to return to.

we met an incredible array of wonderful people during our time here - not all are pictured above. some of you are still very much in our lives - even if you don't live right next to us anymore. some of you we knew for only a short time but you left a lasting impact on us. some of you we met through school, others through church, a few through mutual friends, and even a few of you through this blog.

thank you for being such a big part of our lives.

and thank you for making pasadena our home.

#2 - city hall

2011-08-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.

i have accepted a position at salford mennonite church in harleysville, pennsylvania. we will be moving in september, so august will be my farewell month to the city of pasadena. when we moved here from virginia i posted a list of the ten things i would miss most about harrisonburg. i figured that would be a good way to end our time here, so each day i will be doing one final rundown of life in this great city. i have prepared two lists - ten things i won't be sad to leave behind, and twenty of my absolute favorite things about pasadena. we have arrived at the top ten things about life in pasadena.

#2 - city hall

much like the pasadena sky, city hall was a frequent subject of my daily photo blog. it has appeared seventy times in four years - not quite twice per month, but getting close to that mark. it was one of my first blog posts ever, and is easily my favorite thing to take pictures of in town.

anyone who comes to visit us remarks about how beautiful this building is, and they are always amazed at how easy it is to walk in and around. pasadena's beloved public information officer even gave a private tour to some local bloggers last year which was a ton of fun. i will miss this beautiful building.

#3 - sky

2011-08-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.

#4 - pasadena mennonite church/palm sunday peace parade

2011-08-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.

i have accepted a position at salford mennonite church in harleysville, pennsylvania. we will be moving in september, so august will be my farewell month to the city of pasadena. when we moved here from virginia i posted a list of the ten things i would miss most about harrisonburg. i figured that would be a good way to end our time here, so each day i will be doing one final rundown of life in this great city. i have prepared two lists - ten things i won't be sad to leave behind, and twenty of my absolute favorite things about pasadena. we have arrived at the top ten things about life in pasadena.

#4 - pasadena mennonite church/palm sunday peace parade

i cheated a bit with this one. realisticially, these both deserve their own entry in my top ten. but because they are pretty closely related, i tied them together.

pasadena mennonite has been our incredible church home while we've lived here. we have been welcomed there with open arms and have found meaningful relationships that will carry on beyond pasadena. this community has acted as our substitute parents, grandparents, and aunts and uncles. they have been our mentors and peers in ways we never could have imagined.

the peace parade is one of the things that this church does annually as a way to make a public declaration of a commitment to peace. it is held every year on palm sunday and has grown to include many other local groups dedicated to peace and an end to global warfare.

both of these things are special to me, and i will miss them deeply when we move from here.

#5 - farmers markets

2011-08-26T00:01:00.000-07:00

august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.

#5 - farmers markets

picture this - fresh produce, all year long. so goes life in southern california. and if you live in pasadena, you are fortunate to have access to farmers markets on tuesday morning at villa parke, wednesday afternoon on south lake avenue, thursday nights in south pasadena, and saturday morning at the high school. if you expand to a few towns over you find markets in countless others on all days of the week. amazing!

#6 - pasadena public library

2011-08-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.

#6 - pasadena public library

the public library system in pasadena is extensive with countless programs happening at ten different locations across the city. we've been fortunate to live near two locations - the beautiful central library (shown above) and our local villa parke location. books can be requested from any branch to be picked up at whatever location is convenient. the main central library has frequent art displays, a small used book store, and a coffee shop (among other things). I will certainly miss the library.

#7 - free concerts

2011-08-24T00:01:00.001-07:00

august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.

i have accepted a position at salford mennonite church in harleysville, pennsylvania. we will be moving in september, so august will be my farewell month to the city of pasadena. when we moved here from virginia i posted a list of the ten things i would miss most about harrisonburg. i figured that would be a good way to end our time here, so each day i will be doing one final rundown of life in this great city. i have prepared two lists - ten things i won't be sad to leave behind, and twenty of my absolute favorite things about pasadena. we have arrived at the top ten things about life in pasadena.

#7 - free concerts

one of the coolest things about living in pasadena is the levitt pavilion summer concert series. getting in to free music concerts is always a good thing, but when they occur four times a week throughout the summer, well that is a GREAT thing. i thoroughly enjoyed katie herzig (pictured above) and the belle brigade (who are amazing - go check them out right now!) - two artists i probably would have paid to see, but i got to see them for free.

while writing this... i'm wondering if i should have made this higher on my list.

