Still Life with Dog Paw

I've been wanting to post more pictures of Boz, but I know myself. I'm like people who show photo after photo of their kids--it's okay for the first couple of shots but very soon the pictures are cute only to the parents.

I am not Boz's parent. I'm more like his artistic partner. He's always got ideas for different shots to do.

Dogs have the need for artistic expression. Sure they do. Ask any expert.

Art, Art Everywhere

We were just walking, is all, moseying through the park, not expecting to find art. But this is the Dena, where you practically trip over art if you're not careful.

Kids played on the jungle gym. A couple flirted at one of the picnic tables. Guys got a soccer game going on the baseball field. I've never seen anyone play baseball there, only soccer.

If anyone noticed me taking pictures, they didn't care. No one claimed ownership of these works. I have no explanation for them whatsoever. There were birds' nests, landscapes and, uhm, what-have-you, but this is the piece that struck my fancy. This is the seminal one. I hope I don't mean that in all its definitions, but now that I think of it I don't want to know what materials were used.

Slacker

I took a brain vacation yesterday. I couldn't make the thing work anyway, so I didn't have much choice.

Usually I work at my desk. I write stuff, move paper around, organize things and generally make myself look important to myself. But yesterday I could not figure out which paper went into which pile.

Coffee was no help. That brain would not apply itself to the meaningless crap I had to prioritize. So I left everything and went outside.

I repotted a plant. I swept the back porch. I chopped up the rosemary that's been taking over the back yard. (Hey! There's a passage around the side of the garage. I'd forgotten.)

At my desk once again, I moved a piece of paper. It didn't seem to be in the right pile.

So I went out for a cup of coffee. I took a note pad. I wrote things on it while I drank my coffee. It was the most work I got done all day.

It felt strange not to be my usual productive self. As most freelancers will tell you, when you work for yourself you work seven days a week, much more than 9 to 5. A day off is an anomaly. But I guess I needed it. It's a good thing my boss wasn't paying attention.

iPhone Wednesday #5 - Bark

Not, like, as in "woof." Although it's high time for another Boz post.

This is a close-up of a tree (what kind?) shedding its bark in Washington Park.

I've downloaded a bunch of photography apps on the iPhone but I never use them. I'm sure I will sooner or later, but I'm not into messing with photos too much. I like the act of capturing the thing I see. I think "capture" is a good word for it because I see something interesting and I want to take it with me. The photo is a method of doing that inside of the law.

The colors in this bark were intense, but I think the camera gave it some oomph.

Zen Monday: #86

Zen Monday is the day you experience the photo and give us your thoughts rather than me telling you what I think the photo's about. There's no right or wrong. It means what you think it means, or what you want it to mean.

I look for a photo worth contemplating or, failing that, something odd or silly. And unless I absolutely must say something I stay out of the comments box to avoid influencing the intellectual path of the discussion, because when I get in there everything goes downhill.

As I post each new Zen Monday photo I add a label to last week's to identify it if necessary.

Oh, sort of frazzled. You?

Christmas is in less than a week. I'm not ready. That's why I'm posting a photo of the swings at Washington Park instead of the Christmas tree at City Hall or the decorations at Christmas Tree Lane or the Balian Mansion in Altadena.

I'm notorious for this, but at least I'll have gifts in the mail to my family before New Year's this time.

Are you ready?

Zen Monday: #69

Zen Monday is the day you experience the photo and give us your thoughts rather than me telling you what the photo's about. I look for something worth thinking about or, failing that, at least something odd or silly.

As I post each new Zen Monday photo I'll add a label to last week's to identify it if necessary--if I know what it is.

Freak Creek

Pasadena Daily Photo has had a lot of outside input lately. As long as people tell us interesting stories, you won't find me complaining.

This one's not so much a story as it is a question: What is, or was, Woodbury Creek?

On June 24th, I received an email from Stan Ellington of Pasadena, telling me about this "concrete stream bed that flows from under Mountain Street just east of El Molino Ave. (Gladys Ct. and Mountain St.). I think this is Woodbury Creek," he said, "that used to flow through Washington Park but is now mostly underground. I can't find it on any map of Pasadena. Do you have any information on this stream?"

I didn't have any information, but that didn't stop Stan. He found LA Creek Freak, a blog about LA's lost waterways, and asked them the same question. On June 29th they posted the outstanding entry, Woodburied Creek. They even posted maps. The one I've linked to shows a blue line through the area at the southeast corner of Washington and El Molino, where you'll find Washington Park. The line continues south between El Molino and Palm, meeting up with Mountain Avenue at Gladys Court where Stan had first noticed the creek.

In her post on LA Creek Freak, Jessica Hall said, "I suspect the City of Pasadena may also have stormdrains over the creek, as we all know it is encased in concrete today." Gee, ya think? From the same position where I took the above photo, I turned around 180 degrees and took this:
The framing's not perfect. I didn't realize at the time what I was taking a picture of. But sure enough, there you have a storm drain and a manhole cover.

Just yesterday Boz and I were walking along another street that crosses the creek path, and we passed a driveway with a manhole cover right in the middle of it. I'd never seen that before. I checked the map and it, too, is in the (concrete) path of Woodbury Creek.

Stan's question still feels unanswered. But I want to thank Stan for asking it and for turning all of us on to LA Creek Freak. They are a find. Maybe someday we'll find Woodbury Creek, too.

Washington Park: What She Said

Yesterday's post about Washington Park brought informative and informed comments from Pasadena's Public Information Officer, Ann Erdman. In case you missed her or you don't read blog comments, I asked Ann if I could quote her in today's post. Ann knows a lot about pretty much everything in Pasadena, plus it gives me a chance to post this photo of the river rock bridge at Washington Park:

"I love giving background about this park!

Credit for the transformation of Washington Park needs to be shared with the Friends of Washington Park and the Washington Square Neighborhood Association. They did tremendous outreach to get volunteers who worked side-by-side with city Public Works crews, and they were at the table throughout the planning and implementation of the improvements.

Big credit should also go to City Councilman Victor Gordo and his field representative Vannia De La Cuba. They advocated for the improvements as well, and worked closely with the neighbors.

Everyone expressed the desire to restore the historic structure and beauty of the park, bring it into compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements and emphasize its association with landscape architect Ralph Cornell an horticulturalist Theodore Payne, who designed the park in the early 1920s. At that time it was known as one of the most beautiful places in Pasadena, but later it fell into disrepair.

Much of the funding for the improvements was provided by a Proposition 40 grant from the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy. The design team of Troller-Mayer, Bob Perry and Onyx Architects designed ramada-style picnic shelters and a nature interpretive kiosk.

Extensive re-landscaping with new irrigation and indigenous plants, and a stage built from recycled stones are all featured in the 5.2-acre park. The park retains most of its historical hardscape, including river rock structures such as the arched bridge [above] and many original trees.

Washington Park was rededicated in all its improved glory in 2006.

A couple of months ago there was a big cleanup and tree-planting at Washington Park, and the neighbors were right there once again!"


Whew. That was an easy post to write. Admittedly, I spent a little time on the links. But I understand that's good for a blogger.

Thank you, Pasadena PIO.

Almost Picnic Time

Not much was going on at Washington Park while I was there yesterday. A man sat on a bench and took in the weather. A woman relaxed on the grass and read a book while her baby napped in the stroller.

There's often a game of tennis, basketball or raquetball happening. The park has swingsets and picnic tables, and recently-installed weight machines that use your own weight. The place is well-kept, and well-used most times of the day.

But while Boz and I moseyed through there yesterday, mostly all that was happening was shadows growing longer, or taller, as the case may be.