Happy New Year 2012 from Pasadena!

January 2, 2012 at 11:47 PM

Happy New Year from Violinist.com's home town of Pasadena, California!

January 1 was on a Sunday this year, so the Rose Parade moved to January 2. (Many of Pasadena's churches are located along the Rose Parade route, so decades ago the Tournament of Roses cut a deal with the city never to hold the parade and Rose Bowl Game on a Sunday.) We took up our traditional position, on the other side of the street from where the TV cameras set up, and at the end of the 5.5-mile parade route. Here are some of our photos from this year's parade:

The Honda float was one of many that retracted after passing under the I-210 overpass.

Grand Marshal J.R. Martinez

The Trader Joe's float, with the animation down.

Sportscaster Dick Enberg, holding up his catchphrase, "Oh My!"

Donald's brother, the Oregon Duck, works the crowd.

Detail on the Western Assets float.

It's snowing on us, thanks to the HGTV float.

The sleeping kid on the City of Burbank float looks kinda, well, dead - hey, zombies!

From the Shriners' Hospitals float.

The doctor is in, on the Rotary float.

The Paramount Pictures float.

There's the only real star on the Paramount float - Oscar.

The Starship Enterprise, on the Paramount float.

Power Rangers!

A quick look inside one of the floats, retracted for the freeway overpass.

China Airlines' dragon.

It's a virtual zoo on the Dole Pineapple float.

From the Kiwanis float.

A flying pig from the City of La Canada float.

The AIDS Healthcare tribute to Elizabeth Taylor.

A T-Rex from the LA Natural History Museum.

A 100th anniversary tribute to Roy Rogers - and, is that actually the stuffed Trigger up front? But, hey, that's definitely a live violinist back there!

From Patty Wiegelman
Posted on January 3, 2012 at 12:30 AM

I saw this on tv today, so I recognized most of the floats and heard the commentary about what they were made of.
You did a really great job, really nice, clear pictures :) What kind of camera do you have?

From Francesca Rizzardi
Posted on January 3, 2012 at 6:09 AM

Thanks, Robert. Takes me back to my youth, when I lived down there and my home town always had a float in the parade.

Unless rules have changed, wouldn't Trigger have to be made of plant material?

From Alicia Schueler
Posted on January 3, 2012 at 2:57 PM

Thank you for the pictures! I was actually born in Encino. In Trigger's old pasture (they built the hospital there). I still have family in the area but we never made it to the parade. Maybe some day. ;)

From Robert Niles
Posted on January 3, 2012 at 3:52 PM

We actually had that debate about Trigger. The consensus was that the rule states all surfaces on a float must be covered in "organic" material. Since Trigger was a horse, he's "organic," and therefore OK to be in the parade.

But we also decided that it was just pretty gross, too. Leave him in the museum, if they must.

From Pauline Lerner
Posted on January 4, 2012 at 3:16 AM

Thanks for posting those photos, Robert. They are fantastic.

From Ray Randall
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 5:19 PM

Good job on the pictures, thanks.
Let's not horse around, is Trigger triggering a debate? Hate to be saddled in a long discussion.
I look at Trigger and see lots of bow hair on the tail.

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Happy New Year 2012 from Pasadena!

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