#8 - the rose parade/doo dah parade

2011-08-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.

i have accepted a position at salford mennonite church in harleysville, pennsylvania. we will be moving in september, so august will be my farewell month to the city of pasadena. when we moved here from virginia i posted a list of the ten things i would miss most about harrisonburg. i figured that would be a good way to end our time here, so each day i will be doing one final rundown of life in this great city. i have prepared two lists - ten things i won't be sad to leave behind, and twenty of my absolute favorite things about pasadena. i am going to start with ten positives and ten negatives, alternating back and forth each day. concluding with my top ten things about life in pasadena.

#8 - the rose parade/doo dah parade

here in pasadena we love a good parade. there is the big flowery one that everyone knows about, and then there is the much wilder local party known as the doo dah. i love them both - especially comparing them to each other. i think today's photos say it all. the one from the rose parade is a beautiful designed train made of flowers, the doo dah photo is of a clunky mechanical cat made of carpet.

awesome.

#9 - bike week

2011-08-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.

#10 - fuller seminary

2011-08-21T00:01:00.000-07:00

august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.

#10 - fuller seminary

let's face it. this is the reason we arrived in pasadena four years ago. without fuller, we probably would never have considered pasadena in the first place. in many ways it has been more than i ever imagined. not everything has been what i expected it to be, and sometimes i wondered what life would have been like at another seminary, but all in all i am glad i made the choice to come here.

fuller has challenged me, stretched me, and made me into a better thinker. it has given me the foundation for a huge number of relationships - both at the mentor and peer level. i am constantly amazed at the reach of this school in the global community, and i am proud to be one of its many alumni.

today's photo was taken recently. compare it with this photo of me shortly after we arrived. have i changed at all in four years??

#1 negative - disparity between rich and poor

2011-08-20T00:01:00.001-07:00

august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.

#1 negative - disparity between rich and poor

today's photo is of one of the many people who stand on our streets and beg for money. disparity exists around the world - pasadena is not unique in this fact. yet here in pasadena, we have one of the largest gaps between the wealthiest and poorest of any american city. we have neighborhoods featuring incredible wealth and lavish expansive mansions, and we have families that are struggling to pay their rent and put food on the table (in fact our local shelters often run out of space and food). peter drier, professor at occidental college, has written extensively on this issue. you can find one of his recently published articles right here.

but you don't have to take his word for it. just look at our local schools - some of the best private schools in the country, and on the flip side, some of the worst public schools. old town pasadena is home to incredible high end restaurants, and just south of old town is a soup kitchen that is always filled with people looking for food.

fortunately, pasadena does have an incredible group of people dedicated to fighting this injustice. if you are interested in learning more, this recent pasadena star article is a good place to start.

finally, here's a brilliant clip on the gap between the rich and poor from the daily show...

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

#11 - museums

2011-08-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.

#11 - museums

pasadena boasts an incredible array of museums. there are history museums, museums for kids, museums dedicated to a particular theme, and museums with a much broader appeal. heck, there is even a bunny museum! i love how accessible they are, that they have free days to visit, and that they are all so close together. today's photo is from the armory center for the arts - an incredible institution dedicated to local art here in southern california. i am definitely going to miss this aspect of california.

#2 negative - smog

2011-08-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.

#2 negative - smog

while it might make for a beautiful skyline, the pollution hanging in the air above pasadena is really pretty terrible. i hear it is much better than it was even a few decades ago - and all i have to say to that is i am surprised people were willing to live in that. when we moved here four years ago i had very mild seasonal allergies (almost none in fact). after a year of living here i had to take off the shelf allergy medication to make it through certain seasons. by the end of the second year i was taking those pills almost every day. by year three i finally got a prescription product, and now in year four i can already feel that starting to lose its effect.

simply put, there is just a lot of garbage in our air here. this article ranks los angeles county as the second worst place to live in the usa based on air quality (second to bakersfield, ca... wow). needless to say, we won't miss this - especially as parents of a young child. it is time to get her some cleaner air.

#12 - parks

2011-08-17T00:01:00.000-07:00

august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.

