Theme Day: Graffiti/Street Art

The City Daily Photo Blog community has theme days on the first of each month. When I heard the March theme would be Graffiti or Street Art, I knew what I wanted to photograph.

When you cross the 210 Freeway on Orange Grove Avenue, you're greeted by this audacious utility box. The city usually eliminates graffiti immediately; anything resembling a gang slogan doesn't stay put for long. But this has been there a while. Either it's sanctioned, or someone on the clean-up crew has a soft spot for it, like I do.

Below, please find the other City Daily Photo blogs participating this month. There are lots of them! Try clicking on a few you've never visited before. Have an adventure.

Adelaide, Australia by Gordon, Albuquerque (NM), USA by Helen, Aliso Viejo (CA), USA by Rodney, American Fork (UT), USA by Annie, Anderson (SC), USA by Lessie, Arradon, France by Alice, Ashton under Lyne, UK by Pennine, Athens, Greece by Debbie, Auckland, New Zealand by Lachezar, Austin (TX), USA by LB, Bandung, Indonesia by Guntur Purwanto, Baziège, France by PaB, Belgrade, Serbia by BgdPic, Bellefonte (PA), USA by Barb-n-PA, Bicheno, Australia by Greg, Boston (MA), USA by Fenix, Boston (MA), USA by Sarah, Whit, & Leyre, Boston (MA), USA by Cluelessinboston, Brighton, UK by Harvey, Bucaramanga, Colombia by Fernando, Budapest, Hungary by Zannnie and Zsolt, Budapest, Hungary by Isadora, Buenos Aires, Argentina by Karine, Canterbury, UK by Rose, Cape Town, South Africa by Kerry-Anne, Chandler (AZ), USA by Melindaduff, Chateaubriant, France by Bergson, Cheltenham, UK by Marley, Chicago (IL), USA by b.c., Chicago (IL), USA by U R us, Christchurch, New Zealand by Michelle, Clearwater (FL), USA by Smaridge01, Clearwater Beach (FL), USA by Smaridge01, Cleveland (OH), USA by iBlowfish, Cologne, Germany by April11, Coral Gables (FL), USA by Jnstropic, Detroit (MI), USA by Taittems, Dunedin (FL), USA by Smaridge01, Durban, South Africa by CrazyCow, Evry, France by Olivier, Forks (WA), USA by Corinne, Glasgow, Scotland by Jackie, Greenville (SC), USA by Denton, Grenoble, France by Bleeding Orange, Guelph, Canada by Pat, Helsinki, Finland by Kaa, Hobart, Australia by Greg, Hyde, UK by Gerald, Inverness (IL), USA by Neva, Jackson (MS), USA by Halcyon, Jefferson City (MO), USA by Chinamom2005, Joplin (MO), USA by Victoria, Juneau (AK), USA by Gwyn, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by Edwin, Kyoto, Japan by Tadamine, Larchmont (NY), USA by Marie-Noyale, Le Guilvinec, France by ds2944, Lisbon, Portugal by Sailor Girl, Lisbon, Portugal by Jsaltao, Lodz, Poland by ritalounge, London, UK by Ham, London, UK by Mo, Mainz, Germany by JB, Maple Ridge, Canada by Susan, Mazatlan, Mexico by Kate, Melbourne, Australia by Mblamo, Melbourne, Australia by John, Memphis (TN), USA by SouthernHeart, Menton, France by Jilly, Mexico, Mexico by Poly, Mexico City, Mexico by Carraol, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Greg, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Mitch, Monte Carlo, Monaco by Jilly, Montréal, Canada by Douber, Moscow, Russia by Irina, Mumbai, India by Kunalbhatia, Mumbai, India by MumbaiIteanu, Naples (FL), USA by Isabella, Nashville (TN), USA by Chris, Nelson, New Zealand by Meg and Ben, New Orleans (LA), USA by steve buser, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK by Cassie & Chris, Niamey, Niger by Dinabee, Norwich, UK by Goddess888, Nottingham, UK by Gail's Man, Ocean Township (NJ), USA by Josy, Paris, France by Eric, Pasadena (CA), USA by Petrea, Pasadena (CA), USA by Can8ianben, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia by Murphy_jay, Pilisvörösvár, Hungary by Elise, Port Angeles (WA), USA by Jelvistar, Port Elizabeth, South Africa by Sam, Port Vila, Vanuatu by Mblamo, Prague, Czech Republic by Honza03, Quincy (MA), USA by Cluelessinboston, Radonvilliers, France by Deslilas, Riga, Latvia by Prokur, Rome, Italy by Giovanni, Rotterdam, Netherlands by Ineke, Saarbrücken, Germany by LadyDemeter, Saint Louis (MO), USA by Strangetastes, Saint Paul (MN), USA by Kate, Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation by Lark, San Antonio (TX), USA by Kramer, San Diego (CA), USA by Felicia, San Diego (CA), USA by Zentmrs, Santa Fe (NM), USA by Randem, Seattle (WA), USA by Chuck, Seattle (WA), USA by Kim, Seguin (TX), USA by Thien, Selma (AL), USA by RamblingRound, Sesimbra, Portugal by Aldeia, Setúbal, Portugal by Maria Elisa, Sharon (CT), USA by Jenny, Silver Spring (MD), USA by John, Singapore, Singapore by Keropok, Sofia, Bulgaria by Antonia, St Francis, South Africa by Sam, Stavanger, Norway by Tanty, Stayton (OR), USA by Celine, Stockholm, Sweden by Stromsjo, Subang Jaya, Malaysia by JC, Sydney, Australia by Sally, Székesfehérvár, Hungary by Teomo, Terre Haute (IN), USA by Zann, Terrell (TX), USA by Bstexas, Terrell (TX), USA by Jim K, The Hague, Netherlands by Lezard, Tokyo, Japan by Tadamine, Torun, Poland by Torun Observer, Toulouse, France by Julia, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina by Jazzy, Twin Cities (MN), USA by Slinger, Vienna, Austria by G_mirage2, Wailea (HI), USA by Kuanyin, Wassenaar, Netherlands by Rich, Wellington, New Zealand by Jeremyb, West Paris (ME), USA by crittoria, West Sacramento (CA), USA by Barbara, Weston (FL), USA by WestonDailyPhoto, Wrocław, Poland by Loompi, Yardley (PA), USA by Mrlynn

