colorado blvd (four years ago)

this was the first picture of pasadena that i ever took.  just over four years ago we flew from virginia to california so that we could have a nice california vacation and for me to check out fuller seminary (although at the time, i wasn't seriously considering it as an option).

we left behind cold winter weather, and arrived to sunny so-cal - much like what we've been experiencing lately.

we ended up falling in love with fuller seminary and with this city, and decided on the flight home that we might actually be crazy enough to load up our things and move all the way across the country.  we ended up making a decision that would change our lives, and we sure are happy we did that.

oakland community garden

i've noticed the oakland community garden before, but i know very little about it beyond the fact that i live close by.  they have a sizeable space, and seem to grow a good variety of produce - almost year round - but more information is hard to come by.

but - while searching for more details, i found out that there is a new group trying to get an official community garden started in pasadena.  you can learn more about the group at their website, right here.

fuller seminary throwback aerial photo

borrowing a theme from our ann erdman, our public information officer's fantastic mystery history series, i'd like to show you a photograph i have very information on, nor did i take this photo myself.

this image was found on fuller's campus by one of my coworkers. he snagged it when someone in our building was cleaning out their office. i'm not sure of the year, or who took this photo, or even how it survived. But those who are familiar with the area will notice several very interesting things. orient yourself with city hall in the upper left corner, with los robles and oakland as the two visible horizontally moving roads, and walnut and union as the visible verticly aligned streets.

a few things i noticed...

- the massive parking lot behind all saints church where plaza los fuentes now stands
- oakland avenue goes right through fuller's campus where a tree-lined walkway now appears
- there is no trace of our, ahem... beautiful courthouse
- obviously fuller's new library is not in the picture
- likewise, the pasadena museum of california art and the pacific asia museum are missing

so can someone give me an estimation of when this photo was taken? can you spot other differences between now and then?

photo request #9: fuller bookstore and coffee by the books

life observer, over at the wonderful cafe pasadena requested that i take a picture of the fuller bookstore and coffee shop. unlike other campus bookstores, they have yet to fully "sell out" and are still considered an independent bookstore rather than one run by efollet or something else. i'm pretty proud of my school for remaining strong in this regard.

coffee by the books is also pretty outstanding. located behind the bookstore, they serve fair trade coffee and other tasty goodies. really a fantastic alternative to the many starbucks in town.