#12 - parks

pasadena parks... where can i begin? well, for starters i wrote extensively on twenty of pasadena's parks (you can check out that series right here). more than that, we have come to love the array of park options that abound as parents of a small child. pasadena's parks are diverse in size, shape, and what they have to offer. each one is unique in its offering - playgrounds? sports fields? pools? check. amphitheaters? nature walks? fitness equipment? you bet. trees, grass, and plants of all sizes? we've got it.

#3 negative - traffic

2011-08-16T00:01:00.000-07:00

august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.

#3 negative - traffic

just your average friday afternoon on the 210. i will not miss traffic.

#13 - biking routes

2011-08-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.

#13 - biking routes

los angeles county gets a really bad rap for its cycling culture. let's face it - this town is owned by the automobile. but, the san gabriel valley is filled with winding roads, mountain vistas, quiet neighborhoods, and quaint towns. sometimes they are a bit hard to find, but that is what makes biking in this area so much fun. ironically, when we left virginia i was sad that we'd be leaving the rolling country hills behind (you can see my lament in the list posted above). i assumed it would be flat and boring out here, but it was anything but that.

#4 negative - leafblowers

2011-08-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.

#4 negative - leafblowers

ugh. leafblowers.

fill the air with noise, polution, pollen, dust, and grime. all in the name of making things clean. every once in a while i hear that they are illegal within a certain distance of residences, but i don't see anyone following that rule.

either way, i will not be sad to leave them.

#14 - hiking

2011-08-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.

#14 - hiking

we didn't take advantage of this often enough during our time here. there is incredible hiking within a very short distance of pasadena - much of it found in the san gabriel mountains.

#5 negative - cost of housing

2011-08-12T00:01:00.000-07:00

august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.

#5 negative - cost of housing

let's face it. los angeles county is an expensive place to live. pasadena isn't one of the cheaper neighborhoods either. the building featured in today's photo lists their condo prices on their website. for around $500,000 you can purchase a one-bedroom condo in this old town pasadena location.

half a mil. for one bedroom. this is something we clearly will not miss.

#15 - the rose bowl

2011-08-11T07:18:00.000-07:00

august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.

# 15 - the rose bowl

iconic in every way, this looming stadium is tucked away in the arroyo seco. its precarious environment doesn't prevent it from hosting huge events throughout the year from college football to international soccer to major concerts. we were fortunate to check out a ucla football game during our time here, but the highlight rose bowl event for me was the incredible u2 concert that was streamed on youtube and eventually released as a concert dvd.

#6 negative - fire season

2011-08-10T00:01:00.000-07:00

august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.

#6 negative - fire season

this one needs little explanation. this photo was from 2009 during the awful station fire that destroyed much of the san gabriel mountain range just north of pasadena (coincidentally, one of the highest visitor totals of any photo i've ever put up). fire season fills the air with smoke, rains ash down across the city, and sparks fear in the lives of people who live near the the burn zones. i will have no problem leaving this part of pasadena behind.

#16 - food!

2011-08-09T00:01:00.000-07:00

august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.

#16 - food!

oh pasadena. shortly after we moved here i heard that pasadena has more restaurants per capita than any city in the country outside of new york. i'm not sure if that is true, but it sure feels like it sometime. we've enjoyed trying restaurants all over the city - from burgers to thai to mexican to chinese to ice cream to the gourmet food truck revolution... and many more! the incredible thing is that the food world doesn't end at pasadena's borders, but exists throughout the other parts of this area. we will miss this foodie paradise.

#7 negative - sprinklers/water waste

2011-08-08T00:01:00.000-07:00

august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.

#7 negative - sprinklers/water waste

it may surprise some people to learn that pasadena is a pretty dry city. from may through the end of October we average only 1.7 inches of precipitation - not monthly, for that whole stretch. much of our city water comes from northern california and from the colorado river, which means it takes a lot of energy just to provide this area with water.

and what do we do with it? why, we water our lawns! the pasadena water and power figures say that we use 29 million gallons of water each day in the city. just going on national averages of around 50-60% of water being used for landscaping, we use a LOT of water simply to make our homes look nice.

i was happy to find this sprinkler turned off, because quite often you will find them on and leaking water on the curbs, sidewalks, or roads. don't even get me started about sprinkler systems that still come on during rain storms. the water we put on our lawns is one thing, but every once in a while I still see people using a hose to spray off their driveway or sidewalk.

let me come down off my soapbox for a minute and say that we have been really inspired by some of our neighbors - those who use "grey" water for their landscaping or convert their lawns to drought-resistant landscapes. some people have opted to switch from the traditional grass lawn to a productive fruit and vegitable farm, and that just makes me smile. i grew up in a part of the world where lawn watering was almost unheard of, and water was not a commodity that had to be rationed and argued over. i certainly will not miss this aspect of pasadena.