Webster's

I just love Webster's. Love, love, love Webster's. It's a pharmacy, gift shop, post office, liquor store, stationery supplier, card shop, video rental shop and scrapbooking store all rolled into one place.

Well, not exactly one place.

After being in business since 1926 as a single, connected store, Webster's has been divided into separate entities in the last year or so. Now, to go from the pharmacy to the stationery store, for example, you have to exit to the parking lot or the street. As I understand it, it's for accounting purposes. But Webster's—all of it—is still owned by members of the Webster family. Third generation now.

If I remember correctly, Webster's is the second oldest business in Altadena. The oldest is Altadena Hardware. I make the trip there because I like supporting family-owned and small businesses. Plus, people at the pharmacy know me by name. It's one of the small-town pleasures you can still get around here if you look for it. And if you nurture it.

Pasadena's Black History

Pasadena celebrates Black History Month with a parade and other festivities, as many cities do. African Americans have been settling in this area since the early twentieth century, and Pasadena claims many famous sons. Daughters, too.

Jackie Robinson and his brother Mack Robinson attended Muir High School and Pasadena City College. Both were star athletes, but there was more to them than athletic prowess, as this monument across from City Hall suggests. Inscriptions on the backs of the heads highlight what they did and, more importantly, who they were: civic-minded men who continue to inspire all who come after them, not just African Americans.

Before our eyes, African Americans are making history one wouldn't have thought possible just a few short years ago. The world knows about Barack Obama, but you may not have heard that today, Karen Bass was elected to be the next Speaker of the California Assembly. She's the first African American woman to hold that position in the nation. Alas, she's from Los Angeles, not Pasadena. Damn.

Some day there won't be a need for Black History Month because Black History will simply be thought of as Our History. But for now there's plenty of cause to celebrate.

Thanks to Palm Axis for this information: The 1997 Pasadena Robinson Memorial was created by African American artist John Outterbridge (of Los Angeles) and the team of Ralph Helmick and Stuart Schechter.

City Hall Courtyard

Today I met a friend for lunch. We chose the courtyard at City Hall as our meeting place. Back in January I had posted a picture of the entrance to City Hall and promised more photos of that august structure. I'm no dummy. I went early and took my camera.

I wasn't early enough, though. That building must have at least a thousand good angles, so I'll have to keep going back.

The belvedere in the background of this shot is one of four that mark the corners of the courtyard. In the middle ground you see the cast stone Baroque fountain that's been there since the building was constructed in 1927. I don't suppose the urn in the foreground is as old as everything else, but it's a nice touch.

TMAD Taylor & Gaines. Shiny.

This building shines over the parking lot of Trader Joe's at Hastings Ranch. And this is only the back. Around front a sign designates it as TMAD Taylor & Gaines.

TMAD Who? I park there to buy groceries. I've admired the reflected view of the mountains (click on the photo to see funhouse snow-caps!). But I haven't kept up on structural, electrical or even mechanical system design. Sorry.

Once again, I had to do some research. (What did I ever do without the web? I love the library and there's no substitute for it, but I can't go several times a day.)

TMAD T&G has designed everything from shopping malls to high-tech laboratories. But what impresses me most is their attention to sustainable design, energy conservation and LEED certification services. That's the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System. As more communities aspire to build (and renovate buildings) to that standard, more companies will need to know how.

Defenders Parkway

If I want new shots on the blog, I can't take the same route home every day. I'll run out of things to photograph, and everyone in the blogosphere will know where I live.

So I meant to turn left and turned right instead. I parked when I saw what looked like a gravestone next to a condo building at a busy intersection. That's just not right.

But it isn't a grave. On City Hall's website, this marker is described thusly: "Granite Monument - Unknown who placed it or when it was erected." Very mysterious. Maybe "the mothers of the defenders of the flag" felt that was identification enough. We can narrow down the placement date to sometime after 1917 and before, say, 1945, or I daresay there'd be another date etched into the stone.

The Parkway, a cement footpath, starts at the southwest corner of Colorado and Orange Grove Blvds. and takes you to the Colorado Street Bridge. If you enlarge the photo below, you can see the globes of the Bridge lamps in the distance.

Golden Statues

It's Oscar® night. It seemed like I should post something golden. This display at the Pasadena Antique Center has at least two golden statues in it, but they're not Oscars®.I have a gold-colored statue at home, but it's not an Oscar®,either.

G®®®®®®®®.