Another New Year means another trip down Colorado Boulevard for our annual pre-Rose Parade look at the sights, sounds and craziness that makes up the Pasadena tradition of people, flowers and floats. This year our moms' friend Andrea came with us. (This is us ... ready and set to GO!)
First stop: the Foothill/210 underpass where the LaCanada Flintridge float is all dressed up and ready to go.
Then down the arroyo to the Rose Bowl parking lot where there are more floats lining up getting ready for the parade. This one is a tribute to Roy Rodgers and Dale Evans (and their dog and horse!)
Here's one of the Pasadena PD People Protecting the Parade. SMILE! You'e gonna be on our blog!
Another pretty one ... and yes, the sky really IS that blue!
Some more crowd control guys. (They were kind of crabby and telling our mom to "move along" ... until we said "can we take your picture?" and then they lightened up a little. (or one of them did ... SMILE!)
This guy is CLEARLY really important. (You can tell by the white suit and cell phone that he's doing Big Deal Parade Business. Party on!)
From the Rose Bowl parking lot we head down Orange Grove to Colorado Boulevard ... here's the booth where they'll be talking about the parade tomorrow morning when our moms watch it on TV.
(Yep ... I'm doing fine. Just because I can't see doesn't mean I can't smell, listen and enjoy being part of the adventure!)
Heading down Colorado Blvd. there are lots of people doing lots of things to while away the waiting time for the parade to start Monday morning. Here are some Scrabble playing ladies:
A book reading girl:
Some people are shopping:
And others are snacking. (Not sure what "Bacon Dogs" are but they sure smelled good!)
Then there were the folks taking the opportunity to get some exercise for them and for their dogs. (And no, the irony of the empty Dodger chair after the year of an empty Dodger Stadium was not lost on us or on our moms! One of the things we know is on the "wish list" for 2012 is a better Dodger Blue Year!)
Here's one of our favorites: This guy with a bike that looks like a horse. Love it!
And these two were knitting away in the 80 degree day.
This one was kind of blurry but we're putting it up anyway ... Good Dog! Good Stay!
THESE guys had the right idea ... just back-it-up and spread out!
Not sure where these people are but looks like they're ready. (Hope this still feels like at good idea at 3am!)
Most creative seat-saver award goes to this blow up lady saving seats in front of Pasadena City College.
And then there's this real-live seat-saving girl with her faithful seat-saving dog for company. (Yeah, the look kinda bored, don't they? HEY! Over Here! Happy New Year!!)
And no pre-parade parade down Colorado Boulevard would be complete with the "Make Jesus Look Bad" picketers. These guys kind of make our moms nuts. Seriously ... haven't Rick Perry and Michelle Bachmann done enough to embarass Jesus this year? Give it a rest, guys!
And here we are ... on the home stretch now with our new BFF Andrea ... who has been a real trooper about sharing the back seat with our wiggly selves!
So it's a wrap ... another pre-parade parade in the books! And from our house to yours, we just want to say ... HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL ...
... and to all a GOOD NIGHT!