#17 - old town pasadena

2011-08-07T00:01:00.000-07:00

august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.

#17 - old town pasadena

slightly trendy and a bit more upscale than we usually appreciate, we've still loved how close we are to this pasadena hotspot. old town has a bit of everything. it is walkable, accessible, and certainly one of the most appealing things about life in pasadena. today's photo is of the corner where the kitchen is located - one of our favorite places to eat in old town.

#8 negative - changing seasons (or lack of)

2011-08-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.

#8 negative - changing seasons (or lack of)

don't get me wrong. we loved the weather here. a touch of snow on the mountains is all we ever saw, rare rainy days, and a very comfortable daily temperature make pasadena an incredible place to live. but for two who grew up in the northeast, we miss having four distinct seasons. this happy family photo was taken on christmas day with nary a snowflake to be found. likewise, our fall season has only a few trees which lose their leaves.

okay, maybe i'm just being a nitpick with this one...

#18 - academy 6 theater

2011-08-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.

#18 - academy 6 theater

"the cheap theater" as it is known is an incredible thing about this city. movie tickets are regularily priced at the whopping price of $3, while matinees come in at $2. wednesday night brings a special deal - two tickets, two orders of popcorn, and two sodas for $10. sure the movies are not the latest releases, and the picture quality is sometimes a bit off, but this has been a great source of cheap entertainment for us during our time in pasadena.

additionally, happy 5th anniversary to my incredible wife! let's go out on a date tonight - but maybe somewhere a bit nicer than academy 6. i love you!

#9 negative - distance from family

2011-08-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.

#9 negative - distance from family

let's face it, we knew this would be an issue before we even moved here. pasadena is far from where i grew up, and far from where meredith grew up. we've made friends here that are like family, but we still miss those who we love dearly. we won't miss the distance from our family.

#19 - artnight pasadena

2011-08-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.

yesterday was the first negative item, today i'll move on to the next positive one...

#19 - artnight pasadena

pasadena has a plethora of free community events throughout the year. one of my favorites is artnight pasadena - an openhouse for the local museums (such as pasadena museum of california art, pictured above) and art galleries which is free to all. the night includes shuttle service from venue to venue, foodtrucks, walking and biking tours, and much more.

#10 negative - helicopters

2011-08-02T00:01:00.001-07:00

august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.

here is the first negative about pasadena...

#10 negative - helicopters

i'm sure there is a good reason for having noisy flying machines buzzing overhead... news, traffic, and police all use them i'm sure. but for the amount of noise they create, and the time of day they fly (usually late in the evening), they are certainly one thing i will not miss about this city.

august theme day: post card worthy/#20 - the san gabriel mountains

2011-08-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

this is a special theme day for me. on the first of every month, city daily photographers from around the world post an image on the same theme. but this is my last theme day (by the way, you can see every theme day i've participated in here).

august will be the last month of the sky is big in pasadena.

i have accepted a position at salford mennonite church in harleysville, pennsylvania. we will be moving in september, so august will be my farewell month to the city of pasadena. when we moved here from virginia i posted a list of the ten things i would miss most about harrisonburg. i figured that would be a good way to end our time here, so each day i will be doing one final rundown of life in this great city. i have prepared two lists - ten things i won't be sad to leave behind, and twenty of my absolute favorite things about pasadena. i am going to start with ten positives and ten negatives, alternating back and forth each day. concluding with my top ten things about life in pasadena.

today kicks things off with...

#20 - the san gabriel mountains

backdrop to many of my photos throughout the four years of this blog, it is hard to argue with their inclusion on my list of favorite things about pasadena. we enjoyed hiking in these mountains, we enjoyed biking in these mountains, and we enjoyed simply having them in the background of our lives here.

as i mentioned before, people from all over the blogosphere are working with today's theme. click here to view thumbnails for all participants

here's a treat!

