Bear Damage

Our first bear damage of the season -- broken fence stringer.  The lower rung of the fence was no match for the weight of the bear.   CA Fish and Wildlife says black bears typically weigh 100-200 pounds for adult females and 150-350 pounds for adult males, though California black bears have been weighed at more than 600 pounds.  These are big animals. 

How do I know it was a bear that  broke the fence?   Well, ,our trash can (with bear proof latch) was knocked over and there was a pile of bear poop steps from the fence.   

Remembering Winter Rains

Before we get too far into summer, I wanted to recall the winter rains.   We rarely get rainbows here, but with all  the rain, we had them in February.  

Sunrise Over East Pasadena

Sunrise earlier this week, looking east from my office near Lake Ave. and Colorado Blvd.  Among the many benefits of last week's clouds and rain.

An Afternoon with My City in Your City

View from the Green House at Zorthian Ranch,
overlooking Altadena, Pasadena and downtown Los Angeles

Sunday afternoon I had the pleasure of attending a "My City in Your City" brunch presented by architect David Wolf.   As was appropriate for the subject, the event was held in the foothills overlooking Altadena and Pasadena.

Wolf related the story of "My City," a 1916 exhibit in Pasadena designed to secure public input for future plans for the city.  The exhibit ran for six weeks and was attended by more than 8,000 people.   Quite a turnout considering the entire city population back then was about 40,000.


Mr. Wolf's presentation is entertaining, educational, insightful and inspiring.   He has reached back in Pasadena history, found greatness, and brought it forward for our use today.    There is a lot to take away from the My City story.   More information is at the My City website and Facebook.  

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The presentation reminded me of just how highly residents of a century ago regarded this city and how lofty were their ambitions.   Materials included a 1916 Pasadena Star News article describing the My City effort.  The Star News writer, Henry James, refers to Pasadena as "one of the beauty spots of the continent" and goes on to describe the My City experience as one that will "obtain the cooperation of the citizens in choosing the best out of the good; in deciding what shall be done first and of proving to them that it is within their power to do anything they please."

I was also reminded of "Imagine a Great City," which was the theme for public meetings in the early 1990's which led to the 1994 Pasadena General Plan.    As a relative newcomer to Pasadena, I was taken by the theme -- it invited creativity and communicated a public spirit, enthusiasm and expectation that we could help make Pasadena that great city.    Maybe it wouldn't work in other cities.  Others might aspire to be good cities or nice cities.  But, with it's beautiful natural setting, its neighborhoods, trees, Civic Center, remarkable history, and past example of reaching for lofty goals, it seemed fitting that Pasadena would aspire to be a great city.                          

First Bear Sighting of 2017

I came home last night to find a bear in my front yard.   As I got out of the car and walked toward the house, I heard a scratching sound and looked left to see a small black bear.   The bear was slowly climbing the trunk of a pine tree.  

Past posts on this blog roughly describe our experience with bears in this East Pasadena neighborhood.  When we moved in 14 years ago, we did not see any bears.   For many years, we kept chickens and an apiary without problem.    In 2009 we had our first real bear encounter when our dog chased a bear up a tree.    In 2011, I watched a bear take down our apiary, and in 2012,  a bear broke into our chicken coop and killed two of our chickens.   Bears have also caused an array of property damage.    And, back when we had chickens, I quickly turned a corner one day to come within ten feet of a very large up-right bear.    That was more than a little unnerving.   But, the loss of our chickens was the major turning point.  We may try again, but for now, bees and chickens are out.

At this point, we know bears are in the neighborhood and we may see bears several times a year.  The bear last night, though, was unusual.   From his size, we gathered that the bear was a yearling.  When you see a young bear, the first thing you look for is the mother bear, who should be close by.   However, we did not see the mother bear or any other bears.   The young bear seemed to be on its own.

I went into the house, leaving the bear sitting on a tree branch.  Later, I checked outside and the bear was gone.        

2017 Rose Parade -- From Sierra Madre Blvd.

Lizard on the Cal Poly SLO float

We ventured over to Sierra Madre Blvd. to watch this year's Rose Parade.  It was a fun time, as usual.   We enjoyed the pooper-scoopers, the surfing dog, the floats, the bands, and the horses (probably in that order).   And the Grand Marshals provided some extra excitement when their cars stopped right in front of us.   As the crowd cheered, one of the honorees scrambled out of their vintage convertible and dashed into one of the porta-potties behind us.   A funny unscripted moment -- at least from the crowd's perspective.

