Still Want to Work There?

Okay so it wasn't a church. It was a mortuary.

I thought I'd show you a few more pictures from the building at Holly St. and Marengo Ave. that we talked about on Monday.

Behind these gates is the courtyard section of Eden Garden Bar & Grill, formerly Holly St. Bar & Grill. (I had to mess with the picture a little.) The restaurant has indoor seating as well.

Here's a doorway off another courtyard. Nice way to enter your office each morning.

Just steps away from City Hall!

Zen Monday: #86

Zen Monday is the day you experience the photo and give us your thoughts rather than me telling you what I think the photo's about. There's no right or wrong. It means what you think it means, or what you want it to mean.

I look for a photo worth contemplating or, failing that, something odd or silly. And unless I absolutely must say something I stay out of the comments box to avoid influencing the intellectual path of the discussion, because when I get in there everything goes downhill.

As I post each new Zen Monday photo I add a label to last week's to identify it if necessary.

Cast Out by the Moneychangers

For your Sunday delectation, a church that is not a church.

On the corner of Holly Street and Marengo a block from City Hall, this one-time church-turned-office building appears to be another victim of either the recession or greed or both. There are a few of these around town--landlords who turned out tenants when they thought they could get a higher rent only to see the bottom drop out before they could fill those empty spaces again. Some of these places remain empty. Though it's not a generous sentiment for a Sunday, I don't hesitate to say it serves those landlords right.

But a healthy city has thriving businesses, not empty rental space. The building might be under new management so if I were looking for an office I'd start here. This unique building has different types of space for rent. I think the sanctuary's available. (It's a serene space, as you might expect. I used to practice yoga there.) The Holly Street Bar & Grill also occupies part of the building. Is it still in business? The web news is sketchy.

Don't be concerned that a church or two is up for sale or rent in Pasadena. We've got one every block or so and it appears attendance is good.

Down the Rabbit Hole

My friend dropped me off in Old Town Thursday because I had time to kill between meetings and I was going to annihilate that time in a coffee shop. I planned to show you that shop as a revival of my Coffee Shop Quest. But the shop (Seattle's Best on Raymond) had apparently bit the recession dust some time ago (I'm so out of it) and my friend had driven away.

I generally don't fret at happy accidents. This is why I always have a) book; b) laptop; or c) a camera with me. Thursday I had all of the above.

I thought I'd try the Fuller Seminary Bookstore coffee shop (Coffee By the Books), so I started walking. If I hadn't I never would have come upon the buildings at 159 N. Marengo Avenue where this sculpture by Billy Al Bengston (called Puka o ka moku (Port Cochere)) draws you down the passageway, making you feel like Alice just after she sipped the "Drink Me" potion.

Here's a detail of half the sculpture.

The sun was setting so my pictures are a bit dark. But look down the passageway: what's that blue thing?

More by Billy Al Bengston. This one's called Pua'l wai (fountain).

If I hadn't been walking I wouldn't have known about the art, or about the walkway that cuts through from Marengo to Memorial Park. Honestly, did you know? Am I the last one to figure this out?

By the time I got to the Coffee By the Books it was two minutes 'til closing. The place is too small for setting up my laptop and sitting anyway.

Self-Government

The League of Women Voters, Pasadena Area is sponsoring a free public forum tomorrow called Access to Impact: Using Open Government to Create Change. The keynote speaker is a woman named Hedab Tarifi, who was raised in Kuwait and who, according to the press release I read, "knows what it is like to live under a tyranny and closed government." The information goes on to say she "relishes the transparency of government in a democracy. But she also knows citizens need to know how to access information and put it to work to improve their communities."

A panel of experts from media, libraries and government will discuss the challenges and dangers of information gathering.

I put off posting about this because I didn't have the right photo. This is, after all, a photo blog. I'm a bit of a perfectionist and I thought I should have a photo of a government building--no, a library--no, a school--no, a courthouse--no--

Then I realized we're talking about transparency in government here. We're talking about democracy and freedom. We're talking about a lack of tyranny and there I was, running around tyrannizing myself. So I banished the little despot and set myself free to post any damn picture I wanted to.

"Access to Impact: Using Open Government to Create Change" is scheduled for Saturday, March 6, from 8:30 a.m. to noon at Neighborhood Church, 301 N. Orange Grove Blvd., Pasadena. The forum is free. An RSVP is requested at 626-798-0965 or lwvpasocialpolicy@gmail.com

Spanish translation will be provided.

Monica Hubbard updates: "Thanks, Petrea. If people call the League office by noon today 626-798-0965 they can get their RSVP in. Or e-mail lwvpasocialpolicy@gmail.com. Should be an interesting morning. "

Eternal Love

The final resting place of Henry Edwards Huntington and his beloved wife Arabella Duval Huntington is one of the most romantic spots in the Pasadena area. Yes, I'm speaking of a grave.

The mausoleum, designed by architect John Russell Pope, is called "a Greek temple dedicated to eternal love." Pope used a similar design later for the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Arriving here at the end of a long alley of trees, I am stricken not with sadness but with the beauty of love. How lucky the Huntingtons were to have found each other and to have lived out their lives together. Karin Bugge, the Altadena Hiker, is a docent at the Huntington Library and Gardens. She tells the Huntington love story best. It is a must-read.

