Theme Day: My Street

It's the first of the month and time for City Daily Photo's monthly theme day. "My Street" is the theme we selected this time (democratically, as always).

I won't tell you much about my street because it's our private Brigadoon. We love living here. We have the most wonderful neighbors, and we know we're fortunate to have found this quiet, friendly spot to call home.

City Daily Photo has a new website, where you can find daily photo blogs from all over the world. The new site administrators continue to shine it up as a work in progress. Take a look at today's theme participants, or pick a blog in a remote land and explore.

Water Walk, 3

Bellis and I continued south on the path along the east side of Brookside Golf Course. This lovely little entrance to the zanja (water ditch) continues the classical architecture theme from yesterday. To the left and right of the pipeline are the original stone walls. Above it is Rosemont Avenue.

The little green leaves in the foreground are poison oak, upon which I barely escaped rubbing my calves, thanks to Bellis' warning. She knows well enough not to go crawling in ditches wearing shorts.

Water is rushing through there right now. You can go hear it for yourself, but wear long pants.

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Tomorrow is City Daily Photo's theme day, in which I'm a participant. We'll do Water Walk 4 on Sunday, then yup! Zen Monday. 

Tomorrow evening, you might want to stop by Webster's Fine Stationers in Altadena at 6:30 pm to hear Margaret Finnegan read from her hilarious novel, The Goddess Lounge. Not every writer is a good reader. Margaret's fab.

Water Walk, 2

Whew! We've just walked through the magical passageway pictured in yesterday's post, just south of the Devil's Gate Dam in the central Arroyo Seco. There's a fresh, cold stream here that flows year 'round from east to west (sometimes it's more full than others). It's in my picture, actually, but so wealthy with reeds at this point that you can't see the water.

And what's this little house? At 5'4", surely I can lean my elbow on the roof.

I would love to tell you that faeries live here, or that it was built by elves, or even that it was once a folly for a turn-of-the-20th-century Pasadena maiden. But it's a mini water treatment plant, or so I was told by Bellis, my guide. We both think it's still in operation, because it sounded like machines were churning inside.

Water Walk, 1

Recently there was a walking tour of the water history of the Arroyo, which I missed. But Bellis went, and the other day she showed me some of the highlights. I didn't write it all down, but I took pictures, which is almost as good. We're still Celebrating Pasadena's Water Centennial, so for the next few days I'll show you some of what we found.

Just now, we've come down the path at the east side of Devil's Gate Dam, where tomorrow we'll enter the trail of Pasadena's water history.

Plus we'll just walk in the Arroyo which is fun, history or no.

Shopping Mecca

It's one of the streetlamps on Colorado Blvd. near Madison. I don't think this lamp is an antique, or particularly special, though I could be wrong. I just like the shot.

I found a nice picture on Flickr of the buildings in the background, which is a good thing because I didn't have a photo of my own.

Colorado Blvd. is the road to the world class shopping mecca that is Pasadena. You'd think, as many pictures as I've taken of this town, I'd have all the pictures I need. But on the road to this particular mecca I am less pilgrim than infidel.

Zen Monday: #222

Rainy days and Mondays always get Boz down. Even Zen Mondays.

If Boz could sing, I don't think he'd sound like Karen Carpenter. I think he would sound like Robert Plant.

Sorry to go on. Zen Monday is supposed to be the day when you caption the photo instead of me. But feel free to add links to your favorite rain songs, if you're so inclined.

Altadena Rocks

My friend's foot is in a cast. I went to visit. She gave me coffee and a fresh, homemade scone. Apparently she hasn't been staying off her feet 24/7.

But hobbling around the house is about all she can do, and her sweet, relatively large dog is being patient about it.

"Is he getting walks?" I asked.

"When I have a volunteer," she said.

You know the rest. I enjoyed a walk around a quiet, Altadena neighborhood with a dapper escort in the form of Kirby, the yellow lab. (I'm guessing about the spelling of his name. "Kerby" would be a pun. "Curby" would be a double pun.)

Smart dog. He knew not to pee on these rocks.