it's raining, it's pouring

i don't get very inspired to go take pictures when it is raining. usually in pasadena i don't have that excuse, but lately we've had quite a bit of rain - like maybe more rain than we've had the entire year and a half we've lived in southern california.

it appears that some of my blogging neighbors are also feeling a little wet. case in point here, here, here, and here.

you may recognize this view - it's another shot of the perspective we get from our balcony.

getting back to my roots

this blog began in part because of my fascination of pictures of sky. so here's a throwback for you. this could be a cloud found almost anywhere, but i assure you it was taken in pasadena's sky!

it's still christmas in pasadena

the trees along south lake avenue - including this massive palm tree - are still decked out in white lights. i don't remember them staying up quite so long last winter. can anyone confirm that they have been up longer than normal?


on a side note, i recently had my 20,000th visitor! thanks to everyone who visits this blog on a regular basis. you have helped spread the word and made this blog into something i really feel proud of. by no means is this the most visited blog, not even in pasadena. but for something that began as a creative outlet for a theological student, and a place i figured i'd get one or two people to check out, it really has surpassed my expectations.

thank you!

happy valentines day!

i hope you all have someone in your life to share a bit of love with. not just today, but everyday! isn't that what makes the world go 'round?

this photo of me and my sweetheart is from back in september at steve and stef's wedding. don't we look good?

fluffy white cloud

this is the view from the deck on the top of fuller's new library. lovely, wouldn't you say so? its rare that our pasadena sky has fluffy white clouds like this - although our recent stretch of rain has meant we have a lot more cloud action to take pictures of. more rain coming this weekend.

and more sky watch friday photos right here!

living the high life

guest photographer today - my co-worker glory snapped this shot of me relaxing by the pool on our recent staff retreat. Nope, this isn't pasadena, but it isn't too far. several of us went east to palm springs, and had a great time! can't wait to go again.

i apologize to those who saw this earlier and noticed i was cropped out! i think i've fixed that.

outdoor corridor

this arched corridor can be found around the sides of the westin hotel here in pasadena. i feel like the arches might be hinting at another pasadena landmark - don't you?

out for a ride

the recent rain in pasadena has made riding a bike, or taking pictures, less than enjoyable. i've only taken a couple of pictures in the last week. this image is from a few weeks ago when the sun was still shining.

those familiar with pasadena's surrounding hills may recognize this as linda vista - the road that the art center college of design is located on. if you look closely you can see tim and alethia on their bikes heading down this wonderfully fast and curvy decent.


speaking of bicycles - in march i will be riding the solvang century and am currently a part of a world vision team that is trying to raise money to purchase bicycles for people in rural africa. if you would like to help out, check out my fundraising website.

first congregational church and sky (part 2)

located at the corner of los robles and walnut, and right next to fuller's campus.

you can see part one right here.

the county building

another angle of pasadena's courthouse. i'll let you be the judge of its architectural character. some scoff at it - especially when held up next to the beauty that surrounds it.

dr. glen stassen

just thought i'd share a photo of one of my favorite fuller professors. i took this during his recent chapel presentation entitled "love poured into our hearts".

from the fuller website:

"dr. stassen joined the school of theology faculty in 1997, coming to fuller with 34 years of teaching experience. he is known for his work in theological ethics, politics, social justice, and peacemaking, particularly his work with development of the “just peacemaking” theory. stassen’s book kingdom ethics: following jesus in contemporary context was awarded a best book of 2004 by christianity today. other of his books include peace action:past, present, and future, living the sermon on the mount, and just peacemaking: transforming initiatives for justice and peace."

from our balcony

we recently moved to a different apartment within our building. one of the benefits of our new place - besides the extra room - is that it has a balcony. this is our nightly view of the setting sun, which perfectly silhouettes the palm trees that line los robles ave. pretty cool, eh?

check out more sky watch friday photos right here.

how high is too high?