Cal Poly always produces clever and colorful floats.  Their floats are also distinctive because they use California grown flowers.   A press release from the California Cut Flower Commission commended four floats from this year's parade for using California grown flowers.  Floats from Cal Poly, Miracle-Gro, FTD and Real California Milk, all were decorated in flowers and greenery grown in-state.  

It is uncommon these days for any Rose Parade float to use California grown flowers.   As PSN"s Steve Scauzillo wrote last year, most of the flowers in the Rose Parade are from overseas.   About 80% of the flowers used on parade floats come from South America or Asia.  (Why do so few Rose Parade floats use California-grown flowers?)   By using cheap labor, growers overseas can sell flowers at much lower cost than domestic growers. 

The California Cut Flower Commission's release  recalls another time.  The release points out that "The Rose Parade originated in 1889 to showcase the bounty of what is grown in California during a time of year when much of the country is covered in snow."  As the Tournament of Roses puts it, the Valley Hunt Club conceived of the parade as an event to follow an array of outdoor games.  "The abundance of fresh flowers, even in the midst of winter, prompted the club to add another showcase for Pasadena’s charm: a parade to precede the competition, where entrants would decorate their carriages with hundreds of blooms."  

Though a wildly successful international event accompanied by all manner of glitz and fame, the parade's inspiration was rooted in Pasadena's natural and cultivated beauty.  That's worth remembering. 

Christmas at the Sierra Madre Villa -- circa 1878

 

                                 Sierra Madre Villa Hotel ca. 1886
                                 By Carleton E. Watkins
                                 Courtesy of the California History Room
                                 California State Library, Sacramento, California


There is nothing like Christmas through a child's eyes.

William Lauren Rhoades grew  up in the 1870's and 80's at the Sierra Madre Villa Hotel.  His dad, William Porter Rhoades, was the proprietor of the Villa and co-owned the Villa along with his father in law, artist William Cogswell.  As an old man, William Lauren recounted the history of the Sierra Madre Villa and wrote about the Christmas of his childhood.   The story includes a donkey named after his mom, a giant Christmas tree, and a gift exchange between the two cultures that lived full time at the Villa -- that of the Rhoades and Cogswell families, who had migrated west from New York, and that of a group of Chinese men, who had originally migrated east to work on the railroads and then staffed the Villa.       

I enjoy Rhoades' account and post it read it every year.   So, without further adieu, let's travel with Mr. Rhoades back to East Pasadena in the late 1870's.......    

From The History of the Famous Sierra Madre Villa Hotel by William Lauren Rhoades:

When Christmas time rolled around the real fun began. I will describe a typical Christmas day in the late seventies. The day before Christmas was one of excitement for all were preparing the gifts, some driving into Los Angeles, a thirty mile drive, to get the last few gifts needed and to shop for all the rest and only about two dry goods stores, two book stores and a few other places to purchase but that made it all the more exciting. There was a tree to sit up fully nineteen feet high, that was the height of the ceiling, and a spread of branches in proportion. Then the trimmings, popping the corn and putting on the cornucopias, hanging the glass balls and the angel on the top. That day the Chinese boy, Sam, made mysterious trips to Mother's room with packages coming from the servants and Chinese on the ranch.

Christmas morning was always the opening of an eventful day. I well recall Christmas of 1878. After breakfast I was taken out to the front of the house and there stood my donkey, which was given me two years before to ride and I named her after my Mother, Jennie, and there she was hitched up to a two wheeled cart made to order with a swell leather seat, the running gear was painted red and the body black, the harness was black with shining brass buckles. The guests all stood round enjoying my delight. I took Mother in at once and we drove off in style and many were the happy days I had with the children at the Villa in that turnout.

Christmas morning the coach that ran to the San Gabriel Southern Pacific Railroad Station daily for the mail and passengers, was ready to take any who might wish to go to the Episcopal Church in San Gabriel, as was the custom on Sundays. Then the day passed and all were in readiness for the big event in the evening with the Christmas tree.


