"Moonlight Forest" Chinese Lantern Festival at the LA County Arboretum

The "Moonlight Forest" exhibit at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden was breathtaking in both its beauty and its scope.  The Chinese lanterns on display encompass three themes:  nature, children's garden, and Chinese culture.   The whimsy of the children's garden was fun, but my favorite was all the animals in the nature section.  While I was impressed with the Chinese culture displays, it was really neat to see how they acknowledged California culture through a poppy exhibit and a California bear.  Though it would seem as the entire exhibit was a playground for selfies, the internal glow of each design meant the lighting usually was not ideal for self-photography.  But the atmosphere was definitely aglow!  And the exhibit went on and on.  

The lanterns were crafted of wire forms covered by silk or nylon fabric and lit internally with LED lights.  Exposed to the elements outdoors, I was surprised how good the exhibit looked even though we went when it was near the closing date.

Dragon Light Tunnel--the dragon is an imagined reptile that represents evolution from the ancestors and qi endergy.

Auspicious Flowers--symbols of happiness and good fortune.

 

Terracotta Warriors--in 1987 the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor and the Terracotta Army pit were approved by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization as part of the World Heritage List.

 

Fish of Abundance--the pronunciation of "fish" in Chinese is the same as "surplus," which signifies wealth and food for the year.

 

Kylin--in ancient Chinese legend this beast is said to have a lifespan of two thousand years.  It is believed that where there is a Kylin, there is a favorable omen.

Parrots and Flower

Bird Paradise--the Arboretum is a wildlife sanctuary for a variety of birds, and they love it.

Chinese Palace--a replica of an imperial complex where the royal court and the civil government resided.

Color Changing Frog

Dolphins

Sea Turtle

Penguins

Polar Bears

 

California Poppies--became the official state flower of California in 1903.

Bamboo Grove

Crocodile

Swans

 

California Grizzly Bear

Orchids

 

Octopus

Hippos

Monkeys--there are about 260 known species

Pine Tree and Cranes--cranes are a symbol of long life.

Coyotes--coyotes were sighted in eastern Panama (across the Panama Canal from their home range) for the first time in 2013.

Giraffes

Zebras

Elephants

Dancing Carrots--the belief that eating carrots improves night vision is a myth put forward by the British in World War II to mislead the enemy about their military capabilities.

 

Burbank Tournament of Roses 2019 “Stopmpin’ Good Time”

The 2019 Rose Parade marked my sixth time working on a float for Burbank Tournament of Roses.  Deco Week is always the highlight of my holiday season, doing something special, crafty and meticulous with friends I see time and time again, to a breathtaking result.  

This year's parade theme centered around "melodies of life."  So our bayou band fit into the theme having a "Stompin' Good Time."  There are typically three to four thousand roses on the Burbank float, but for this one eleven thousand roses were ordered, many in heirloom shades.  

Because there were so many live flowers on this float, much of the work couldn't be done until the final hours.  So the remaining work was menial sorting of small beans, seeds, and dried flowers.  I took my friend's mother in from out of state to decorate, and we spent an afternoon sorting tiny white sesame seeds from flakes of dried green parsley.  This was the detritus of decorating two small frogs that were riding on the back of the float.  The mix needed to be separated so that a second coat could be applied to any bald patches after the first go-round. 

Inside the barn, just before pulling out for judging.

One of the best moments associated with the float is being there to witness final judging.  The barn is buzzing with activity as details are rushed to completion; the float is pulled out to the neighboring metro parking lot in the full sun.   The parking lot is swept.  There are bleachers for those needing to sit, but many more people line the edge of the lot, shooting photos until the phone call comes - the judges are approaching!  Viewers are urged to turn cellular phones to silent, and the crowd is hushed.  Several vans with the official seal pull into the lot and are parked in VIP spaces.  The animation and soundtrack is started up, and the float comes alive.  For five minutes, officials with clipboards circle the float while everyone stares.  After a long-held breath, a bell is rung, signifying the end of judging.  The crowd erupts in applause, and judges pose in front of the float for photographs.  Results won't be known until the next morning.  Everyone takes their selfies, and the crowd disbands with hugs and goodbyes until next year.  

For 2019 Burbank's float took the award for best animation, a really big deal to have won!  But I was more enthralled with our score.  We have a composer who writes original music each year.  Some years it has sounded canned or tinny to me.  But this year's music sounded great, and was totally in keeping with the theme of the float. 

Waiting for placement above are the frogs that I helped to decorate!  The white sesame on the belly was mixed with the green parsley of the frog's body.  And below is how they were situated on their log on the back of the float.