petrea's post yesterday inspired me to try and get the highest vantage point to take a picture of our beloved city hall. i have plenty of shots of this building from the street level, but i've struggled to find a perch that would allow me to get a birds perspective.

so just like petrea yesterday, can you guess where i am?

snorkel 60

this new building at the corner of fair oaks and california is beginning to look pretty sharp - actually it kind of reminds me of this building. i caught this guy welding something up there and i had hoped that i'd catch the spark of his welding torch - but i guess i failed in that regard.

do you think you could have a job that raises you up in a bucket every day? anyone afraid of heights out there in blogger land?

the nose wine cellar

tucked back in a little plaza along colorado blvd is this lovely little wine shop. we went there the other night to have a nice night out with some friends and were pleasantly surprised with what we found.

they offer several wines by the glass on a rotating basis. their goal is to sell only organically or bio dynamically produced labels. they have an extensive bottle collection available for purchase, and even a nice selection of tapas and finger foods to eat along side your vintage of choice.

more info can be found at their website.

cupid's valentines stout

loyal readers of this blog know i'm a fan of fine beer, and as it turns out i've been busy working on a homebrew project with two of my good friends. last night we bottled our first batch which means it should be ready to drink on valentines day. the homebrewing process is not for the impatient - our stout brewed with cocoa and strawberries will end up taking about 5 weeks from start to finish, but we think we're going to end up with one fantastic beverage.

in this picture ryan is filling the bottles and matt is getting ready to cap them. they make a pretty great team.

any suggestions for our next batch?

february theme day: paths and passages

i know, it's super bowl sunday and i shouldn't be posting about baseball. but baseball is my first love, and the first day of february means we are only two weeks away from pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training!

for those of you who are unsure of how this photo relates to today's theme day, jackie robinson (who grew up in pasadena, ca) created paths and passages by breaking the color barrier in baseball. the image today is of a plaque located inside the jackie robinson community center and is part of a larger exhibit of memorabilia.

also, february is black history month - what is more fitting than today's post?

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

another taste of pasadena sky

while crossing union street, i couldn't help but snag a shot of this vibrant sky. i'm not sure i like the street light and traffic light, but they got in my picture and there isn't much I can do about it!

sky watchin'

this image is from a little while ago, in fact i had to check my blog's history to make sure i hadn't posted it before. i'm not sure why it took me so long - the colors leap off the screen. you can make out st. andrews clock tower on the horizon, and the 210 below. i hope you like it! there are many other people celebrating sky watch friday, check them out.

travel town

located in beautiful griffith park, this train museum is worth a quick stop if you are in the neighborhood. it's just a short drive from pasadena, or about a 30 minute bike ride if you visit it the way i did recently. it includes a small train for rides for kids, and lots of big trains to gawk at. go visit travel town, and find out more right here.

a ride across the bridge with friends

this shot is from a recent ride with our friends. perfectly pasadenian with a view of the colorado street bridge, as well as the old hotel.

my world tuesday: name that buliding

this large building at the corner of union and north madison is fascinating - from the flag pole to the subtle accents to the building. it's pretty cool, but i have no idea if it has a name, or if it has a greater story.

can anyone help?

to see more photos from my world tuesday, check this out.

we breathe this stuff in??

this calm landscape image of the san gabriel valley shows just how much garbage we get to breathe in. los angeles county is working hard to clean the air, but click on the image and you can see a noticable brown smudge across the horizon. riding a bike, running or jogging, you inhale deeply, and sadly don't always get the cleanest mouthful.

but i hear it used to be much worse... like not being able to even see the mountains from pasadena.

downtown los angeles at night

i snapped this shot while at griffith park recently with some friends who were visiting from back home. it has been great to have steve and stef with us this week!

objects in mirror

closer inspection of this photo shows that the reflection also includes a reflection of the sky and palm trees in the car window. reflecting reflections - what a cool concept!

hollywood sky watch

for today's sky watch friday i'm going west just a little bit to the griffith park observatory and this view of the hollywood sign.

