Keep in mind all these colorful float displays consist of a variety of vegetation including fruit, seeds, bark, grasses, and flowers. Many more than the traditional flowers such as roses, marigolds, and mums with which we're quite familiar are used to decorate these floats.
"Bollywood Dreams" salutes the most prolific film industry, the cinema of India, courtesy of the city of Sierra Madre.
"Hats Off To New Mexico – BEEP, BEEP!" from that State was one of my favorites with the Roadrunner zooming down old Route 66 or Foothill Blvd. as the highway is known in many communities east of Los Angeles.
The Grand Marshal of this 120th Anniversary Rose Parade was Emmy- and Oscar winning actress, Cloris Leachman. She is "no spring chicken" as best described by one of my mother's favorite expressions. See a recent photo of her at this link to "The Insider." I was impressed that after Ms. Leachman's two hour ride down the parade route when she reached the final turn just past where we were seated she was still kicking her shapely leg high, but we weren't quick enough to get a picture.
"Natural Entertainers" was a float I wanted to see with its skateboard-riding bulldogs joined by actor Dick Van Patten. Tillman and his pal, Tyson, ran on a 55-foot-long oval track but were out of our sight and I would think exhausted by the time they reached us.
If you haven't seen these dogs here's an earlier YouTube video of Tillman
and Tyson
City of Long Beach paid a colorful flower covered float tribute to "Renaissance Revival."
A tribute to "Broadway's Golden Age" complete with a spiral staircase and a grand piano filling the air with music was this elaborate self-built float by the city of Downey.
"Sharing the Great Outdoors" captured that entertainment venue on this beautiful Kiwanis International float.
"Propel Your Dreams" showcases a fantastic flying machine depicting the active lives of those living a healthy lifestyle.
Pennsylvania State University Blue Band, Cheerleaders generated enthusiasm from the crowd for their Rose Bowl football team playing later in the afternoon. The colorful tall flags in the bands midst represent The Big Ten Conference schools. The University of Michigan is clearly visible as is Ohio State University, several times from different angles.
"Mad Hatter's Tea Party" presented by the City of Torrance was a whimsical eye-catching sight.
"Hooray For Hollywood" celebrated the film industry courtesy of the city of West Covina.
Another band whose appearance attracted our attention as still sounding strong and holding their formation well toward the end of this long tiring parade route was the 56th entry Homewood Patriot Band from Homeward, Alabama whose band director is Ron Pence, making their third Rose Parade appearance.
The Homewood Patriot Band has performed in two Presidential Inaugural parades and have won numerous awards including the "Grand Championship" and "Most Entertaining Band" at 2007's Heart of Dixie Band Competition. Coincidentally, the next day when my family was flying home they discovered they were sharing the flight with these musicians who were also 2006 finalists for Grammys in our Schools.
The Cal Poly Universities float that came into view next was one we most especially wanted to view.
Background information is that a few days before the Rose Parade, for the third time in recent years, my granddaughter and daughter devoted several hours helping decorate the Cal Poly float. Their grandfather/father (my husband) retired from Cal Poly. His relationship to the University when he was still living had attracted them to first volunteer helping with that particular float. A Cal Poly University website explains:
"The Cal Poly float is the only entry in the annual Tournament of Roses parade that is designed, built, and decorated solely by students and volunteers -- a tradition that dates back to 1949. Students at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo and California State Polytechnic University Pomona design and build the float each year. Students in the Rose Float programs at each campus build half of the float, which is trucked to the Pomona campus every November. The students spend their weekends assembling the float in Pomona. Students, parents, alumni and volunteers put the finishing touches -- including flowers -- on the float in Pasadena during 'Deco Week' before the New Year's Parade."
The float's theme "Seaside Amusement" won local Los Angeles TV station KTLA's Viewers Choice Award. Pasadena Rose Parade Assoc. announced this was the first time ever they've had this Viewers Choice Award. The Cal Poly news item described the float:
"It featured a working ferris wheel, a roller coaster and a parachute drop. Cal Poly planted more than 2,000 marigolds and asters to use on the float." This 2009 float was the 57th entry in the parade, said Cal Poly Rose Float Club Coordinator Josh D'Acquisto.
I do want to note the little green car and and the little red one perched on the front of the Cal Poly float were the recipients of my family members decorative gluing efforts. My daughter described labor intensive and time consuming hours working in a necessary flower preserving cold environment.
"On the red bumper car, we applied seaweed to the bumper. On the green bumper car, we applied green mums along the back, sides. Your granddaughter applied them above the bumper around the bumper car and I applied oleander leaves along the sides of the car."
The green car proved to be on the right side of the float and we were on the left side of the parade route, so caught only a real time brief glimpse of their handiwork. We were able to view Cal Poly float's red and green bumper cars more clearly on TV later as seen in this YouTube video.
Our 2009 Rose Parade finale will be published next time.