2011-07-31T00:01:00.001-07:00

a tasty photo from old town pasadena's favorite frozen yogurt joint, 21 choices.

i have something big planned for tomorrow, and for all of august. but for now, i know what you are all waiting for - the answer to thursday's trivia contest!

there were only six correct answerers who submitted "memorial park". i'm not sure if that is because only six people were interested in prize i was offering, or if the question was just too hard for many of my readers who don't live in pasadena. either way, a random number was selected by random.org...

and since timmy was the first person with the correct answer, he wins the copy of helen of pasadena! congrats mr. tim. i hope you enjoy. for those who missed out, you can still buy a copy for yourself at your local bookstore, or by visiting the online monster linked below...

Aussie Rules Football

2011-07-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

when some friends asked if i wanted to go watch some australian ex-pats play one of their national games, i had little idea what to expect. my only contact with australian football had been a few highlights on tv.

we made the trip to a sports park in encino and were pleasantly surprised at how accessible the game was to watch - even for a newbie. we watched the los angeles dragons defeat the san diego lions.

certainly something that i never thought i'd do, but we had a great time.

pasadena palmed sky

2011-07-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

quintessential photo for this blog.

more skywatch friday photos from around the globe can be found at this link.

contest time!

2011-07-28T00:01:00.001-07:00

okay people, here is how this thing is going to work. we have an extra copy of the lovely novel "helen of pasadena", set in (you guessed it) the city of pasadena. if you would like to own this book, simply leave a comment on this blog entry with your answer to the following question...

in which pasadena park is this pint-sized train depot located?

if you need a refresher on the pasadena parks, you can check out my park series from last year. the winner will be chosen at random from those who post the correct answer. i will announce the winner on sunday's blog post.

eastward on colorado blvd

2011-07-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

more of green street

2011-07-26T00:01:00.000-07:00

frozen yogurt with which toppings?

2011-07-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

summer is here. time to head on down to cherry on top for some self-serve frozen yogurt with the toppings of your choice.

at the corner of green street and lake

2011-07-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

enjoy your summer sunday!

hangin' with dave

2011-07-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

skywatching fireworks

2011-07-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

this is a photo from our recent trip back east. our visit included a ballgame with some people to celebrate a family birthday. the game even included some post-game fireworks, hence today's photo.

more skywatch friday photos from around the world can be found right here.

by request...

2011-07-21T07:12:00.000-07:00

we took this photo last night after bumping in to some friends at levitt pavilion for the free kids putamayo show. after the photo was taken, a few of these people asked - "is this going to end up on the sky is big?"

of course.

a quick reminder that i haven't been to a dodger game in a while...

2011-07-20T07:17:00.000-07:00

the los angeles zoo

2011-07-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

after almost four years in this area, i finally made a visit to the la zoo. this visit was particularily special because my daughter (let's call her "A" - she's not a baby anymore) was along for the ride. A loved watching the various animals and her parents loved watching her expressions even more.

2011 shrine of the eternals induction ceremony

2011-07-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

i've mentioned before how much i love the baseball reliquary - one of the most incredible baseball institutions in the world (and i am happy to be a card carrying member). this year marked the third time that i have been able to attend the annual induction ceremony (you can read my entry for 2009 and 2010 by clicking on those years).

those in attendance were able to witness incredible speeches from inductees including the san diego chicken (pictured above, strutting his stuff for the crowd), and former dodger great maury wills (pictured below). baseball fans in southern california should go out of their way to make it to one of the reliquary's events - better yet, become a card carrying member and be able to vote on next year's inductees!

universal studios from above

2011-07-17T00:01:00.000-07:00

caught this view of a local tourist attraction and surrounding area from above.

trash fashion

2011-07-16T00:01:00.000-07:00

one of the most interesting things about attending the mennonite convention was the trash fashion show put on by eastern mennonite university (my beloved alma mater). the runway was set up on top of the convention center, and the models and fashion designs were done predominantly by high school and college students.

pittsburgh skyline at sunset

2011-07-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

i wasn't joking when i said that i thought pittsburgh was beautiful. more skywatch friday photos from around the globe can be found right here.

where have ya' been?

