Dawg Daze: November 2012

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Over the river and through the woods....

I spent Thanksgiving with Mom and Barb this year after being away for much too long.

Two years....Yikes! Call me the Prodigal Son.

I started the day with a run in the La Canada - Flintridge Thanksgiving Day 5K. This was my first sanctioned run after several years of lollygagging, and I was pleased with my results, 9:59 gun. I'll take it!
(Yikes!!! That 9:59 time was the per mile Pace... lest anyone think I was part Kenyan)

I deemed the results worthy of two slices of pie that evening.

Lining up for the start. It was a perfect day for a run!

The rest of the morning was spent assisting with the preparations for the afternoon meal. For me that meant staying out of the way. Some of Barb's family came for dinner, and what a treat it was! Jim brought a brined and smoked turkey that was to die for, and Barb threw in a 24 pound bird for good measure. Of course there were all the fixings along with a plethora of pies. Wondered if I could get it all to fit.

I was glad I did the run earlier.

The Iron Chefs at work. I'll bet if you laid all the yams Mom has candied over the years end to end they'd reach our neighbor galaxy Andromeda!

Did I mentioned the 24 lb turkey? Holy Smokes... that thing was so big it could have fit a small football stadium inside!

Clockwise from top right... Mom and the prodigal son, Mijares menu, view of La Canada from Angeles Crest Hwy., Barb rustles up some of her world renowned Spaghetti, doing homework down at Barb's classroom in Saint Bede's.
Deja Vu... Saturday detentions!

Monday, November 26, 2012

Humble Beginnings.

While I was visiting my Mom & Barb for Thanksgiving, I stopped by the Valley Water Company's lot in my old home town, to see how things were progressing with the City of La Canada-Flintridge Rose Float.

There, tucked away behind all the plumbing fixtures it sits, awaiting the hundreds of volunteers that will turn it into the masterpiece that will trundle down Orange Grove and Colorado Boulevards this coming New Years Day.

Even on this early Sunday morning, just after Thanksgiving, a volunteer (in red sweatshirt), could be seen welding on the infrastructure.

I am always amazed at how much is accomplished in so little time. With just over 5 weeks until the parade, the float is still very much just a skeleton. Hard to imagine that it will be finished on time.

All Hail, Dino-Soar!

The small red spot on this picture is the guy welding. Gives you some perspective on how large these floats really are.

Good Luck La Canada-Flintridge!

And Happy New Year!

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Just a walk... er... ride in the park.

I took a ride up to, and around White Rock Lake Saturday afternoon, as a reward for finishing my midterm that morning. (say a prayer).

Perfect day to be outdoors, and there were visitors from afar on the lake.

~~ Every fall, usually by October, a flock of white pelicans migrates south, possibly from as far north as Canada, to White Rock Lake to spend the winter months. Most often they can be seen at Dixon's Bay (a.k.a. Sunset Bay), on the east side of the lake, either sitting on the mudflats or sometimes on shore. Occasionally, they can also be seen floating on the water by the spillway, on the opposite end of the lake. ~~

Not unlike the snowbirds we had in AZ, I found a couple of the Pelicans coming out of a liquor store with gallon jugs of Vodka, Bourbon, and Gin. And, like their counterparts in AZ, these snowbirds were all over the lake, willy-nilly.

Glad I was on a bike!