Serendipity, Orange Grove Avenue

I was trying to figure the best way to get a picture of this building at 837 E. Orange Grove Avenue in Pasadena. It looks like a nice building, with its reflective windows framed by green tiles. I thought it might be worth a photo. It's empty right now and I don't see much about it on the web; it might have been a real estate office at one time.

Sometimes when I'm considering a subject I do a wide shot, then move in closer to find the best detail shots--kind of like in movies and TV when they shoot a master of a scene, then move in for two-shots and close-ups.

So this was the master. And this woman rode through on her Vespa or whatever it is and I had already clicked. I didn't realize she was smiling until I put the shot up on the computer screen. Aren't I lucky she came through? It makes a photograph out of something that, before her arrival, was only a reference for my files. I like that the photo is mostly greens and blues, even the woman's motorcycle, except for the pinks and tans around the woman herself. And there's that one-way sign so you can't miss her! But what I love most is that she's smiling.

It was all so serendipitous. Those who follow Glimpses of South Pasadena will know why I thought of Laurie.

Zen Monday: #19

On Zen Monday you experience the photo and tell me what it's about, rather than me telling you what to experience from viewing it.

Paint Job

I was struck by the paint job on All Tune & Lube at 1280 East Walnut. I don't know much about them; the place looked awfully clean and closed for a weekday morning. I looked them up online and found a couple of excellent reviews, but not recent ones. All I can tell you is the paint job is apparently part of the franchise.

I took this picture Friday. We had a bit of rain Saturday (yay!). Big, heavy clouds spent their entire day rolling around the mountaintops. I wanted to get photos of them but my entire day was over-committed. If only it weren't so dangerous to take pictures while driving.

Psycho-Cross

Think you're tough? Oh, you probably are.

Not me. Not like these people. They're practicing for a kind of bicycle racing called Cycle-Cross.

This part doesn't look that hard. You jump off your bike, lift it over the logs and jump on again. What the camera doesn't capture is that you're going at break-neck speed.

Our local group, SoCalCross, practices on Wednesday evenings in the same place where Boz and I like to walk. Thankfully these guys are nice about dogs and Boz sorta knows to stay out of their way. Still, it's a good idea to watch out if you're walking at Hahamongna Watershed Park on a Wednesday evening. These bikers are fast!

I understand from an insider that new riders are welcome to train with them. Are you man or woman enough? Not me. I'm sticking with wide tires and baskets.

Form

It doesn't cross a river. It's not a train trestle. Its main purpose is to carry automobile traffic across a deep arroyo, the Arroyo Seco, from Pasadena to Los Angeles and vice versa. I believe its secondary purpose is to be beautiful.

Yet I never tire of the Colorado Street Bridge. I don't get tired of photographing it, crossing it or gazing at it. In fact when it's in my view I can't take my eyes off it. It's one of the prettiest bridges I've ever seen.

Some have said that form must follow function, but to follow it exclusively is to be deprived of opportunity for beauty. I'm a fan of the odd superfluous detail, myself.

Clouds

Clouds are no big deal in most parts of the world but we haven't seen them here much lately. Except this week. This week we've seen quite a few. We even had a few drops of rain the other day, but the only picture I got of that was taken in Burbank over by Warner Bros., so if you want to see it you'll have to look at Overdog.

Our temperatures have hovered around 98 degrees Fahrenheit for several days now. If you're a Centigrade person, hey! 98 is hot! Tomorrow a ten degree drop is predicted. By Saturday, it's supposed to be 70 degrees with "a few showers." We're talking a 30 degree temperature drop with rain. I've got my umbrella ready but I'm going to need a coat!

There's a term for folks like me: weather wimp.

By the way, it was USElaine who inspired me to post this.

Theme Day: Lines

The first of each month is theme day for the City Daily Photo blogs community. Today's theme is "lines." Hey, any opportunity to plug my show!

I've just begun rehearsals for "The Mystery Plays," an evening of two interrelated one-act dramas at the Still Speaking Theatre in San Marino, which borders Pasadena on the south.

Here Chad C. Wood, Justin Dew and Dariean Henderson learn blocking and LINES while Donald B. Shenk directs during our first "on-our-feet" rehearsal. The show runs November 1st through the 23rd. I'll be posting more about it.

