Without Lifting A Finger



We walked down to 2nd St. for a little while. A very local parade, lots of high school bands and big red double-decker buses (left London years ago) crammed with merrymakers. Kids scrambling in the streets and people squeezing by each other on the sidewalks. Anyway, we saw a bit and then walked to Quinn's Pub (had a window seat and could see some of the parade moving by). Eventually we were treated to some bagpipers in skirts (were they friends of the place? just playing for drinks?). I think the big drum said they were connected to the fire department. Added ambience to the place. *                 









                      

        

                    

A combination of things kept me from getting any really good photos of the fireworks at the Long Beach family-friendly celebration (fireworks @ 9 PM): camera (always a factor), location (the stage lights interfered too much with my shots), and lackluster inspiration (I was less interested in the photos than "soaking it all in"). In the morning, I decided to record the good omens (IMO): foggy lagoon and New Year's squirrel, and eschew the bad: the car wreck at the corner (roughly 8 A.M.) with attendant police and flashing rescue vehicles. Anyway, here's to 2014. ***