Hastings Ranch Christmas Lights 2011

Organized Christmas displays in the Upper Hastings Ranch neighborhood have been a tradition since 1957.   Last year I spoke with the "mayor" of Hastings Ranch and my 2010 Christmas post has some interesting history of this great annual event.

We drive Hastings Ranch several times during the Christmas season and I always enjoy it.  One of my favorite houses has relatively little in the light category, but shows the old Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer TV special from the 60's.   There is a large screen set up on the front lawn the show plays continually with sound.  Seems whenever I drive by there are cars parked in front of the house and sometimes kids sitting on the grass watching the show.   The house in on Daveric just south of Alegria.     

 

Of course, when in Hastings Ranch you can also see the lights of the valley below.   Upper Hastings Ranch is on a mesa in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and affords some wonderful views.  

Windstorm Damage

No kidding.

Eucalyptus trees blew down on Sierra Madre Villa.  Six trees all probably more than 100 yeas old.  As you can tell from the trunks, these were very big trees.   

The trees just fell over and were strewn along the road nearly end to end..  It was sad, strange and fascinating all at the same time to walk the length of these giant trees, from roots to the tree tops.  And, standing in the middle of these trees there was this powerful scent of Eucalyptus.  

Tree fell knocking down power lines and a power pole on Sierra Madre Blvd.  There was a Channel 2 news van parked on the median while I drove past. 

Oak tree uprooted and fallen on van.

Wind Damage -- Flyng Oak Tree Misses Santa Lands on Van

Happy Thanksgiving

Brown Pelicans at Bolsa Chica Wetlands

 

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!  In past years' Thanksgiving posts, I've included photos of wild turkeys that I took near Auburn in Northern Cal.   This year, I'm going with the pelicans.  And a little story.    

********************************

November 6 was going to be a big day.   That was the day of Marcia's first Patchwork Indie Arts and Crafts show.  Set in Long Beach, it would be her first outdoor show and we hoped for big things.

Now, small businesses are a labor of love.   Marcia's HomeBody Botanicals is no exception.  And, as small business owners know, their ventures have a way of becoming family affairs.   So, her labor of love has spilled over to the whole family, and, in a way, all four of us have been working the business since it started more than a year ago at the Altadena Urban Farmer's Market.   

So, after a late night doing the final touches, early November 6, we all got up loaded the van and headed south to Long Beach.    Our expectations were high.   But, while driving on the 605, it started to rain.  By the time we reached the Marine Stadium in Long Beach, it was pouring.   The storm had arrived and showed no signs of letting up.

We found our assigned 10 x 10 space -- next to a boat storage area and under a couple of inches of water.  Marcia and I hauled out the deceptively-named "e-z up"  and with our 13 and 8 year olds, we started the set up.  There is simply no way to raise an e-z up in the rain without getting soaked and soon we were all cold and wet from head to toe.   The kids were great -- both helping and game as could be.  Still, midway through set up, our 8 year old broke.   She just stood in the rain and cried.   I could hardly blame her.   

So, that's how our much anticipated big day started.  

But, eventually, things got better.  By afternoon, the sun was out and crowds of people slogged through the fair.  There was music, great food and dozens of vendors, like us, offering homemade crafts and goods.    Really, the Patchworks shows are interesting places and if you haven't gone, you should.

Anyway, when things settled down and dried out, the kids and I spent the afternoon exploring.  We made our way down PCH to Bolsa Chica and walked the trails through.the wetlands.   The variety of birds there is  amazing and, after the rain, the wetlands were teaming with activity.   In particular, it was fun to watch the pelicans as they fished by diving beak first into the water.  

As it happened, we were at the wetlands about an hour before sundown and the light was perfect for photography.   As we walked the foot bridges and trails, we passed many photographers outfitted with big time equipment and scanning the wetlands for pictures.    

I stopped on the footbridge and took my place among a line of folks poised with their tripods and telescopic lenses.  I reached into my sweatshirt pocket and pulled out my little Canon Power Shot.   So there I stood among the tripods. But, you know, this pair of pelicans rose up from the water and soared right by me.  I barely had time to raise my camera and never saw the birds in my viewfinder.   I pointed and clicked and this photo is what I got.   Not a professional shot, but good enough to give me a big smile.

****************************           

Marcia's show got better and she made a little money.  In the dark, under clear skies, we packed up, then drove home to Pasadena.       

It had been a long and trying day.   But, we all pulled together and, except for a few hours of cold and wet, had fun doing it.   The kids had jumped in with both feet to help.   We made it home safely where we all slept well.  

Now a few weeks later, the wet and cold is nearly forgotten and only memories of a family adventure remain.  Even the worst of the cold and wet is now somehow funny -- strangely even crying in the rain can get to be funny.   

And, if that's not enough, on top of it all, I have my pelican picture.

Waiting for Black Friday - Two Days to Go

People are already lining up in anticipation of Black Friday sales.   This morning (Wednesday) we saw seven hardy souls camped out in front of the Best Buy on Foothill Blvd.  I was told that the first in line was there last Saturday.

Best Buy opens its doors at 12 am Friday for Black Friday sales.  These folks have today, tonight, then Thanksgiving Day and half the night until they get their prize.   If I'm out, I'll check back later today to see if the line has grown.

Get Out of Your Car and Take the Picture

 

A couple of days ago I was sitting in the Hastings shopping center parking lot waiting for my son to come out of the store.   Fortunately I had my camera with me and stepped out of the car to take this shot.   Turned out there were others with the same idea.  A woman parked her car few rows over and jumped out with her camera to take a picture.   Then, I saw a guy put his shopping bags down to get a shot with his cell phone.   Then, on the way home we saw someone set up on the Sierra Madre Blvd. median with a tripod facing west for pictures. 

It's always fun to see people taking pictures.  Not so much to watch them, but to try to see what they see that is so interesting.   There was no mystery here.   Lately we've had spectacular clouds and sky well worth some pictures.      

Baby Alligator Lizards

Alligator lizard eggs hatch in late summer and early fall and it is about this time each year that I see these young alligator lizards with their amazing tails.  

Unless eaten by a cat, hawk, snake or another lizard, these young alligators will grow to maturity in about 18 months and reach possibly 16-20 inches long including their tails.  They'll eat a lot of insects along the way and will develop markings on their back.  They will probably lose their tails, grow a new tail, and grow up to look like this:

So, there's my 2011 lizard post.