December 2013 – GOT BADDOG

Floats readied for the 125th Tournament of Roses Parade

Cal Poly Universities, California Cut Flower Commission, Family fun, Fiesta Parade Floats, Irwindale, Pasadena, Photos, pictures, Southern California, Torrance Rose Float Association, Tournament of Roses / 3 minutes of reading / December 31, 2013

If you will recall, last week I headed out to Fiesta Parade Floats to take photos of the floats they were building for the upcoming 125th Tournament of Roses Parade. It was December 23 and at that point the floats were virtual skeletons; waiting for December 26 when the actual decorating could begin. The parade rules state that all surfaces of the float framework must be covered in natural materials; usually flowers and seeds. Since these natural materials have a tendency to decay after they are plucked from the ground, the decorating does not begin until December 26. The decorating …

Floats readied for the 125th Tournament of Roses Parade Continue »

Preparing for the 125th Annual Tournament of Roses Parade

American Youth Soccer Organization, AYSO, Family fun, Fiesta Floats, Fiesta Parade Floats, Irwindale, Photos, pictures, Torrance Rose Float Association, Tournament of Roses, TRFA / 2 minutes of reading / December 23, 2013

This afternoon I headed out to Fiesta Parade Floats in Irwindale, CA to check out the progress on the float building for the upcoming 125th Annual Tournament of Roses Parade which will be held Wednesday, January 1, 2014. As I have been donating time towards helping the Torrance Rose Float Association (TRFA) raise the funds needed for building the float, I figured I would go out to where the float is being built so people can get an idea of what goes into a project like this. Fiesta Parade Floats builds award winning floats and has for several years; as …

Preparing for the 125th Annual Tournament of Roses Parade Continue »

Bluegrass, Punk & Gospel at Saint Rocke

concert, Dustbowl Revival, Hang Dog Expression, Hermosa Beach, live music, Local business, Photos, pictures, Pompous Highmen, Saint Rocke, Southern California, The Curly Wolf / 3 minutes of reading / December 19, 2013

These photos are from a concert I attended at Saint Rocke, a live music venue in Hermosa Beach, on Wednesday night. The photos begin with Saint Rocke’s Bluegrass Happy Hour, which featured the band, Pompous Highmen. The main show featured Hang Dog Expression, The Curly Wolf and starred Dustbowl Revival. A week or so ago I won a contest on the Saint Rocke Facebook page; as a prize I won a couple passes to an upcoming event. I let Tanya look through the Saint Rocke calendar of upcoming events and she suggested we see Dustbowl Revival, an old school bluegrass, …

Bluegrass, Punk & Gospel at Saint Rocke Continue »

Decem-brrrr in the South Bay

2013 Vans US Open of Surfing, Canon 5D, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Manhattan Beach Pier, Photos, pictures, Redondo Beach, Southern California, surfing, winter / 2 minutes of reading / December 16, 2013

Last night a meteorologist (or two) on my Twitter feed mentioned that today west facing beaches would have some high surf advisories. I immediately noted on my calendar that I would need to head over to said beaches to see what kind of photos I could get. I have to admit, I really did not expect temperatures to hit the low 80’s; I guess that is why they call it Decem-brrrr. The main obstacle I was to encounter is that high tide was going to happen around 1:00 AM and, truth be told, I have never photographed surf in the …

Decem-brrrr in the South Bay Continue »

Sleepy Hollow brings back the Christmas lights

Candy Cane Lane, Christmas, Christmas lights, Family fun, Photos, pictures, Sleepy Hollow, Southern California, Torrance / 2 minutes of reading / December 12, 2013

With a tradition that has gone on since 1985, the Christmas lights in the Sleepy Hollow section of Torrance have been put back up in its transformation to Candy Cane Lane. While it is still a couple of weeks until Christmas, our visit to Sleepy Hollow last night revealed that most of the Christmas decorations seem to be up and those in the know about the Christmas Light Extravaganza have already started showing up to view the lively decorations. While it was a little chilly last night, at least it was not wet or windy, so walking up and down …

Sleepy Hollow brings back the Christmas lights Continue »

Torrance Civic Chorale performs for City Council

Christmas, James R. Armstrong Theatre, Photos, pictures, Southern California, Torrance, Torrance Civic Chorale / 1 minute of reading / December 12, 2013

In my attempt to become more aware of what is happening within the City of Torrance and to be more involved in the civic process, I have started attending the weekly Torrance City Council meetings as frequently as possible. This past Tuesday, December 10, the Torrance Civic Chorale came and sang a few holiday songs to the city council, other attendees and television viewers. In addition to entertaining us, the purpose was to bring awareness to the Torrance Civic Chorale’s upcoming concert series, Spirit of the Season, which will be presented Friday, December 13, and Saturday, December 14 at 8:00 …

Torrance Civic Chorale performs for City Council Continue »