If I must die someday then John must, too. I wouldn't have it any other way. I love him every bit as much as Henry loved Arabella. We're as lucky to have found each other as they were, and as happy to live out our lives together. I would like to be buried with my beloved (that would be John) in a spot like this. By that I mean a spot of our own choosing--a private one that has meaning for us, and will commemorate our love for all eternity with a big, honking monument.

A Romantic Spot

You will take your lover's hand and pass through this old, iron gate.

You'll walk together along this quiet road.

When you reach the end you'll stop and think more deeply than you have before (as another couple did a hundred years ago on this very spot) about what it means to live your lives together.

More tomorrow.

Zen Tuesday: #8

Zen Monday is the day you experience the photo and give us your thoughts rather than me telling you what I think the photo's about. But this is Zen Tuesday so the rules are even fewer and farther between.

Say what comes to mind. That's what we're here for today.

Theme day: Passageway

This is one of my favorite passageways in town. It's at the Huntington Library and Gardens, so hidden from the main part of the gardens that for several years I didn't even know it was there. On either side of this alleyway are some of the oldest original orange groves in the San Gabriel Valley, part of the ranch acquired by Henry Huntington over 100 years ago. Not for tourist eating!

Later this week I'll show you where the passageway leads. In the meantime, tomorrow we'll attend to Zen Tuesday.

More than 1170 bloggers have joined our City Daily Photo community around the world. Click here to see what the participants are doing with today's theme.

Last Day, February 2010

Johnson Field, 2/21/2010

Here's my most recent shot of our Last Day location. As an experiment, we've been checking in to this spot monthly since last September to view the subtle (or not) changes to one spot over a one-year period. To see all the Last Day posts so far, click on the Last Day Project label below.

The photo is representative of Pasadena's weather this weekend: cloudy and wet--though believe it or not, not quite wet enough. We've had more rainfall this season than in recent years but the drought's still on.

We've got some catching up to do. If the rain keeps up like it was today, however, I believe we can do it.

Stay In

The sign keeps no one out of nowhere; it's a remnant of the old days, but of which old days I'm not sure.

A skilled rider leads young student riders across the northern part of Hahamongna Watershed Park with NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab in the background. I took the photo last Sunday. The ground was wet, but it's practically arid compared to a week or two before when the flood waters rushed through. That could all be changing as you read this because we're expecting more heavy rain this weekend.

It's been a long time since we've had so much rain in such a short period of time.

You know. When it rains, it pours.

Stay cozy.

Roberts Camp

Since we're coming up on the weekend, maybe you're thinking of a hike in Big Santa Anita Canyon. And since I had a very long day and am so tired I can't think, I'm putting up another picture I took there last week.

Bellis and I wondered if these steps were once part of Roberts Camp (1912-1931) because the commemorative sign for the camp was close by. If so, the steps seem to be all that's left. The sign says the Camp was a lodge for hikers and could accommodate as many as 200 people. The lodge finally closed in 1931 because the popularity of hiking declined in the 1920s.

Can anybody think of a reason why?
click to enlarge

New Blog in Town

Do you know what a "Preventorium" was? Roberta Martinez does, and you'll find a 1922 photo of of one on page 60 in her book, Latinos in Pasadena.

I finally bought my copy of the book and I've been nosing through it. Pasadena's Latino history goes way back to before Pasadena was Pasadena. Roberta's book is loaded with photos and history, the integral parts of our town's beginnings and growth. I'm just starting to dig in.

Roberta Martinez is blogging these days at Pasadena Latina. I've just added her to my San Gabriel Valley Blogroll. I try to keep it up-to-date but I may have to stop! There are so many blogs in the SGV now. My roll is getting too big and I'm not talking about the one at my waistline. That's a different post.

This town is full of fab Latinas, so why does Roberta get to claim the title of Pasadena Latina? That's easy. She wrote the book.

iPhone Wednesday #4 - Genius

I've downloaded some iPhone photo apps but haven't used them much. I didn't do anything special. These photos were taken with the iPhone, then uploaded and edited on the computer. These plants have their own genius and don't need much editing.
The apps I've got include: CameraBag, AutoStitch (at which John is a genius), TiltShift (look at this bit of genius from Kim in Seattle), PS Mobile and Best Camera. Anybody out there tried these? Link us to your results if you like.

Unfortunately, iPhoto no longer recognizes my iPhone so I can't upload any more photos right now. Time for a visit to the Genius Bar.

Measure CC Forum

Longfellow School

At the City Council meeting I attended three weeks ago, the council chamber was crowded with citizens eager to learn the fate of Hahamongna Watershed Park. But before we could discuss that there were other items on the agenda. One was whether or not the council should recommend the passing of Measure CC to benefit Pasadena schools.

Measure CC is a parcel tax that levies $120 per year on each taxable parcel of property for five years. If passed, it would raise about $7 million a year for those five years. The money would be used in the classroom, not for school maintenance or repairs (that was measure TT).