2011-07-14T20:50:00.000-07:00

just got back to town after close to two weeks on the east coast - most of it connecting with old friends and family. a big chunk of our trip was spent in the beautiful (yes, i said beautiful) city of pittsburgh. we were there for the bi-annual mennonite church usa convention (a small portion shown above). fun stuff.

i'll have more photos from our trip over the next few days.

fuller's new green space

2011-07-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

this area was designated for a new worship center at fuller seminary. the collapse of the financial market means there isn't money right now for that project, thus the space needed to be filled with something.

i'm glad fuller went "green" and put in all of these plants. brigham yen has a great write up on his website.

orange grove shopping center

2011-07-12T00:01:00.000-07:00

"baja" ranch

2011-07-11T00:01:00.000-07:00

the supermarket formerly known as "king" ranch -- i'm still not quite used to the name change.

l.a. skyline

2011-07-10T00:01:00.000-07:00

who says los angeles doesn't have a pretty skyline?

new traffic signal

2011-07-09T00:01:00.000-07:00

this didn't exist only a few weeks ago, but now you can cross orange grove safely at this cross-walk!

quite possibly, my favorite pasadena sky

2011-07-08T00:01:00.000-07:00

more skywatch friday photos can be found right here.

fast food

2011-07-07T00:01:00.000-07:00

this stretch of north lake also includes a bunch of other chain options (and some pretty cool local joints as well).

magnolia tree

2011-07-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

helmet head

2011-07-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

someone get this girl a bike!

orange grove gardens

2011-07-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

even better than yesterday's orange grove manor - am i right??

pasadena - happy fourth of july!

orange grove manor

2011-07-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

i spotted this apartment complex with a very eloquent title.

and get this, i've got an even better one for tomorrow.

plaza

2011-07-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

north lake avenue, home of several wonderful little places to find some food including polkatots cupcakes, and slaw dogs.

july theme day: the color green

2011-07-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

this month the city daily bloggers are focusing on the color green. i hope you like my choice!

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

and.....

HAPPY CANADA DAY to all my canadian friends and family. i'm heading out of town for a little while, so this blog will be on autopilot. if i take a while to respond to comments - that is why!

hutch's barbq

2011-06-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

on the recommendation of a local food blogger who claims that this place has the best burger in pasadena, i finally visited this place. and i'm happy to say that they do have a very tasty burger.

it is a shame it took me almost four years to venture to a restaurant almost right next to the place i go to school, but that is how things go (and the lack of a good reputation among my close friends may have played a role). i may never go back for anything but the burger, but i'm happy i finally took the plunge.

happy birthday!

2011-06-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

my beautiful wife has a birthday today.

i love you!

mix n' munch

2011-06-28T07:09:00.000-07:00

heading south today into laurie's territory (south pasadena) to check out the mix n' munch cereal and grilled cheese cafe.

wait...

seriously? grilled cheese and cereal? yes, you read that right. if your inner five-year-old needs to dine out in south pas, you should check this place out. plenty of mixed up cereal options, plus a very delicious selection of grilled cheese (mine included sliced apples and gouda on a hearty wheat bread).

memorial park metro station

2011-06-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

one of the pasadena stations along the gold line.

floyd s. lee

2011-06-26T00:01:00.000-07:00

another one of pasadena's brilliant vintage neon signs.

angels flight

2011-06-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

unfortunately when we visited, the trolley wasn't operating. still, it is an incredible piece of the los angeles landscape. if you know much about it, you can check out the wikipedia page.

the new vons

2011-06-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

today we are skywatching at the sight of the old vons grocery store, where a new vons is currently being built. if you want a better rundown of this project (and a fabulous shot of the sky - not overcast and washed-out like mine is), check out brigham yen's blog.

my girls.

2011-06-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

cabrera's mexican

2011-06-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

just one of the many local establishments along north lake avenue.

a busy day at the courthouse

2011-06-21T00:50:00.000-07:00

i didn't stop to ask why the tv crews were at the courthouse last week - i'm sure they had a good reason.

saladang song

2011-06-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

pasadena has many great thai restaurants, but saladang has always been one of our favorites (i've even posted about it). for some reason we never crossed the pavement to the sibling restaurant, saladang song.

last week, with my parents in town for graduation, we decided to go there. and i'm glad we did. it was just as good as the original, and i like the feel of this restaurant a little bit more. the portions seemed a bit smaller, but the food was still incredibly tasty. i bet we'll be back at some point.

the cat house

2011-06-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

yesterday i mentioned that we were up in lancaster this week. well the reason for our journey to the high desert was to visit the cat house - a fascinating little zoo designed to educate and protect exotic cat species.

most of the feline occupants were sleeping during our visit (due to the mid-day heat), but this guy was nice enough to smile for the camera.

