"Plane Chicken"

Not everyday you see a Boeing 7-series sharing the road with you.

Halloween Party on Echo Mtn.

The Happy Hour Hiking group had over 30 people show up Wednesday night. The theme: Halloween. Some hiked the three miles up with costumes while others arrived with special lights and assorted party favors. All in all, our weekly meetup (meetup.com) was another success.

Tonight marked our 30th hike to Echo Mountain overlooking Pasadena and most of Los Angeles. As daylight savings kicks in next week, we still plan on meeting at our usual time and beginning our hike in the dark. We will see how long that lasts....

Good Dogs

Walking by the truck, I noticed two goldens looking at me; I couldn't resist. I went back to my car, grabbed the camera and my "models" both posed like pros.

Bad days can easily turn to joy just after a simple canine stare through the back of a pickup truck. One of God's great gifts and man's best friends.

Old Town Alley

Pasadena--Weather permitting, I like to ride into Old Town and explore. This time I was on the hunt for Pasadena's alley ways. I think there could be an entire blog on the subject. I know I could fill a few pages of photos but I try (though not always successful) to limit my daily entry to one.

Many of the alleys have a plaque on the entrance of each building providing pedestrians a brief history behind the historic passageway. One advantage to riding a Vespa is that sometimes I can find creative places to park, saving a few quarters.

A Taste of Autumn

I just returned from four days in Mammoth Lakes, California. I know..., it's a stretch to call the Eastern Sierra a part of Los Angeles, but Angelinos do consider Mammoth Mountain "LA's Playground."
The Fall colors were nearly at their peak in Bishop, CA, about 45 minutes south of Mammoth along Highway 395.

Honoring Our Vets

Burbank is the real Hollywood. Anyone who lives in the area knows that most of the studios are in the "Beautiful city of Burbank" as the TV game show hosts say. Burbank is also the home to the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena-Bob Hope Airport; no kidding!

From time to time, the airport hosts fly-ins of World War II planes and their pilots. There are not too many original pilots around anymore. The WWII veterans that are sure love to tell their stories! This was the third time hearing this gentleman's tales of war, and I don't get tired of listening, nor does Jay.

The interview can be seen at: JayLenosGarage.com

Pearblossom Highway

Valyermo, CA--As much as I champion Pasadena and all it's diversity, sometimes I drive up and over our mountains and wander the Pearblossom Highway through Vayermo. With gas prices down, the two-hour tour into LA's high desert no longer costs a day's wages.

By Googling Pearblossom Hwy, you can catch a glimpse of this scenic highway and all the quirky towns. My favorite time to visit is in the late afternoon when long shadows sweep across the desert floor and every abandond shack looks like a subject out of National Geographic.

Old Pasadena in the 80s

Colorado Blvd & Fair Oaks in 1986. I took this shot after learning the master plan for renovating downtown Pasadena was going forward. This part of town was borderline safe during the day and a no-walk-zone at night.

Climbing the Hills Over Pasadena

The Happy Hour Backpacking Group had an exceptionally clear night. Our weekly Wednesday night hike began at 6:00 at the top of Lake Avenue, and festivities began at 7:00 on top of Echo Mountain. The views overlooking Pasadena and Los Angeles were incredible. We had about 25 hikers, good wine, dozens of assorted appetizers and warm air in October.

Anyone want to join us next time?

Blue Sled

While driving east on Del Mar, I saw a 1962 Cadillac Coupe DeVille drive up along side of me. We were on the bridge over the freeway when I noticed a pretty girl behind the wheel. So I had to get a picture. I grabbed the Nikon, rolled down my window and yelled, "Smile!" She was a good sport.