Blogging with Sadie!!!

This morning while I was going through my usual morning blog routine, Miss Sadie joined me and was quite fascinated by the blogs...

(ok...I think it was the little pointer moving around the screen and the changing pictures...)

Sadie was especially mesmerized by Miss V's B'ham blog...I think she really liked the magnolia!!!

I didn't think I'd get these shots as my camera was in the other room...I got up, ran and got my camera, and she stayed!!!

She's back again...checking to make sure I put the right pics up!!!

Pasadena PIO's tour of city hall, part 2!!!

Going to a Pasadena City Council meeting??? You'll have to pass through one of these fabulous doors...

One of the most impressive aspects of the retrofit/renovation is the attention that was paid to the details through out the interior of city hall...

Floor's eye view of the gallery...

If you're attending a council meeting to speak or just paying attention to the going's on in the city, you'll be sitting here...

One of the fascinating stories Ann told was of the re-creation of the stenciling on the ceiling of the chamber. She told us that in researching the stenciling, they went all the way to Finland

and actually found the original stencils! (I'm pretty sure it was Finland...darn...I didn't write it down!!!)

How's this for hallway art!!!

Now, if you look closely at the crest above, you'll see a crown with a key directly below it. The founding fathers were from Indiana, and Pasadena was founded as an Indiana colony. Now how might these two facts be related, you might ask? The name Pasadena is a Chippewa word...now there are no, and never have been, any Chippewa Indians in the San Gabriel Valley...yep...they're from Indiana....Now there was great debate as to the meaning of Pasadena, did it mean Crown of the Valley or Key to the Valley? ("Ah ha" you say, now you're getting the picture!) The town fathers debated this in city council (it's in the minutes!!!), brought in linguists from Indiana, but still couldn't come up with a definitive answer....and so, they finally agreed to include both on the crest!!! Well done!!!

A day shot of one of my previous night shots, from a different angle!!!

Wouldn't you much rather get stuck in this charming elevator than any of those sleek metal ones in most all of the buildings of today!!!

Even the pipes look new and fresh!!!

After a delightful and informative tour, we bloggers gathered at the local blog eatery...California Pizza Kitchen...

Good food, fun people

A lovely afternoon!!! Thanks to Ann Erdman, Pasadena Public Information Officer!!!

Pasadena PIO's tour of city hall, in two parts!!!

On May 8, the city of Pasadena's Public Information Officer, Ann Erdman, honored local bloggers by offering a tour of the recently renovated Pasadena City Hall. Ann was a fabulous tour guide and hostess! She told us about the history of the building...from the town fathers city council meeting debating the merits of the key or the crown as the appropriate symbol for the crest, the million plus dollars it cost in the 1920's to construct the building, and the most recent retrofit and renovations...

An impressive entrance!!!

Original light fixtures...

An often photographed walkway...parts of the city hall can be rented for special events, or to photograph a wedding party, or....

I think he was sticking his tongue out cause Virginia wasn't in the crowd...I think he wanted his pic taken by the Master!!!

Ann, doing her thing...and doing it so well!!!

The courtyard and back entrance of City Hall...

One of the most impressive aspects of the renovation was the attention to detail...

The stairway to heaven???

The illustrious mayors of the City of Pasadena...

More in a few days!!!

V-Day!!! ...Southern California/Birmingham, Alabama style!!!

In the end of April, Virginia of Birmingham Alabama Daily Photo fame came to Southern California to visit for a few days and had a whirlwind tour of some of the hottest spots in SoCal!!! We started at the Huntington Library where Virginia got to show us all up with her outstanding shots of the gardens,here, and our group, here and here...

Soooo, not to be out done by Ms. V, I got a couple of shots of Ms Laurie (Glimpses of South Pasadena Daily City Blog) and Raine, the recent birthday girl...

the group with the decent docent of Altadena Hiker fame, Karin Bugge...

and a quick capture of Petrea, of Pasadena Daily Photo fame...

hugs for Mama Laurie and kidlet Raine...

and our fine feathered friend by the pond at the Huntington...

on a quick walk to the tea room for high tea...

Petrea, Virginia and Judy, Virginia's hostess with the mostest!!!

Ms Tash of Palos Verdes Daily Photo had her camera to her eye as often as Ms V!!!

and did you really think anyone in this group would not have a camera???

Mr. Earl...basking in the delight of being in the company of all these crazy women!!!

On our way out of the gardens...Virginia had to get in just one more shot!!!

Then on to:

Dinner at Bistro de La Gare in So Pas

Lunch the next day at Villa Sorriso in Pasadena Norte...

A walk around Ambassador College grounds...

Kaldi's in South Pasadena...

And the bistro at Casa de Chieftess in Glendale...

Whew!!! I'm exhausted!!! For more photos...be sure and check in with each of this crazy crew on their fab blogs...

Happy Mom's Day!!!

It's Mother's Day and I want to say I have the great good fortune of being blessed with an awesome Mom-in-law!!! It's been quite a few years since my own mom passed to the other side of life, but I lucked out when I married the Hubman...his mom is the best!!! At 89 she's goin' strong...even bought herself a great new little car...yep, a VW convertible..in red!!! Which she drives in style...even a bit of a Grace Kelly nuance thanks to Great Grandaughter Kieley's red shawl!!!

Happy Mom's Day Jackie!!!

Takin' a class in night photography...

Many of you know that I've been taking photography classes at Tri-Community Photography Center, an adult education program in the Covina Unified School District... It's really a cool program, and definitely geared to the adult who wants to learn (or play) in photography. For a single fee per term, you can take as many classes as you want, use the lab, and no attendance requirements as "we're all adults, and while we know that sequential learning may be best, we also have lives and can't always make it!" They take attendance, but not for grades...as there are no grades. If you complete a certain amount of hours, you earn a vocational certificate... The instructors are all professional photographers in their own right...and you can take classes in Photoshop, Lightroom, basic camera and photography, Portraiture, Lighting...you name it...they've probably got a class in it!!! These were taken for Eva's night photography class..my first location shoot for this class...others made it to the other previous night shoots..I told Eva the next time I saw her that I didn't think night photography was my thing...I got very frustrated with my monopod and settings...then I downloaded my photos...so tell me, what do you think???

The Castle Green in Pasadena, CA

A jazz bar and dinner house...Red, White and Bluezz

Pasadena City Hall...

From inside city hall...

The back side of City Hall...

All Saints Episcopal Church...across the street from Pasadena City Hall...

Another shot of City Hall...

An interesting doorway on the way back to my car...

Loved the lighting and the reflections in the glass...again, on the way back to the car...

Another shot of Red, White and Bluezz jazz club...

And a last shot of the Castle Green...