Showing posts with label July 4th. Show all posts
Showing posts with label July 4th. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Independence Day - Fireworks and Thunder

We celebrated Independence Day in the traditional fashion -- BBQ and fireworks.  What seemed odd, though, was the weather.   July heat is not news.  But, it sure seems that we are getting a lot more humidity than we used to.   It was hot and cloudy last night out in Chino (where fireworks are legal and sold on nearly every corner).   As we waited for the sun to set, it looked like someone to the west was getting rain.   

Monday, July 5, 2010

Rose Bowl Fireworks

Went inside the Rose Bowl last night for the 84th Annual July 4th AmericaFest celebration.


This photo isn't great, but this is really what it looks like during the finale. A lot of smoke mixed in with fireworks and accompanied by a loud succession of booms.

I tried, but didn't get a picture of the fireworks that exploded into a giant happy face over the Rose Bowl. However, I did get these zeros.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Sierra Madre July 4th Parade

Official start of the 2009 Sierra Madre July 4th Parade. That's a 1968 Dodge Coronet Pasadena police cruiser leading the way with girl scouts holding the parade banner.


Veterans of Foreign Wars carried the colors. The crowd stood and cheered as these guys marched by. I like that.

This is an entry you won't find in any other small town July 4th parade -- the foundation for Sierra Madre's annual Rose Parade entry. In case you ever wondered what Rose Parade floats look like without the scaffolding and flowers, this is it.

We step back in time to the 1940 parade. No, just a lot of really old cars from this year's parade edited to black and white.

And, a lot of old cars. This 50's era Cadillac sported impressive tail fins and carried the grand marshall, Midge Morash. The tail fin design was reportedly inspired by WWII fighter planes, although some marketing genius claimed the fins blocked cross-winds and made for a smoother ride. Morash, who is known as "Mother Nature," arrived in Sierra Madre not long after this car was made and has done all kinds of good things in the city.


All in all, another wonderful parade in this beautiful city named after our local mountains. I enjoyed all the usual entries -- the priest on a motorcycle, the noname band, Sierra Madre City College, all the scouts and schools, old cars and bikes, tractors, postal workers and firefighters.

Friday, July 4, 2008

Sierra Madre July 4th Parade

We had a front row seat on the curb. Great parade, every year.

No question about the Grand Marshall. SMFD.


Scouts, schools, veterans in uniform, jeeps, old bicycles, vintage cars, trucks, the Humane Society, churches, a priest on a motorcycle, a bubble machine, Sierra Madre City College, politicians, mail carriers, mini-cars, fire fighters, the forest service, a soft ball team, a cheer squad, and .... tractors. A wonderful small town parade.
No water fights though. In past parades, fire fighters exchanged blasts of water with kids toting super soakers lining the parade route. Not this parade. I hope it comes back next year.