lancaster's musical highway

2011-06-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

recently we were up in lancaster and decided to check out the musical highway. you can learn more about its history and construction(s) at roadside america's website.

i filmed our experience and you can watch it right here...

shawn green at barnes and noble

2011-06-17T00:01:00.001-07:00

last night we headed over to the americana in glendale for a book signing by former dodger (and more importantly for me, former toronto blue jay), shawn green. shawn played really amazing baseball for several years and has just written an interesting book about finding peace and tranquility while playing big league baseball.

it was also fun to meet josh from the fantastic dodger bobble website. you can read his review right here.

guitar center

2011-06-16T00:01:00.000-07:00

one of pasadena's treasures - especially if you are a guitar player. below is a photo of the well endowed wall of the acoustic guitar room.

papillon cafe

2011-06-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

i've blogged about my love for diddy riese - westwood's incredible ice cream sandwich shop - so i was really excited when irena's daily rundown of things to do in pasadena mentioned that there was a new ice cream sandwich shop moving in to town with the same prices and system that diddy reise employs.

papillon is located across the street from pasadena city college. their facebook page shows different open hours than the yelp page, so i called over to find out that the shop is open an hour later than either of those earlier sources suggested.

i loved what i got - double chocolate cookies with mint chip ice cream - but i gotta say, the portion was quite a bit smaller than what you find in westwood. this is a decent alternative (especially when you consider knocking off the drive to ucla).

looking north on los robles ave

2011-06-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

walnut hill car wash

2011-06-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

located at - you guessed it - the corner of walnut and hill.

commencement!

2011-06-12T08:52:00.000-07:00

my good friend joyce snapped off this photo during fuller's commencement ceremony yesterday.

thanks joyce!

by the way, you can all call me "master" now.

nearing the end

2011-06-11T00:01:00.000-07:00

when i began this blog almost four years ago, i was hoping that it would be an artistic outlet while i worked on my masters degree from fuller seminary. i told myself then that i would try and post a photo every day that i was enrolled.

today is my commencement ceremony celebrating the end of my degree, and frankly, i am ready for a break from daily photoblogging. fortunately for fans of "the sky is big", i still have two summer classes left to complete my degree, so my break from school (and blogging) will have to wait.

dodger stadium sunset

2011-06-10T00:01:00.000-07:00

a little chavez ravine skywatching for your friday pleasure.

pmc birthday picnic!

2011-06-09T00:01:00.000-07:00

the city of pasadena is celebrating its 125th birthday this weekend. it must be the season for significant milestones because last weekend pasadena mennonite church celebrated its 25th birthday! our church celebrated with a special service followed by a picnic in the park.

i snagged this photo from george who also goes to pasadena mennonite, so i guess this counts as another guest photographer!

more from a guest photographer

2011-06-08T00:01:00.000-07:00

andrew, who was gracious enough to be a guest photographer last friday gets another incredible cycling photo posted today - this one from last month's tour of california. in this image we see just how close fans can get to the star atheletes. in case you are wondering, that is last year's tour de france runner up, andy schleck leaving his tour bus and heading toward the starting line.

cool haus ice cream truck

2011-06-07T00:01:00.000-07:00

this is old news - especially if you are facebook friends with me. last week the cool haus ice cream truck was in pasadena and i attempted the skyscraper challenge.

i'm happy to say that i accomplished my goal, and really enjoyed myself. five scoops of ice cream and six cookies filled me up pretty nicely, and i'm happy to say that i was able to enjoy the rest of my evening without too much pain.

venice canals

2011-06-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

today we are stepping outside of the pasadena city limits to visit the venice canals. this has been on our list of things to visit almost since we arrived in california, but it took us almost four years to get to this beautiful little slice of paradise.

it really feels like a new world when you walk along the canals. time seems to slow down as you meander through the homes, boats, and beautiful gardens.

glass

2011-06-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

here's a throwback to the days when i used to have a weekly pasadena neon photo. isn't that a great sign? i think this place is still in business, but that sign hasn't been painted or touched up in years. brilliant.

kings row gastropub

2011-06-04T07:24:00.000-07:00

recently groupon had a deal at one of old town pasadena's latest foodie destinations. "perfect!", i thought to myself, "i've been wanting to try kings row gastropub".

