Bring in the New Year, Rose Parade L.A. .... And Welcome Back, Stephanie Edwards!

Fairly sunny skies. A few meddlesome clouds. And those great glorious floats are on parade! ...
Rousing bands and nature’s finest colors in procession. Mostly, I’m elated that KTLA has Stephanie again back in the announcing booth, where she belongs forever. SHE is the voice of sunny California ... Horse and Mules and Marines, from Pickle Meadow, CA.. And what say you, Steph? “They’re wonderful. They’re just wonderful!” Ah, to her you say those words ...

A Samba Carnival float makes me appreciate my Hi Def TV ... And while we’re waiting, did you hear that a DC Judge last week dismissed Tim Rider’s latest complaint against the Ringling elephants, in effect saying, let those pachyderms perform! ...

“Here’s the award winning Marion, OH, Catholic High School band,” [should be Chicago Height, Illinois] and they’re pushing out a proud sound, a cut above, in step with the theme. It's their first Rose Parade . Rainbird’s winning float bears a creature from the wilds that could be Gargantua’s return. Remember when circuses carried big hefty menageries over real dirt and sawdust? ... “They (Arabians) were so highly valued that some European families would protect their horses before they would protect their homes."

World Equestrian Games to be held for the first time this year in the U.S., says Steph to long-time booth partner Bob Eubanks ... Stan Chambers into his 62nd year as a KTLA reporter. Who said LA was only for the young? ... Here comes a great massed band, I could be fine with one band following another. The El Dorado Golden Hawks Band and Color Guard, now THIS is the real thing. I was talking about the good court decision granting Feld’s elephants the right to keep trouping. A gift to all circuses ...

What a band. Oh, did you hear about those wicked Gardens of Sarasota? More offense to the city beautiful. In violation of ethics codes. Something about a New Year’s Eve bash full of wicked weeds. Another con job in the works on the locals? A Garden in Sarasota can be a poisonous plot ...

China making its first show in the parade. Millions of Chinese viewers across the sea watching. Outstanding artistic merit in design and floral presentation.

Back to the sawdust courtroom: Seems the big top Judge considered Mr. Rider, since he is virtually on PETA’s payroll, to be not a credible witness. Rider rides off again without saddle of payoff funds. "Seaweed and onion seed, split peas, sesame seed," notes Steph as another fine float streams into view ... And here's one bearing famous athletic faces, I'd call it Steroid Blossoms, why not? ... Think it's called “where winners eat.” No, no, should be “where winners shoot up.” ... All that football talk bores me, sorry ... Mostly, I'm at my PC for KTLA, now and then glancing at my Hi Def when its not swamped in commercials. Did you know that Ms. Edwards was callously let go a few years back, and all of L.A. raised a royal ruckus. Stephanie was asked back a couple of years later, there is justice in the city of angels and angles ... Torrance takes my eye for flowers on a flower float ...

Here’s something on horses that looks like buffalo Bill is back, with a little help from Max Factor and the folks at the Wax Museum ... The Gardens of circus city, I was saying, what a tawdry shameful act, why are they even allowed into Florida at all? There ought to be a circus exhibit from hell at the Ringling, dishonoring the truly tawdry who have sullied the sawdust. Davenport on a pedestal? The Gardens strapped to Greyhound seats on a bus back to Canada? ... “barn yard of aces, death defying fly-through of a barn." Now that’s dilly, Stephanie, and from Burbank. And here’s the Salvation Army, go Army! The best damn cracking cadence so far ... 72 degrees in Pasadena! I’m envious. Green, Black and White windjammers from Omaha — now there’s a band that reaches my beating heart ... Wonder if my sister Kathy is watching it ...

The Flying Fantasy float from Trader Joe’s, a place I love. Did you know that Joe's began began in Pasadena ...

See you in a jiffy. Still watching and tweeting kind of ...

Back into the tweety twatty moment: Is that a float or Sunrise Valley? A dogie on snow board sliding down a slope! “Special permit not to cover the track with flowers or seeds.” This is the big crowd pleaser. Brass in black and gold from Texas. Solid old music. Solid old state ... City of Dreams from City of Cerritos, topped with a Jester, a la Holidays float from Ringling-Barnum 1955. Might be Miles White sketching back from the grave. Gorgeous design, and a winner of some sort ... what else happening under the white tops? Big Apple Circus hosting a young new ringmaster, fresh off Ringling and happy to be playing near Times Square. He like Ronk sought the Broadway stage. Let’ see if the sawdust stage suits him. So far, I’d call this years processional opus a cut above some others in subtle designs ...

The Valley Hunt Club, founded in 1888, “the city of Anaheim has hit it out of the park with all-star dreams!” Really, why not all-star drugs? ... Sorry about that, Tiger.

Bob and Steph chatting up the Beach Boys. “Members of the L.A. Dolls roller derby team" roll on. Oh bring back roller skates and give up trying to be ice champs on dry blades. Stephanie sees a familiar face: “I think I know. It's the director, who was a little boy when I last saw him, and boy am I feeling very old.” ... Here comes the Cowgirls Historical Foundation. Rodeo ladies who donate thousands of volunteer hours. And now “The most beautiful entry from outside the U.S.” That's, I think, the Guardian of Taiwan. From China Airlines. Now there’s a dragon, the sign of the orient under which I was born. Fire to you all! ... Burn, Gardens, Burn! After Steph and Bob, next thing I love about KTLA? No commercials, and you can rewatach the parade over if you like. In L.A. in the same stream, I think. From their website (KTLA.Com), in a series of video clips ...State of New Mexico, with balloons and cats. Now there’s my Champion float a a cut cut cut above ... What shapes! What colors! ...

“Biggest hot air event, second only to us,” cracks Steph for herself and anchor mate.

Here's a circusy splash with float that might be historic. And another sterling entry from the Orient; a promo for the upcoming Shanghai Expo and on roller blades. “We are being seen live in China for the first time this year,” says Stephanie. Shanghai, most populous city in the world at 16 million, expecting 70 million visitors this summer ... “I am a little surprised it is not carrying a banner in front of it,” opines Stephanie. Here's an inspiration: A Kaiser Permanenete float ridden by kids, each living with life threatening conditions. See that Norton Simon logo on the museum? Top of the line galleries worth a extended stroll, sans cell or twitter ... “Fabulous flowering went into fashioning this fine flock of feathered friends,” said Steph, giggling over the alliteration given her ... orange, lentil, crushed beans, rice ... A rousing band from Marietta Georgia, first here in 2004, “so good they were invited back.” Wonderful shimmering sonority ... And then, did they have to here, now? The squeal of those Scottish musicians.

Bob to Steph, who is married to a Scot: "Does he have a bagpipe?

"No but he’s got the wind for it."

"Jim Morrison was a boy scout," we learn. Air force jets overhead sketch out a skyscape in honor of Gary Decano, the late president of this year’s tournament, who did not live to see the parade over which he presided. And here's a group called something like Danver's Falcon City -- only band ever to appear in three Rose parades, hailing from someplace in Mass.

Sorry to see it coming to an end, but every year, it has to. And so I am about to tweet out or twat off, or twat spat at that ...

City of Glendale tops it of with a bald eagle float.

And here's my favorite parade lady, Stephanie Edwards, with the last word:

"You know what, we’re saying good bye. 2010 is on the run and this is it!"