In the meantime, there are lots of City Daily Photo blogs showing off their lines today.
Click here to view thumbnails for all participants
or click on them individually here:
Albuquerque (NM), USA by Helen, American Fork (UT), USA by Annie, Arradon, France by Alice, Ashton under Lyne, UK by Pennine, Aspen (CO), USA by IamMBB, Auckland, New Zealand by Baruch, Auckland, New Zealand by Lachezar, Austin (TX), USA by LB, Avignon, France by Nathalie, Bandung, Indonesia by Eki Akhwan, Bandung, Indonesia by Harry Makertia, Bandung, Indonesia by Bunyamin, Barrow-in-Furness, UK by Enitharmon, Barton (VT), USA by Andree, Baziège, France by PaB, Belgrade, Serbia by Bibi, Belgrade, Serbia by BgdPic, Bellefonte (PA), USA by Barb-n-PA, Bicheno, Australia by Greg, Birmingham (AL), USA by VJ, Bogor, Indonesia by Gagah, Boston (MA), USA by Cluelessinboston, Boston (MA), USA by Ilse, Budapest, Hungary by Zannnie and Zsolt, Budapest, Hungary by agrajag, Budapest, Hungary by Isadora, Buenos Aires, Argentina by Karine, Canterbury, UK by Rose, Cape Town, South Africa by JSB, Cape Town, South Africa by Kerry-Anne, Cavite, Philippines by Steven Que, Château-Gontier, France by Laurent, Chateaubriant, France by Bergson, Chateaubriant, France by trieulet, Cheltenham, UK by Marley, Chennai, India by Ram N, Coral Gables (FL), USA by Jnstropic, Durban, South Africa by CrazyCow, Edwardsville (IL), USA by Mdflores, Fort Lauderdale (FL), USA by Gigi, Franschhoek, South Africa by JSB, Geneva (IL), USA by Kelly, Glasgow, Scotland by Jackie, Greenville (SC), USA by Denton, Grenoble, France by Bleeding Orange, Hamilton, New Zealand by Sakiwi, Hangzhou, China by Chanin, Helsinki, Finland by PPusa, Hobart, Australia by Greg, Honningsvag, Norway by J., Hyde, UK by Gerald, Hyde, UK by Old Hyde, Islip (NY), USA by Bettye, Jackson (MS), USA by Halcyon, Jakarta, Indonesia by Santy, Jefferson City (MO), USA by Chinamom2005, Karwar, India by Yogesh, Knoxville (TN), USA by Knoxville Girl, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by Edwin, La Antigua, Guatemala by Rudy, Lakewood (OH), USA by mouse, Larchmont (NY), USA by Marie-Noyale, Las Vegas (NV), USA by Mo, Lisbon, Portugal by Sailor Girl, Lodz, Poland by ritalounge, London, UK by Ham, London, UK by Mo, Madrid, Spain by Tr3nta, Mainz, Germany by JB, Manila, Philippines by Heyokity, Manila, Philippines by Hilda, Manila, Philippines by Anthony, Melbourne, Australia by John, Menton, France by Jilly, Mexico City, Mexico by Carraol, Middletown (MD), USA by Bernie, Milton, New Zealand by Milton Daily Photo, Milwaukee (WI), USA by karl, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Scott, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Mitch, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Greg, Molfetta, Italy by saretta, Monrovia (CA), USA by Keith, Monte Carlo, Monaco by Jilly, Monterrey, Mexico by rafa, Muizenberg, South Africa by Pentaxjunkie, Mumbai, India by MumbaiiteAnu, Mumbai, India by Kunalbhatia, Nelson, New Zealand by Meg and Ben, New Delhi, India by Delhi Photo Diary, New York City (NY), USA by Kitty, New York City (NY), USA by Ming the Merciless, Norwich, UK by Goddess888, Orlando (FL), USA by OrlFla, Paderborn, Germany by Soemchen, Palos Verdes (CA), USA by tash, Paris, France by Elsa, Paris, France by Eric, Pasadena (CA), USA by Can8ianben, Pasadena (CA), USA by Petrea, Pensacola (FL), USA by P J, Petoskey (MI), USA by Christie, Philadelphia (PA), USA by Andrew Foderaro, Phoenix (AZ), USA by Sharon, Pilisvörösvár, Hungary by Elise, Port Angeles (WA), USA by Jelvistar, Prague, Czech Republic by kakna, Quezon City, Philippines by ann pablo, Quincy (MA), USA by slim, Rabaul, Papua New Guinea by Jules, Ramsey, Isle of Man by babooshka, Reykjavik, Iceland by Vírgíll, Riga, Latvia by Riga Photos, Roanoke (VA), USA by Tanya, Rome, Italy by Giovanni, Rotterdam, Netherlands by Ineke, Rouen, France by Bbsato, Saarbrücken, Germany by LadyDemeter, Saigon, Vietnam by Simon, Saint Louis (MO), USA by Strangetastes, Saint Paul (MN), USA by Kate, Salt Lake City (UT), USA by Eric, San Antonio (TX), USA by Kramer, San Diego (CA), USA by Felicia, San Francisco (CA), USA by Burd Zel Krai, San Francisco (CA), USA by PFranson, Schenectady (NY), USA by Buck, Seattle (WA), USA by Kim, Seattle (WA), USA by Chuck, Selma (AL), USA by RamblingRound, Sequim (WA), USA by Eponabri, Sesimbra, Portugal by Aldeia, Setúbal, Portugal by Maria Elisa, Silver Spring (MD), USA by John, Singapore, Singapore by Keropok, Singapore, Singapore by Zannnie, Sofia, Bulgaria by Antonia, South Pasadena (CA), USA by Laurie, Stanwood (WA), USA by MaryBeth, Stayton (OR), USA by Celine, Stockholm, Sweden by Stromsjo, Sunshine Coast, Australia by bitingmidge, Sydney, Australia by Sally, Sydney, Australia by Ann, Székesfehérvár, Hungary by Teomo, Tacloban City, Philippines by agnesdv, Tamarindo, Costa Rica by David, Telluride (CO), USA by mtsrool, Terrell (TX), USA by Jim K, Terrell (TX), USA by Bstexas, Test City (MA), USA by , Torun, Poland by Glenn, Toulouse, France by Julia, Turin, Italy by Livio, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina by Jazzy, Twin Cities (MN), USA by Slinger, Vienna, Austria by G_mirage2, Wailea (HI), USA by Kuanyin, Washington (DC), USA by D.C. Confidential, Wellington, New Zealand by Jeremyb, West Sacramento (CA), USA by Barbara, Weston (FL), USA by WestonDailyPhoto, Willits (CA), USA by Elaine, Yardley (PA), USA by Mrlynn,