i hope you like it!

check out our new library!

fuller just opened their new library. when the entire project is completed it is supposed to be one of the most renowned theological libraries in the world. it is a beautiful building - lots of open space, a lovely open air terrace on top of the structure, big glass windows - basically a total shift from the old dreary library.

if you are in the area, come on in and check it out!

introducing pastor joe

on sunday, pasadena mennonite church officially installed joe roos as their lead pastor after two years of searching for someone to replace jim brenneman who had helped found pmc and had been the only lead pastor this young church had ever known.

this is a significant moment in any faith community. selecting someone to lead is a difficult task, but i think we've found a pretty special guy in pastor joe. he helped jim wallis start sojourners magazine, has spent several years as a lead pastor near washington dc, and just returned from serving at an international school in india with his wife. for a church that is passionate about global issues, social justice, and christ's call to peace, he should fit in just perfectly.

i can't take credit for this photo. pmc is fortunate to have several gifted photographers. john barkman is one of them and he does an exceptional job at documenting the life of the church. this photo is his, and if you'd like to sample more of his work, check out this website.

orange grove ale

pasadena's craftsman brewing company is small but has a lot going for it - like their orange grove ale which is brewed using real oranges from owner/brewer mark's backyard tree. of course the name is a nod to pasadena's craftsman architecture, which was the subject of several blogs last week.

yesterday and today's pictures are from a visit i took to the brewery last week to get some pictures for an upcoming article i'm writing for the upcoming eateries handbook (check out their website!). you all did a wonderful job guessing at yesterday's picture, but no one figured out that it was the brew kettle at craftsman brewing.

if you are interested, head to barney's beanery or lucky baldwin's to sample a pint from pasadena's local craft brewer.

guess the photo monday!

okay, i'm not sure if this is going to be a recurring theme or not, but today i'm going to have you guess what this picture is of.

do you need a clue?

st. barnabas episcopal church

located in northwest pasadena on fair oaks, i can't find much info on this place of worship on the internet. it looks old. anyone from the area know anything about it?

pie 'n burger

i had seen several lists that put pasadena's pie 'n burger at the top when it came to the best burgers in los angeles. needless to say, my love of a good burger made me salivate at every list i came across. i'm not sure why it took me so long to end up going here for a bite, but last week we finally got the chance! the expressions on everyone's faces say it all - we were excited to be there!

bungalow heaven

while gazing at the sky, keep your eyes peeled around pasadena for signs indicating you are no longer on earth but rather in heaven... bungalow heaven that is!

this is the last image in my attempt at laurie's craftsman challenge. if you want to see more friday sky watch photos, go here.

craftsman details

just another example of the vibrant colors and the little details that make each craftsman home unique. this one does have the stonework that yesterday's post lacked, plus check out the detailing on the eaves!

all this is part of the craftsman challenge.

participants so far include...

petrea, mr. earl, and sarah jane

(post your link if you want to be added to this list!)

photo request #16: craftsman challenge

like some kind of modern internet based dual, laurie over at glimpses of south pasadena has challenged her area counterparts to post their best photo of pasadena's craftsman homes. i've struggled to capture the best, but i've got a few offerings for her. today's is almost perfect but it lacks the iconic stonework at the base of the columns. it does have several of my favorite features - vibrant paint, a massive porch overhang, and it is surrounded with greenery.

so far mr. earl has stepped up to the challenge, and petrea followed suit, but more could come soon...

like hatching a patch for instance. good one!

griffith park observatory and the hollywood sign

a recent bike ride out to mulholland drive gave me the opportunity to catch the observatory and the hollywood sign in the same picture. pretty cool, but you have to click on the image, and try and see through the los angeles smog. cough cough.

a taste of fall in january

i grabbed this fall-like image down in south pasadena (sneaking into laurie's turf!). the leaves were so bright in the sunlight - orange is a color we see all winter long in southern california as trees try to decide whether or not they can stretch their green color through the cooler months.