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Rhoades goes on to describe the evening festivities that took place in the hotel parlor with the Rhoades family and hotel guests attending. Christmas carols were sung and the tree was "stripped." There was a gift exchange with Villa's many Chinese workers. Rhoades reports that, to the delight of hotel guests, the workers would enter the parlor with a flourish. Dressed in fine silks, the workers had "their heads freshly shaved with their cues hanging down their backs with red ribbons braided into their hair." They came bearing gifts of sweet lichi nuts, ginger and dainty cakes. In turn, the workers were given a fattened pig for roasting.

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The Sierra Madre Villa Hotel was a famous West Coast resort located in the foothills of what is now East Pasadena.   The Hotel is the namesake of Pasadena's Villa Street and Sierra Madre Villa Avenue, which served as the access to the old hotel.   If you're interested to know more, I've a dozen or so posts on the Villa that are categorized under the Labels heading on the right side of this blog. 

Snakes and Lizards

 We were treated this weekend to something we don't often see - a striped racer snake.   We saw one many years ago hanging out in bushes near our house.  Saturday we saw this small striped racer on our brick patio.  

 Stripped racers are also called California whipsnakes.  They are very quick, as this one was, and live in California's coastal and foothill areas.   The Eaton Canyon site has a nice photo and write up.   California Herps has a number of captioned photos of stripped racers and the lizards they prey on.  Stripped racers are known to tangle with alligator lizards.   Probably not coincidentally, we've had an abundance of lizards this summer, including this alligator below. 

Mystery of Pasadena's Missing Lincoln Portrait

 In recognition of Presidents' Day and a recent contact I received from descendants of East Pasadena pioneer and artist William Cogswell, I'm reprising a September, 2008 post.    The post tells the story of a rare portrait of Abraham Lincoln that Cogswell painted and gave to the City of Pasadena.  City records and an Evening Star article documented the portrait.   However, sometime after 1961 the portrait vanished and its disappearance remains an unsolved mystery.

Now, let's see if this old blog still works.  

 

In an earlier post I presented a short biography of William Cogswell, the famous artist and founder of the Sierra Madre Villa. Cogswell was an amazing guy -- a self taught artist, a 49'er, painter of Lincoln, Grant and others, and an East Pasadena pioneer. The post includes a photo of Cogswell's most famous work, his portrait of President Lincoln, which is the official White House portrait of Lincoln, and today remains as part of the White House Collection.

Cogswell's obituary ran on page 1 of the Pasadena Evening Star December 26, 1903. The full obituary is here. The title and lead refer to a Cogswell painting that was a replica of his famous Lincoln portrait and says that the painting hangs in the Pasadena Public Library.

In fact, the enterprising Cogswell appears to have painted at least three replicas of his White House Lincoln portrait. One of the portraits is in the California State Capitol in Sacramento and hangs over the Speaker's podium in the Assembly. Correspondence in the Pasadena PL's Cogswell file indicates that a another portrait hung in the Royal Palace in Honolulu, Hawaii. (In 1890 Cogswell travelled to the islands to paint Queen Liliuokalani and Hawaiian royalty).

A third Cogswell replica of his White House Lincoln portrait was in the possession of the Pasadena Public Library and the Pasadena Historical Society. It appears the Lincoln portrait hung in the library from at least 1903 to 1961. A 1961 letter to the Pasadena Public Library and correspondence with the Library of Congress and Frick Art Reference Library state that Cogswell's Lincoln portrait belonged to the Pasadena Historical Society and was hanging in the Pasadena Public Library.

But, sometime after 1961, the portrait seems to have vanished.

So Where is the Lincoln Portrait Today?

After learning Cogswell's story and that of Pasadena's Lincoln portrait, I wanted to see the portrait. How incredible, I thought, that our library should have one of the few replicas of Cogswell's official White House Lincoln portrait -- a replica like the one hanging in the California State Assembly. And given Cogswell's connection to Pasadena's pioneer days, I thought it very appropriate that the library should have a replica of Cogswell's most famous portrait.

So I went to the library to see the painting. But, there was no painting. I called the Historical Museum and the city. But neither had any record of the painting.

I emailed the Hawaiian State Archivist asking about the Lincoln portrait in Hawaii. But the archivist emailed back stating they had no record of Cogswell's Lincoln portrait.

So, we seem to have a mystery. Based on Cogswell's obituary and the 1961 correspondence, we know that from at least 1903 to 1961 Cogswell's replica of his famous Lincoln portrait hung in the Pasadena Public Library. Based on the 1961 correspondence from the Hawaiian Historical Society, we know that Cogswell left another replica of his famous Lincoln portrait in the Royal Palace. It wouldn't seem that such paintings could just vanish, but that is what seems to have occurred. So, where is the Lincoln portrait that hung for so many decades in the Pasadena Public Library?