The Council, after citizen comment and a brief debate, voted unanimously to support the parcel tax. The council chamber erupted in applause.

I don't have kids. Why should I spend ten bucks a month on Pasadena's schools? We have enough rocket scientists in this town. Hell, there's practically a rocket scientist on every block. What Pasadena needs is more juvenile delinquents and petty criminals. And hookers! I never see any hookers around here. We don't have a single prostitute on our block. There's a juvenile delinquent around the corner, and he comes all the way down the street to steal bikes from the neighbor kids with absolutely no competition whatsoever.

Some people say our property values will go down if our schools don't keep up. Well, that's a boon, isn't it? If property values go down then maybe I can pay lower property taxes and put a little less money into the Los Angeles County coffers. 'Cause LA sure doesn't need the money. And while we're at it, neither does the State of California.

Oh--and the school libraries are going to close. Well, nyah, nyah, nyah. When I was a kid I had to walk all the way down the hall in my clean, gorgeous school to check out a book from the library. All the way down the friggin' hall! By myself! Without a sweater! In winter! Why do these kids need to read, anyway? Didn't we already decide they were going to grow up to be criminals? I mean, I suppose we could give them jobs as janitors and busboys, but how many janitors is Pasadena going to need when nobody wants to move here because the schools are so crappy?

Question: How many rocket scientists does it take to clean up the Rose Bowl after a U2 concert?
Answer: Doesn't matter. Even a thousand of them will never get the job done because those people have to count and categorize everything.

Why complicate things? Let's populate Pasadena with a citizenry that can't count.



Longfellow PTA is hosting a forum on the parcel tax on Feb. 24 at 6:30 PM in the auditorium, 1065 E. Washington Blvd., Pasadena.
PUSD Board President Tom Selinske, as well as Darla Dyson of Invest in PUSD Kids, will be available to answer questions.
This forum is open to everyone in the community. Refreshments, childcare and Spanish translation will be available.
For more information contact Steve Cole, president@ptalongfellow.org.

Zen Monday: #85

Zen Monday is the day you experience the photo and give us your thoughts rather than me telling you what I think the photo's about. There's no right or wrong. It means what you think it means, or what you want it to mean.

I look for a photo worth contemplating or, failing that, something odd or silly. And I stay out of the comments box to avoid influencing the intellectual path of the discussion, unless I change my mind. Because, you know, when I get in there everything goes downhill.

As I post each new Zen Monday photo I add a label to last week's to identify it if necessary.

Sunset Over Mud Flats

Nature has made changes in the landscape. Who am I to argue? Like I have a say in the matter anyway.

Bombadil's

I promised the Altadena Hiker I'd post a photo of one of the cabins in Big Santa Anita Canyon. (Knowing her, I'll bet she's seen them all.) Here's Bombadil's Castle, one of the fancier ones. Look at that stone wall, will ya? I may be wrong but I'll bet they put it up because this one's right on the Gabrielino Trail and they wanted to discourage nosy dogs.

The Hermit Falls Trail, also in Big Santa Anita Canyon, is more remote--or, I should say, not as popular. The cabins along there might be a little quieter for the residents.

This, however, would be one drawback of living in the otherwise gorgeous canyon: you have to share your idyll with hikers.

A Scratch on the Scientific Record

Sometimes I post a photo because it's pretty. Sometimes I post a shot of what's happening in town. This one's educational: illustrative of a natural process that's hard to describe any other way.

After the Station Fire came heavy rains, which brought a flood of muddy ash into the lowlands. The landscape of Hahamongna Watershed Park was completely changed and, for a time at least, we have these crackly (technical term) mud flats. They're still soft. I wouldn't walk on them, though tinier creatures have done so.

We're about to have more rains. Who knows what changes nature will bring this time?

If anyone needs a photographic record of what's been going on at Hahamongna for the last two years, I've got so many pictures it's ridiculous. Just putting that out there, you know, for science.

Canyon Depths

I think you should click to enlarge this picture.

The other day, Bellis (who often comments here) and I walked from Chantry Flat to Sturtevant Falls and back. (The road up from Sierra Madre is open during the day.) Our trusty pooches came along, too. The water is flowing clear and clean in Big Santa Anita Canyon alongside the Gabrielino Trail.

Bellis also showed me the trail that goes above the falls. High! Steep! Narrow! Wonderful. There's everything to love about a hike like this one--tall trees, a flowing stream and a waterfall, forceful now after the rain.

This place is extra special, perhaps because of 81 historic, privately-owned cabins, some of which you'll stroll by as you walk along the canyon floor. The cabins are what remain of the original 350 that were built from the 1890's to the 1920's.

I found myself envying the cabin residents but I have to be realistic. It takes a special kind of person to live there. Few of the cabins have central heat, plumbing or electricity (though we did notice some solar panels), and phone service is limited. Not only that, but unless you're a mountain biker with the thighs (and knees) of an Olympic athlete, your home is accessible only by hiking into and out of the canyon.

It's so beautiful there, for a minute I thought I could get used to it if I could heat with solar panels. Later in the summer this stream will be dry, or close to it. But right now it's heaven.

Then I thought about carrying the groceries.