ICE for USElaine

This blog thing is more than posting photos and jabbering about them. Through blogging I've learned about my town, made friends and expanded my life. Many folks I've met are in the Pasadena area; many more are virtual acquaintances, scattered throughout the world. I'm old enough to find it amazing that I can talk to friends in Paris, Pakistan and Persia every day. I don't know if we're all on our best behavior or if people are just generally good. I think it's the latter.

One person I've come to admire is USElaine of Willits Daily Photo. With straightforward prose she tells vast stories in few words, letting her readers' minds fill in the shading. She's similarly skilled with the camera. A simple, straightforward image can have many facets - of time, thought or possibility. She posts a jewel so often that Benjamin Madison of Victoria Daily Photo coined the phrase USElaine's gems to describe her style.

This ice house stands in the parking lot at Webster's in Altadena. When I took the shot I thought of USElaine and wondered, "How would Elaine shoot this?" I decided she would shoot it straight on and let the shadows do their thing.

The First Cut Contest: Page 20

"The windows faced Garfield Street and the courthouse, an unadorned concrete rectangle lined with soulless windows."

Thus, with a touch of noir, Pasadena novelist Dianne Emley describes Pasadena's Superior Court building in her Pasadena-centric novel The First Cut. Pasadena Pasadena Pasadena!

Did you know we're having a contest? Read The First Cut, answer a few easy questions about it and win a copy of Cut to the Quick, the second book in Emley's Nan Vining Thrillogy.

Here are the rules, which I first posted last week:
1. Read The First Cut. (It's available at Vroman's or your favorite book store. You can read a description of the book on Dianne's website.)
2. Answer four easy questions about the book, which are posted below.
3. Email your answers to me (link at upper left of blog) by the January 27th deadline.
4. Feel free to email me any questions you have about the contest, or post your questions in the comments section.

Three winners will be drawn from the correct entries. Each will win a copy of the second book in the Nan Vining Thrillogy! It's called Cut to the Quick, and it'll be released as a paperback original on January 27th.

READY FOR YOUR QUESTIONS? Here we go:
1. What word is written on the refrigerator magnet Nan receives from T.B. Mann?
2. What's the name of the nightclub owned by John Lesley?
3. What song is played at Frankie Lynde's funeral?
4. What does Frankie's voice say to Nan on the CD that Emily records?

And the bonus question:

5. How many times has Nan's mother been married?

I don't know why it's a bonus question. You don't have to answer it to win. I couldn't. Dianne asked me that one and I had no idea. But you get brownie points if you know it. Maybe we'll use it as a tie-breaker.

We're on, people. Let me hear from you, and let's have fun!

Zen Monday: #30

Zen Monday's the day you experience the photo and tell us what you think, rather than me telling you what the photo's about.
There's no right or wrong. If the photo evokes something in you, that's all it is.

Change

It's sacrilege, I'm sure, to leave Pasadena at Tournament of Roses time. But John and I aren't religious so we skipped town and went to the beach for a couple of days. (If you'd like to see hometown Rose Parade posts, check out West Coast Grrlie Blather or East of Allen.)

So. Tomorrow's Monday. Back to the grind. Back to normal.

But not really.

There's change coming. The year feels new. We're putting one foot in front of the other, not knowing what the ground looks like until our foot lands on it. We can't see where we're going until we get there. It's scary.

Change is the one thing we can count on. It's necessary. Things do not stay the same, they never have. We know change is good, but it can be overwhelming.

This is probably why we cling to beloved traditions like Christmas trees and the Rose Parade. It's why our garages fill up with old relics that never get used or even looked at. It's why we stick to routine, it anchors us.

It's like sleeping in your own bed after you've been away for a few days. It may not be the greatest bed. The pillow may be lumpy. But it's what you're used to, and that's a comfort.

Eaton Walk

At Eaton Canyon you park near the Nature Center, cross the wash and turn left to hike the many paths. At least it seems that's what most people do. The hike to Henninger Flats is especially popular. Or this time of year folks can walk in the wash itself. Later, after we have more rain (please), they can splash in the water.

If, however, you turn right past the wash, you cross under this archway. Pretty soon you'll find your way to a sign marking the entrance to Moist Canyon.

Boz and I like Moist Canyon, which right now is a name more than a description. I understand part of the canyon's near a Pasadena Police Department firing range but so far, we've found it to be quiet. And it's very good for sniffing.

Johnson Lake

Pasadena's been crowded. That's okay. Many of my friends and neighbors look forward to Tournament of Roses time. I don't mind it, but I tend to seek a break from the crowds in out-of-the-way places.

This place is so out-of-the-way it's private. I had to sneak a peek through branches overhanging the "No Trespassing" sign. Club House Drive, the street that accesses Johnson Lake, is gated. That gate looked locked to me.

I found Johnson Lake on the Thomas Guide map but it wasn't labeled. Google doesn't have it on their maps, though if you select the satellite photo it's there. It's secluded, sedate, serene - the opposite of Old Town at New Year's.

Thanks to WCGB and The Scout for the tip.

For the next 48 hours I'm not sure what my web access will be. I hope I'll have a chance to respond to comments, so go ahead!

Theme Day: Best Photo of 2008

I first posted this shot on 9/21/08. I called it Bad Year, because UCLA was in the process of losing a football game to Arizona. Now, due to the world economic crisis, the words take on a different meaning.

It's hard to choose a favorite or "best" photo. One reason I chose this is it's different from my usual. It pushes at the edges of my envelope.

Today marks the one year anniversary of Pasadena Daily Photo. I began this blog on January 1st, 2008 with a murky shot of the Rose Bowl Stadium. Since then I've learned much about blogging and about photography. I've made friends with kind souls all around the world. This has been an overwhelmingly good experience, and it's been all about envelope-pushing. I embark on my second year vowing to push harder.

Today in Pasadena the Goodyear blimp rides again over the Tournament of Roses Parade and the Rose Bowl Game, flying as high as our hopes.

I wish you a happy new year.

There are 151 City Daily Photo Blogs participating in this theme day. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants