migrant

I really do not have to go far to find a major story. Right now, news organizations are posting their big stories of 2011: from the end of the Iraq War to here in the San Gabriel Valley, the wicked wind storm of 2011. Yet, just a few miles down Rosemead Boulevard are migrant workers getting the fields ready. This used to be a strawberry field and I think those are strawberry plants in the foreground. I do not know what those plants are in the back of the image, where the two workers are squatting.
Immigrants and migrant workers are a big story in the San Gabriel Valley, even though you rarely hear a lot about them in the local or TV media, or frankly, in the the alternative media. Yet they are right here under our nose, working, going to the market, their children going to school, etc. I am sure that we eat the vegetables and fruit they pick in our favorite restaurants. They are a part of the Southern California economy. Like it or not.

snowy

A snowy egret caught mid flight above the "confluence" region of the San Gabriel River.

Central casting

This young man had such a determined look. He was actually fly fishing in the Rio Hondo River, not very far from my house. I saw him on Monday during our ill-fated bicycle ride down the San Gabriel River Bike Trail. When we saw that was closed due to construction, we went on road for a few miles until we could pick up the familiar Rio Hondo Bike Trail. There, at the Bosque del Rio, I saw him. He was casting. Studying the river. Then casting again. Then still.
It's a joke, a stereotype, that people from back East say L.A. is all Hollywood, surfing and movie stars. When here in the San Gabriel Valley, just 10 miles or so east of downtown Los Angeles, a boy can fish in the river. Karen grew up near Culver City and would tell me for fun, she and her sister would sneak away and peer into some of the movie studio backlots. She always could see "Tara" from the movie "Gone With The Wind." But now, she's the one who wants to bike ride down either the San Gabriel or Rio Hondo. She misses the real things... nature. Birds. And yeah, kids fishing.
I think we are going to head down to a birding walk at the newly restored Bolsa Chica Wetlands in Huntington Beach on Saturday morning. You may see some shots of birds from that walk. But for now, it's warmer weather and December here in the San Gabriel Valley.

River homage

Thienes Avenue Gateway is a pleasant "pocket park" that gives bicycle riders and equestrian riders an entree onto the San Gabriel River Bikeway. The totem poles signify entrance, welcome. They are also a reminder that the first peoples to occupy the San Gabriel Valley were the Tongva, later called the Gabrielino Indians. They settled in the San Gabriel River/Rio Hondo River area just south and east of Temple City. But when the rivers overflowed their banks, their settlements were wiped out. So, they moved to higher ground. They, of course, are the fathers who were with Junipero Serra, and the Native Americans with them. The fathers  established the nearby Mission San Gabriel on that higher ground. The Gabrielino who once roamed the region, slowly began to die out.

Christmas week

For some, the holiday continues the whole week.
For others, it is back to work.

Christmas cottage

This house on La Rosa Drive here in Temple City always gets finely decorated for every season.
I was riding by the house on Sunday and the wreaths around the edge of the property caught my eye. It looks like Santa's cottage or a home in the woods. It helps to have a deodar tree surrounding the house. But this is just one of the wreaths. The wreaths are a wonderful touch. And a creative idea.
Happy Christmas Monday (today is the official federal holiday).

Merry Christmas from TCDP

Amazing. Snoopy and the Gang ice skating here in Temple City today, Christmas Day. With the temperatures reaching 80 degrees, that is quite a feat.
I don't know who to credit this fun-filled lawn display. Call it a Temple City gift to you.
Happy Christmas to all!
PS: I really like these cardboard displays more than those blow-up ones. In this one, the Snoopy "skated" around the pond in a circular motion.
(shot with my new Nikon Nikkor 55-200 f/4-5.6 lens.)

starry night

There would not be a Christmas in my house without our favorite sugar cookies. Thank you , God, for blessings of home.
You are all stars.
Merry Christmas to all who follow Temple City Daily Photo. Happy Holidays.

Official winter

Winter is here. And yes, in Southern California, we do have seasons. Although sometimes the seasons lag behind. Like here, in this image shot less than a week ago, it still looks like fall.

And again, above, the black coots look for worms and other insects under the thick forest-like floor that has developed on the shore of Puddingstone Lake at Bonelli Park.

focus on birds

Taking a break from bird watching. Nice to know that for the first time, I actually participated in the Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count. It was a good discipline to focus on one issue: birds.

slouching toward solstice

It is not quite the winter solstice (that will be on Thursday) but as the light shows, there's little left even at Bonelli Park.

Basketball is back

Basketball is back! Lakers played the Clippers last night.
It's great to be so close to downtown Los Angeles. Now, I have to work on being able to afford tickets.

riding high

I have been having trouble with my right knee lately. I'll be seeing the doctor about it.
It has really cut into my bicycle riding time. Hiking time as well. Unlike these two fellas who found the perfect morning and the perfect place (Bonelli Park in San Dimas) to find a trail and catch a ride.
As my wife Karen said to me yesterday, the light during the winter here in So Cal is really the most beautiful. She may have a point.
I am seeing way cool light from the clouds, the Saturday rain storm and just the low slant of the light in general at this time of year. But you have to shoot before dark and that means before 5 p.m. But you can get some great light after 5 p.m.
There's definitely more to late December than crowded mall parking lots and shopping. As these two have figured out. Bravo!

morning breaks

We venture just about 10 miles to the east to Frank G. Bonelli Regional County Park. We were here to participate in the annual Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count. But you know me, I took my eyes off the trees and the bushes when I saw this light coming over the San Gabriel Mountains and onto Puddingstone Lake. And of course, the tree caught my eye. It has that color of a Van Gogh haystack.