Bobcat Sighting

Last night, about 7 pm we were sitting on the front porch when we were visited by this bobcat.  We watched it walk across our driveway, then across our yard and into a neighbor's yard.   It never paused -- just kept walking like it knew where it was going.   Unfortunately, the picture is not very clear.  But, you can see some of the cat's streaky black markings.  You can also make out the bobbed tail.

Seeing the bobcat is big news around our house.  I had previously seen one at Eaton Canyon near the nature center.   And, many years ago, our daughter told us she saw a bobcat in our yard.  Actually, she said she saw a kitty with no tail.   But, that's about it for our bobcat sightings.     

It is rare, but bobcats have been seen in some Pasadena neighborhoods.     Bobcats are indigenous to the San Gabriel mountains and foothill areas.   They are active in early morning hours and evening hours and each night may move two to seven miles within its territory.  They hunt a variety of animals ranging from mice to deer, but articles seem to mention rabbits as a favored food.   Coincidentally, I have noticed an abundance of rabbits in our neighborhood this year.   
      

Woodpeckers Building Their Nest

 The past few days I've been watching a pair of woodpeckers chipping away at the neighbor's tree.   Not sure what kind of woodpeckers they are.  Possibly  Nuttal's Woodpecker, which is listed as common to Eaton Canyon.  This is the male.

 Here is the female.  

And here is the male popping his head out of the cavity they've made.   This was kind of chance shot.  I couldn't see either of the birds, but stood under the tree listening to the woodpecker chip away.   After a while, the male came out and quickly flew away.   Nuttal's make cavities for nesting that are 1.5 in. by 7-10 inches.   We will keep an eye on this nest.  These woodpeckers lay 3-6 eggs which hatch after 14 days.  

The Amazing Orb Weaver

I don't go looking for spiders, but occasionally I do run into them.   I've posted before about these orb weavers who hang out in the center of huge wheel shaped webs they build.  They really are amazing.   Last night this rather large orb weaver seemed to be descending down to some palm trees.  

Deacon Jones, LA Rams and the Fearsome Foursome

As a kid growing up in the 1960's and 70's, I followed all the local pro teams.  I was a Laker and Dodger fan.  And, I was a fan of the Los Angeles Rams.     

The Rams of that era weren't much on offense, but they had possibly the best defensive line of all time.

That line, with Lamar Lundy (#85), Rosey Grier (76), Merlin Olson (74) and Deacon Jones (75), was known as the Fearsome Foursome.   Individually, each of the Foursome were great football players.  Together, as LA Times' writer Jim Murray put it, they could stop Hitler's tanks.

But, the Foursome were more, much more, than football players.  The Foursome were extraordinary --  on the field and off.   Undoubtedly, they are one of the most impressive groups ever assembled on any sports team.

With the recent death of Deacon Jones, I want to spend a moment looking back at the Fearsome Foursome.

 

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Deacon Jones.   David Deacon Jones was the best Ram of all time and one of the best football players ever.   In a 2010 survey of players, coaches and writers, Jones ranked as the 15th best NFL player of all time.    He was named defensive end on the NFL's 75th anniversary team.  

Jones revolutionized defensive line play.   At 6 foot 5 inches and 270 pounds, he was strong enough to manhandle offensive linemen and fast enough to chase down ball carriers.   He was a bit of a character and gave  himself the nickname "Deacon" because of its religious tone and to separate himself from other David Joneses.   He is also credited with coining term "sack," which is quite descriptive if you envision a large guy slinging around the opposing quarterback. 

Deacon Jones brought more than just great athleticism.   He exuded confidence and overcame repeated obstacles.  After his freshman year in 1957, he was kicked out of South Carolina State for participating in a lunch counter demonstration.   Undeterred, he enrolled in Mississippi Vocational College where he continued to play.  In 1961, the Rams drafted him in one of the final rounds.  Despite being a late round pick, he quickly distinguished himself and dominated the NFL.   In 1965, super conservative Rams' coach, George Allen, named him  the Rams' captain.

