Family Scenes From Rodeo Dr. ..01.08.2012

 ...not especially teeming with shoppers and visitors on this cool, pleasant CA winter afternoon....the shadows beginning to lengthen...I'm beginning to regret the closeness of the plane trip that will return us home, so far away from our two dear kids...

 ...the ladies in the group are likely busy shopping in a store while the bored fellows await their return, laden with packages?

...the little girl HAD it for the afternoon and let the whole street know about it! The tired wail of a young child dragged thru one too many shops that day.... and no toys. I did not notice a toy shop on Rodeo Dr...

Ok, what did I learn in CA? I've been reading that colored denim jeans are trendy this year. Unless you are 15, the way to go with this look might be to gravitate to burgundy or a nice deep turquoise?

Daddy's Princess getting the hang of promenading on one of the world's most prestigeous shopping venues. She was adorable, quiet (not tired or hungry yet) and enjoying herself. Our Pearl was inside that Lululemon store finding a nice pair of yoga pants. I had a great time sampling the culture with my camera.

Swipin' a Few Souls on Rodeo Drive....

...the lady in the yellow top looks a bit like Camryn Manheim. Part of the fun of SoCal is wondering if that person you just saw is ???  or was that ???

If Your Name is "Barbie" and You Work At BarbieBlog...

...here's your official motorcar.  Smartcars are like adorable puppies and babies: "oh, that's so cute". Actually, I am too old for Barbie dolls--they came out when I was 11 or 12, so I completely missed it. I had sons, not daughters, so I never "played Barbies" till last year when Flowergirl showed me how.

West Hollywood and Beverly Hills...

 Wow! Bold, brilliant, engaging, shiny, colorful, delectable! Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, one of the best eye-catching structures I saw so far. I love big, gooey gobs of bright colors! And these are BIG buildings. It's like our Merchandise Mart, where manufacturers show their products to retailers and designers.    And if you work in the Pacific Design Center, the photo below shows your inspiring view across the street.

A Little Arroyo Wildlife....

 I found a cute  little toad on the pathway and gently moved him over in the direction he was heading. I spent my toddler- and little girl-hood on a country farm; in those days, I was an out-door baby and have no gag-reaction to little animals like this, or snakes or bugs...

where's my "guide to western birds"? oh, that's right, Blondie and Pearl have it. And I forgot to look the bird up before I left. We're screwed about figuring out what kind of bird this is.

It's a Great House, But I still Hate the Movies....

 The Gamble House, an artistic one-of-kind Craftsman mansion, with unique qualities abundant.

These photos do not do it justice. It was used somehow in the loothsome 80's or 90's Back To the Future
movies. I know I'm the only person on earth who did not enjoy these films, but I hated the tone and the weirdness....

Blondie here, was just a kid. He thought the films were OK. But he was 5. I still love the house, tho.

Walking on the Creepy Side....

So. California is not all mansions, mercedes and mellow merlot; I don't mind including some--above, it looks like a hapless homeowner's effort to keep the hillside from sliding out from under the house--that's the damn biggest piece of blue tarp I've seen so far. I wonder if it works. Maybe, too, it's just a big slip 'n slide for the kids.

Good Grief! What a horrible place to play! How did they get in? How would they get out in the (unlikely today) event of flash flood? There was a small dog (theirs, maybe) running up and down the canal, yipping plaintively. Now, Our Pearl is a young lady you favors small dogs (and wants a purse puppy real bad); this scene was not making her happy. There was no apparent way to rescue the pup.

The under side of the freeway bridge. People, there was graffiti in places on these bridges that could only be made by people who could fly.  Massive and impressive old structure, tho. Wonder if it's made to survive a big earthquake?

Peer inside the fence carefully and you will see an empty and derelict Frank Lloyd Wright designed home.

Arroyo--Less Romantic Than it Sounds....

 A day of our CA sojourn featured a long meander starting in South Pasadena, residential Pasadena, past a picturesque riding stable, along a river (a dirty trickle encased in concrete and fenced off). We walked about 8 miles...refreshing and tiring at the same time....

 evocative photos of horse and novice rider...

 ... the path along the river, and one of the lovely older 1930's vintage bridges in this area....

Typical Flavor of a Winter Day in California....

The shadows grew longer; we left Manhattan Beach for South Pasadena to answer the Vacationers Question: So, Kids, where would you like to go for dinner??

Manhattan Beach CA...

The Pacific waves were strong that day, the sound of water smashing and crashing, mixed with the fizzy noise of a trillion tiny bubbles bursting...and it was cool out on the pier....

Nice French Braid there, girl.   FlowerGirl could do that with Mom's help...I could too, except french braiding and grey-steaked hair?

 Pearl usually orders a salad with chicken on top; what will she find today?  At the table to our right, out of camera range, sat a blonde lady we all (except Hubs') thought looked like a familiar blonde actress....and the little girl just ranged around the restaurant, adding to the cuteness....To our left was a long table full of "Real Housewive's"-like ladies, trying to outshine one another. California is a theatre even without the show business.

      yes, it's a fenceline....I was put off by the startling brightness of the CA winter afternoon sun...

A Low-Key Morning Walk While the Kids Slept In...

Hubs and I went to the local coffee place, then for a quiet "explore" around the neighborhood. Remember, a month or so ago, Pasadena was attacked by ferocious Santa Ana winds; in the photo above you can see much debris piled at the curb, along with the random discarded Christmas Tree. Many streets share these debris piles....

Usually we can find some local chubby puddy-cat who will agree to saunter out and have a picture and a cat style meet 'n greet....

Three pretty South Pasadena smaller homes, idyllic cottages against the blue sky on a calm Friday morning, the raucous screech of the local parrots can occasionally be enjoyed....fun stuff for snowy midwestern people in January!

Looking East....

from the Hillside Campus of the Arts Center...the Rose Bowl is down there somewhere....

Random "People" Pictures on "Free Day"...

 ...tiny boy riding the wrong way on his stroller, down a small slope....you guessed it, next thing you know he fell off. Wasn't hurt, just unpleasantly surprised, but I couldn't get that shot, as distraught young Mama charged up, admonishing Grandma in Portugese....

Huntington Gardens fashion plate....

Bright colored denim pants for women are supposed to be the style, truth is I saw only the deeper shapes like the burgundy pair in this shot, and some dark greens later in the visit...

Carnivorous Plants, etc...

 this is gonna be in the running for favorite photo of the 2012, one way or another.....

Hubsy and a rare sighting of the BlogHostess at the Huntington Gardens as seen by the BlondeGuy...

..another bug eating plant...