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Bear’s-Eye View of Alameda for November 30, 2025

by Jeff Cambra On In Alameda Life | Comments Disabled

Let the HoliDAZE begin

While some residents (and almost every retailer that I saw) had their holiday decorations up before Thanksgiving, here at the Bear’s-Eye View, we don’t start covering holiday scenes until after Thanksgiving Day. Today’s lead image of a modest arrangement of lights on an aluminum tree was my first after Thanksgiving holiday sighting. Not exactly traditional, but how someone decides to celebrate the season is none of my business.

Alameda Post - Mouf the dog sits in front of a home with a small Christmas tree visible though the window. [1]
Alameda Post - Goodie bags for shelter dogs, including cute stuffed animals. [2]

This week I was busy assembling the Thanksgiving treat bags that I delivered to FAAS [3] so the dogs that are in the shelter over the Thanksgiving weekend are not forgotten. I try to get a good assortment of high value treats, chews, and toys to bring a little more joy to these pups.

I wanted to be sure that each treat was of the highest quality, so I tasted each one… several times… to assure that there was consistent quality throughout the project.

With this report, I am including the last of my fall sightings before I shift to holiday scenes for my December reports. If you haven’t been by 1615 Chapin Street, you should drop by soon to check out Charlotte’s latest installation. It features many Fall items and a few transitional pieces, like a skeleton wearing the Thanksgiving tee shirt or a snowman dressed as a pilgrim in the yard.

Alameda Post - An inflatable Scooby Doo decoration in someone's yard. The Scooby Doo is wearing a scarecrow costume. [4]
Alameda Post - A mushroom growing through a white picket fence. [5]

In addition to Charlotte’s yard, there is a scarecrow Scooby-Doo on Oak Street, and I have noticed a lot more mushrooms popping up in gardens.

One sure sign that Alameda is in full Fall mode is when you see the leaf-sucker-upper machine at work. This year, the City spent some big bucks on a new vacuum truck that has a swing arm with controls, so now only one person is needed to drive and suck up leaves.

Alameda Post - A piece of paper with little tabs on it. The paper says "Take what you need" and the tabs say things like love, forgiveness, a friend, and grace. [6]

When I walked by the Phillips Academy, there was a paper poster offering some unusual but much needed items. Who’s out there that can’t use a friend or hugs?

Alameda Post - A garden decoration of a t rex eating garden gnomes. [7]

In a sign that the holiday decorations might be a bit more “edgy” this year, I found a T-Rex in a yard enjoying a meal of gnomes. So much fun! If you see a yard with holiday decorations up, please let my HC know by emailing the address to [email protected] [8].

Alameda Post - An overflowing donation barrel for pet food outside of Grocery Outlet. [9]

Finally, I want to remind everyone there is still time to make a food donation to a FAAS barrel [10]. The one at Grocery Outlet is the most convenient, since you can purchase the food and drop it in the barrel at the front door. The barrel will be picked up on November 30, but after that you can bring donations to the Animal Shelter at 1590 Fortman Avenue.

Hold on to your chestnuts, it’s about to get crazier.

Bear's paws

Mouf, Roving Reporter
Bear’s-Eye View of Alameda

Mouf and his human companion can be reached via [email protected] [8]. Their stories are collected at AlamedaPost.com/Jeff-Cambra/ [11]. All photos and videos by Jeff Cambra.