After football, Jones went into show business.  He sang with the likes of Ray Charles and was part of a band which was the precursor to the group WAR.    Jones appeared in many movies and TV shows.  He founded a nonprofit to help inner city youth and traveled overseas to encourage American soldiers.   .And there's one more thing.  That coach who named Jones the Rams captain back in '65, had a daughter named Jennifer Allen, who grew up watching the Rams and hearing her father talk about his players.   She named one of her sons Deacon.  That's a pretty good testament to character.   

Merlin Olsen.     Olsen was agile and strong at 6 foot 5 and 270 pounds.  On the field, he was one of the best ever.   The 2010 survey that I mentioned above ranked Olsen the 27th best NFL player of all time.  Along with Jones, Olsen was also named to the 75th anniversary all-NFL team.

Olsen did not miss a game in his 15 year career.  He was so fierce  Jim Murray wrote that Olsen once went swimming in Loch Ness and the monster got out of the water.

Off the field, he was no less successful.  He went on to a television and movie career that included memorable roles in Little House on the Prairie and Father Murphy.

There's more.  His Alma Mater, Utah State, has a statue of him on campus.  You might expect the statute to extol Olson's fame in some way or another.  Nope.  On the statue is something far more insightful and inspiring: his personal mission statement:

 “The focus of my life begins at home with family, loved ones and friends. I want to use my resources to create a secure environment that fosters love, learning, laughter and mutual success. I will protect and value integrity. I will admit and quickly correct my mistakes. I will be a self-starter. I will be a caring person. I will be a good listener with an open mind. I will continue to grow and learn. I will facilitate and celebrate the success of others.”   

Good stuff.   Merlin Olsen died in 2010 at the age of 69.

Roosevelt (Rosey) Grier.   Named after FDR, at 6 foot 5 inches and 280 pounds, Grier was the oldest and biggest of the Foursome and is its only surviving member.  Incredibly gifted, Grier distinguished himself in many fields.

For starters, Grier was recognized as one of the best defensive tackles in football and was named to the All-Pro and Pro Bowl teams multiple times.   But, as good as he was in football, he is better known for his off the field exploits.

Most notable is Grier's heroism at the Ambassador Hotel the day presidential candidate Robert F.Kennedy was assassinated.  After Kennedy was shot and while the shooter, Sirhan Sirhan, was still firing, Grier pinned Sirhan against a table and took away his gun.   Grier served as a pall bearer at Kennedy's funeral and was a delegate to the 1968 Democratic Convention.       

Grier's off the field resume is incredible.    He is a talented guitar player and singer who was writing and recording music while he was still playing football.    He recorded for many top studios and played Carnegie Hall.   In 1969-70, he hosted his own variety and talk show on KABC television.   As an actor, he appeared in more than 70 television shows and movies.  Grier traveled with Bob Hope to entertain American troops.   He has written six books, including his autobiography, a book on needlepoint and a novel.   He founded nonprofits to help inner city families and youth.  He's an ordained minister and inspirational speaker.

And, he's just one guy.  What an amazing life. 

 Lamar Lundy.   Though the least renowned of the Fearsome Foursome, Lundy was a formidable and versatile athlete.  In any other company, his individual prowess would have been more celebrated.  At 6 foot 7 inches and 250 pounds, he was a college basketball and football star and was selected in both the professional basketball and football drafts.  He chose football and played for the Rams for 13 years.  He was named to the Pro Bowl in 1959 and was named All Pro in 1967, both signifying he was among the league's best at his position.   The Rams also occasionally used Lundy as a receiver on offense.   

Off the field, Lundy was less visible than his running mates.  His biggest film credit was a recurring role as a giant cyclops who threw boulders at the Robinson family in Lost In Space.  

Lundy died in 2006 at the age of 71.

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Of course, the once eminent Los Angeles Rams football franchise is no more.  In 1980, the teams' disgraceful ownership moved the team to Anaheim.  From there, in 1995, they moved the team to St. Louis.   I will save the LA Rams' sad story for another day.   For now, it has been fun to look back on the Fearsome Foursome, who dominated their sport and, in so many ways, were bigger than the sport itself.    

Raccoon

I saw this raccoon about twilight last night.  He was walking the top of our neighbor's wall.    

Prior to this year, I had not seen a raccoon in Pasadena.  I know they live here, I just had not seen one.  

Doormats and Diapers on the Trail to Eaton Canyon Falls

We're on the trail to Eaton Canyon Falls with a group of third graders.   In route, we pass these painters dabbling in the cool of an old oak.  They've got a vista to the canyon walls and a palate of color.   If they want, they can drop in some school kids.