I really like Bonelli Park. It is amazing for being in the midst of 1.8 million San Gabriel Valley residents. And on a Saturday morning, it was us birders, some joggers and a few fisherman. And oh yeah, the shore birds and song birds and raptors were there in force.

Happy Westmas

This is allright.
It's the best western Christmas display I have ever seen.

little drummer boy(s)

Getting ready

Santa gets in practice. Here, at the Christmas Tree Lane celebration, he asks this little girl what she wants for Christmas.

Place of respite

Sometimes, you just need a break.
It was during the six days of having no power that Karen and I decided we had to continue with our chores. So  we went to the laundrymat in nearby San Gabriel. You've heard me talk about San Gabriel before. I've shot the San Gabriel Mission, one of the most famous missions in the state of California. And I can ride my bicycle to it from Temple City (it is the next town on the western border).
Well, this place gets four stars in my book for cozy ambiance. It is called Fresh Roast, on San Gabriel Boulevard. Jimmy, the owner, roasts his own coffee here. You can smell the amazing aroma as you drive by or in our case last Sunday, as we were crossing the street, looking for a relaxing spot while our clothes were tumbling dry across the boulevard.
While there, we chatted with this nice couple. They were eating this dessert from Hong Kong that looked like waffles covered in honey. They explained that it is available through street vendors in Hong Kong. It looked yummy. Next time... (Oh, the coffee is great here. And they make a flaky croissant. Try the chocolate one).
Thanks, Fresh Roast.

Celebration

The countdown followed by the lighting of all those deodar trees on "Christmas Tree Lane" in Altadena Saturday night was a blast. It was my first time seeing this event. They close off the street, bring in a marching band and then light all these trees that line Santa Rosa Avenue. We had a great time going to a party nearby of our friends, Susan and Jan. They also made a mean chili.
You may remember last year I was like, debating how to get into the Christmas spirit. This is a good way to start. I'll bring you the Temple City Christmas Tree later on.

Safe refuge

Last week, during the after effects of the terrible windstorm, my wife and I packed up and went down to my brother's house to stay. He had heat and light and running water. There, my brother, "grandpa" was saying his to his newest grandaughter, Eliana. She is a doll.
All in all, the ordeal helped us in a way to rely on others, like family and friends, for a warm house and some warm conversation. I brought my camera everywhere. It became my lifeline, so to speak. In some ways, I want to remember this week. And in others, I want to forget it. I am still trying to get warm again!
Little Eliana won't remember a thing about it, though.

O Tannenbaum

Happy Christmas, LA Live style!
This is just one of the Christmas trees that just went up just about 12 miles from my house at LA Live! LA Live! is the new in place to go in L.A., next door to Staples Center (where the Lakers will be playing again now that they settled the NBA lockout) and next to the LA Convention Center.
They also have a steel tree with blue lights, actually, they are kind of periwinkle.
Not like the fir tree or spruce you would put up in your living room. But hey, this is LA, Tinseltown, etc.

Charged up

Of course, this is the electric car that I had my eye on. It is a new all-electric version put out by BMW.

I can dream

Christmas Wish list. Anyone have about $200,000?
(LA Auto Show,  Los Angeles Convention Center, Nov. 28, 2011)

work paying off

This has been our story for the last 6 days. This shot of linemen working just around the corner from our house on Allessandro where we and about 20 percent of our city have still been without power.
The linemen today are working just east of here. Last night, the coldest night of the year in our Valley, we couldn't take it anymore so we checked into a hotel. Just now, Tuesday morning, we drove home to find the power on! Let's hope it stays on!
Thank you hard-working Edison linemen and crews. Now, let's make sure this doesn't happen again.

One of the local supermarkets, without power, opened a makeshift store outside the store. They only sold eggs, bread, water, batteries, ice and fire logs. We bought some ice, threw it into our refrigerator with the hopes of keeping food from spoiling. Why buy food when we have no power? So, we're slumming it at friends house and eating out. Until the power comes back on....

So this is why

This is what we woke up to Thursday morning. The 80-mph hurricane force winds did this to a string of power poles here in Temple City. This is Live Oak Avenue. There has been no power to three-quarters of the city since early Thursday morning around 12:20 a.m. So that is why you haven't seen any new posts. Plus, I work for a newspaper/website media outlet and we've been sooo busy trying to cover this storm (see www.sgvtribune.com). I want to thank our friend Lilli for allowing me to download this photo at her place tonight. Our place still has no power and no heat. Ah yes, a hurricane in Southern California, in LA? Very odd. But then, we're learning alot.

I took this Thursday morning. I was riding on my bicycle because many of the major streets were either closed to traffic, or jammed with traffic because the traffic signals were out. It's still pretty much the same in our little city today, Friday.