a cry for gaza

i attended a protest last night at the paseo shopping plaza that was being held because of the most recent outbreak of violence in gaza. meredith and i visited israel/palestine back in early 2007 and were truly impacted by what we saw there. true, the palestinian side is not without fault, but what the state of israel is doing in the name of peace is truly unimaginable.

if you want to learn more, last night's protest was organized by some people from this website. as they mention there, palestinians in the west bank and gaza strip live in an odd and oppressive limbo. they have no nation, no citizenship, and no ultimate power over their own lives.

of course we must always be reminded that conflict in this region is nothing new as this amazing website shows. however, we should never forget the persecuted, no matter how volitile their history has been - arab and jew alike.

the aftermath

thousands of people leave behind thousands of pieces of trash on pasadena's streets. isn't there a solution to this mess? a big thank you goes out to the city's clean up crew and the hard work they do in the days following the parade.

post-parade soapbox

i expect this kind of "evangelism" at morally questionable events - marti gras, spring break, the las vegas strip, etc. - but what makes these people think that rose parade participants want to be preached at, or that the feel guilty for spending family time together on a beautiful sunny day?

this kind of witness to your faith tradition seems to create more enemies than converts. the example of jesus i read about in the bible is not a guy with a catchy slogan on a street corner, but rather someone serving the poor, needy, and the outcasts of society. how are these people following that model?

although i have to give these guys credit - at least their signs don't say "jesus caused 9-11" as we saw earlier in the day - almost as objectionable as these people.



sorry about my ranting, but this stuff gets me all fired up. also, i apologize if i have offended you with today's post.

riding in style

the grand marshall for the 2009 rose parade was actress cloris leachman, famous for starring in many different roles in film, theater, and television (including the beavis and butt-head movie???).

here she rides in a flower decked horse drawn carriage - a somewhat modest means of transportation compared to the rest of the parade.

winner of the 2009 irony award

can you make out what is on the front of this float?

"celebrating the dream of home ownership for 100 years"

somewhat ironic during these economic times, donchathink?

this one is for our friends in hawaii

our old next door neighbors recently moved back to their home state of hawaii. i was able to snag three colorful images of the hawaii all-state marching band to pass on to them. hope you enjoy!

"entertaining expedition"

another float with an elephant - what does that say about me? i thought this was another fantastic float with a lot going on, and some incredible creations. it was sponsored by the rain bird corporation and you can't really tell by looking at it, but seated in the jeep are animal experts walter crawford and jack hanna.

stealth bomber in pasadena?

for something which includes stealth in its name, this isn't a very quiet jet. you can hear it coming from a mile away and it really creates quite the noise. it was pretty cool looking, and something you don't often get to see. the fly-over was supposed to happen before the parade began, but due to some technical delays it happened part way through the parade and as you can see in the picture, people turned their cameras to the sky.

kchblog has a nice video of the event.

"bollywood dreams"

one of my favorite parade floats and picture #2 from thursday's rose parade. built by the sierra madre rose float association, it isn't the most elaborate, but does have an exceptional range of colors and patterns. plus it has an elephant!

as you can see, this is a low level unobstructed view of the float - which we obtained by spending the night sleeping on the cold hard pasadena sidewalk. an experience that i'm not looking to re-live anytime soon.

i'll be posting a few more pictures of the parade over the next few days - but if you need a fix now of more shots, you can find them at various other blogs.

happy 2009!

photo #1 from the rose parade. can you see the blimp in the sky? what about the sky writing?

check out more skywatch right here.

january 2009 theme day: 2008 photo of the year

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

the votes are in, and here is the viewer's choice for my best photo of 2008. it was originally posted on september 21, although ironically it was taken in 2007 using my old camera that is no longer in existence. it is a great photo - maybe not the one i would have picked, but one i am very proud of. thanks for all your help in selecting it!

there are 151 blogs participating in today's theme.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

stay tuned in the coming days for a review of the 2008 rose parade!