although i must admit, the recent restaurant trend to develop a decent beer selection, make well-crafted pub food, and charge a hugely inflated price, has made me a bit frustrated. looking at their online menu confirmed that they had a good beer selection, and (sadly) the prices were on the high side for a pub, but the groupon deal persuaded me that i would take the plunge anyway.

fortunately, the food here was really excellent, and the atmosphere was really cool. there is a nice little patio that backs on to one of old town's many alleyways, and the service was friendly and pretty smooth. i'm not sure we will return and pay full price, but perhaps a return during their happy hour time slot will happen in the future.

guest photographer #3: skywatching by bicycle

2011-06-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

i was happy to get a few photos from my good friend (and fellow bearded bicycler) andrew. i hope you like them as much as i do! first up is a photo of the lovely pasadena sky with the newly bloomed jacaranda tree above.

really cool image. i'll have a few more of his photos over the next few weeks. and as usual, if you would like to be a guest photographer on the sky is big, send me your pasadena photos!

more skywatching photos from around the world can be found right here.

de milo design studio

2011-06-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

recently i ventured down to south pasadena to check out the brand new studio space of de milo design. this incredible space (located on mission st) is owned and operated by our friend annika, and it is the perfect place if you are looking for an eco-friendly and fair trade shop for your printing needs.

what's more, annika is also a local blogger who documents the process of many of her creations, as well as the stories behind the products she sells, and the people and parts of the world where they are made.

june theme day: under construction

2011-06-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

when the first of the month rolls around, hundreds of daily photoblogs from around the world focus their attention on a single theme. this month the theme is "under construction". this seems especially fitting for pasadenians as the square in front of our beloved city hall is under construction (hence, today's image).

are you interested in seeing hundreds of other takes on today's theme from around the world?

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

pasadena coffee co.

2011-05-31T06:31:00.000-07:00

memorial day

2011-05-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

my faith tradition happens to be one that historically rejected the violence of war and has kept a strong peace stance. a phrase i heard growing up on days like rememberance day, veterens day, memorial day, or other holidays celebrating military history is the following... to remember is to work for peace.

for many of you, memorial day means remembering your relatives and friends who served (or serve) in the military, but my own family history owns little of that story. my great-grandfather's business was blackballed because he was a conscientious objector during world war 1. during the second world war, my grandfathers gave their time in alternative service because of their convictions.

so for this reason i try and remember heroes of non-violence and peace on memorial day. people like gandhi, martin luther king jr, desmond tutu, and many others including my friend rob who is currently serving with christian peacemaker teams in the west bank.

you can read all about rob's incredible journey of peace right here.

family fun day at la pintoresca

2011-05-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

yesterday i ventured up to la pintoresca park for family fun day - a community event for families which included music, art, demonstrations, and even a skate park competition. this photo is of one of the many children's traditional dance groups that took place.

no, no, no, no!

2011-05-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

just a friendly reminder from a store in my neighborhood.

meeting matt kemp

2011-05-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

remember when i met andre eithier? and then jonathan broxton?

as it turns out, these kinds of things just keep popping up for dodger fans in los angeles. thanks to the incredible dodger blog, vin scully is my homeboy, i found out that dodger superstar matt kemp was going to be in burbank yesterday at a bank of america branch. i showed up with my daughter and we stood in line and were able to meet kemp and get his signature on a baseball. you can read more about that baseball over at one of my other blogs.

unfortunately, the camera was on the wrong setting so when our picture was taken, it turned out like this...

claremont's folk music center

2011-05-26T00:01:00.000-07:00

while we were in claremont for the tour of california, we made a stop at this incredible music shop owned by ben harper's family - the folk music center. the place is packed with a wide array of musical instruments from around the world. while they specialize in stringed folk instruments, there also seems to be an emphasis on instruments that convey a deep sense of cultural identity.

it is definitely worth a stop if you are in claremont.

more from the tour of california

2011-05-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

on sunday i mentioned that we had traveled to claremont to watch a stage of this year's amgen tour of california bicycle race. i wanted to share a few more photos from that day. above you see a front on picture of the peloton as they circled the city of claremont. you can see just how many people were out lining the streets, and how many professional riders started the race (although not many of them made it all the way up to the summit of mt. baldy.

below you can see how hard it is to photograph moving cyclists. i almost deleted this image before even getting home but i'm glad i didn't because as it turns out - one cyclist happens to be crystal clear! it is almost as if i photo-shopped it, or planned it that way!