The kids are on their way to the falls.   And they have an assignment -- to pick up trash along the way.       

We leave the artists and break into sunlight.   The trail swings back and forth across a winding stream and soon the whoosh of falling water is in the air.  Cooled by a misty breeze we come face to face with 40 feet of falling water.  Described by John Muir as "a charming little thing with a low sweet voice," this is Eaton Canyon Falls.

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Over the years, we've been to Eaton Canyon a lot.   I can't step foot in the place without thinking of some past event, whether its carrying a kid on a trail, playing in the stream, watching frogs or just hanging out at the nature center.           

A few years ago, I did a pretty good post on a Hike to Eaton Canyon Falls.   If you can't go on the trail, the post gives you a good idea of what you would see and hear.   

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Back to the third graders.   The kids had a great time.   They scrambled over boulders, played in the stream and experienced nature's beauty in a hands on, soaking clothes kind of way.  

And they carried out their assignment.   They were studying the environment and the effects of pollution.    

So, they picked up trash.  

What they found was amazing.   Beer bottles, soda cans, plastic forks, plastic bags, potato chip bags and wrappers of all sorts.   There was a full diaper someone left just off the trail.   And door mats.   Yeah, my daughter found two door mats lying in the stream.

 The kids filled three large trash bags, which we carried out.

Mountains, water falls, doormats and diapers.   It was a good lesson on nature's beauty, the truly stupid things people do to the environment, and the importance of protecting our forests and parks.

On the Passing of Victor McClinton

I want to join the many who are honoring the life and memory of Victor McClinton.

Near the end of 2012, it was front page on the Pasadena Star News and the most viewed article for days -- Pasadena Comes Together to Remember Victor McClinton.   McClinton was director of the Brotherhood Community Sports League.    At the age of 49, he was tragically killed on Christmas Day.

A recent Pasadena Weekly article aptly titled "One Very Good Man,"  again brought Victor to mind. 

I knew Victor only for a season - a football season.   Like thousands of area kids, my son participated in Brotherhood Crusade sports.   One year, he had the privilege of playing on a football team Victor coached.   So, I knew Victor as a dad knows a coach -- mostly from the sidelines.  But, I saw and  heard enough to know my son was fortunate to cross paths with this man.  

Though I did not know Victor well, I have known men like him -- men who are there for the kids month after month, year after year, consistent, resilient.   They get the keys to the gym or the field and they make sure the kids play.   They are more important than we realize.  

Well worth reading is a moving tribute to Victor written by his longtime friend, Danny Bakewell.    Over the years he led Brotherhood Crusade Sports and coached, Victor touched the lives of 20,000 area kids.  Few can say as much.   His was a monumental life.  "One very good man" who will be remembered by thousands for years to come..  

In Search of the Perfect Date Shake at Sierra Madre's Mother Moo

Yesterday at Mother Moo's, I enjoyed probably the best date shake I've ever had.   That's saying alot because, as I've posted before, I've had date shakes all over southern California.   If you are a date shake fan or ever wanted to try one, then get on over to Mother Moo in Sierra Madre.

Fresh from the desert, Mother Moo has a raft of organic dates and she's offering her own take on southern California's iconic date shake.   The dates are chunky and the ice cream is different than I've had in other date shakes.  Mother Moo's date shake is based in what they call "triple milk" ice cream and it is sans the usual vanilla.   It works and what you get a creamy thick date shake with plenty of date chunks.    

Mother Moo will make this shake to your order.   So, if you want to take this experience to the next level, I recommend asking them to add cinnamon and nutmeg.   The basic shake is good, but the spices put the Mother Moo Date Shake in my Date Shake Hall of Fame.       

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New Years 2013

In Pasadena, all our New Year's rituals revolve around the Rose Parade.  In Seattle, it was about staying warm and getting a good view of the Space Needle.

I think this was the first Rose Parade I've missed in more than two decades.   I'm not a big parade fan.  But the Rose Parade is different.   I like the whole build up to the parade and game -- the street decorations, bleachers, visitors from the Midwest, RVs, float building, driving the parade route and then walking to the parade on New Years Day.   We were called to the great Pacific Northwest for a wedding and missed the home festivities this year.    Seattle was fun and spectacular in its own right.   Just quite a bit different around New Years.