Under the Shade of Pinks

On the Husband's and my walk the other day, we stopped under a towering bush of pink flowers on Hawkins Street. Because the flowers were a brilliant pink and oh so pretty. Because the bush casted delightful shade to rest beneath for a bit. Because it was a nice view of Washington Street.

See you tomorrow.

Another Interesting Sky

This was late afternoon while walking in the neighborhood across from Sunnyslope School. Amazing sky, don't you think?

One of My Favorite Hollister Things

The trees lining Monterey Street make that street one of my favorite ones in Downtown Hollister. This scene is in front of the original Hazel Hawkins Hospital at the corner of Monterey and Hawkins Streets. Do you have a favorite Hollister street to walk, bicycle, or drive?

The Corner of Sixth & Monterey Streets

I like that big old palm tree on the northwest corner of Sixth and Monterey Streets, the one in front of the Porter House. It's a great place to pause for shade while walking.

Across the street is Hoyle Plaza. Ever wonder who Hoyle was?

Longtime locals remember Millard Hoyle, Jr., the owner and publisher of the Free Lance from 1941 to 1986. He took it over when his father died, who purchased the paper in 1917. The building on Sixth Street that houses Mr. O's Academy used to be the headquarters of the once-upon-a-time daily newspaper.

Streets of San Juan Bautista

It's fun to walk around San Juan Bautista to see the Mission San Juan Bautista and other various historic sites and buildings, as well the shops, galleries, gardens, trees, valley views, and more. I'm glad I live nearby so I don't have to see it all in one day.

A good source to have on hand as your stroll through town is the San Juan Bautista Historic District Walking Tour Pamphlet. You can download a copy from this link.

Here are a few more random street scenes of San Juan Bautista.

Trees of San Juan Bautista

How does that poem by Joyce Kilmer start?

"I think I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree."

San Juan Bautista has many lovely trees of all sorts up and down its sweet, quaint streets.

To read the rest of Joyce Kilmer's poem about trees, please click here.

Flowers, Everywhere

Roses, roses, and all sorts of flowers are every where in San Juan Bautista. In personal gardens. On restaurant patios. At the mission and parks. On sidewalks. Everywhere. And, oh so beautiful.

Morning on Sixth Street

You're looking east on Sixth Street, across from Dunne Park. See how the rock wall bends. That's the work of the Calaveras Fault. Amazing, huh?

This scene reminds me of the verse from the Simon & Garfunkel song, "Feeling Groovy":

Got no deeds to do, no promises to keep   

I'm dappled and drowsy and ready to sleep 

Let the morning time drop all its petals on me 

Life, I love you all is groovy

Happy Monday to you all!

A Sunday Flashback: Not Too Long Ago

Once upon a time, not too long ago, a couple of horses grazed in that narrow field that ran alongside Black Forest Drive (north of Sunnyslope Road). These friendly horses shared the field with the gophers, bugs, birds, and other creatures that roamed the grass.

Today, construction is going on in that field. The last set of houses to be built in the neighborhood with the streets named after WWI battles and agreements, which went up in the late 1980s. Before the housing development? I remember an orchard as far back as the mid-1960s. Someone said a chicken farm was once there, too. And, before that? I don't know. Does anyone recall?

A Neighborhood Walk -- Seventh Street

One gorgeous afternoon, the Husband and I had eaten a tummy full of yummy burgers and fries at Third Base Burger Bar on San Benito Street. Afterwards, we chose not to get back into our car but ramble down Seventh Street to the end and back. The walk did us well. These photos show a few of the delightful sights that we saw. Did you know there are redwood trees on Seventh Street?

An Elephant of a Branch

The magnolia tree (at least that's what I think it is) in the center of O'Neill Drive is humongous. But, I had no idea its branches were so thick and enormous. I wonder when the tree was planted.

Magnolia trees are native to Southeastern United States and can grow up to 100 feet tall. California doesn't have the rainfall that the South does, so the heartiest trees in the right conditions may reach 80 feet tall.

Click here to see a full shot of the evergreen tree on O'Neill Drive, which I took last March.

You Don't See Many of These Anymore

"Look, look," I said to the Husband, as we approached the corner of San Benito and South Street. "Newspaper vending machines!"

I get excited when I see blue mailboxes, too.

I've gotten old.

Orange Beauties

These gorgeous plants are near the southeast corner of West and South Streets.  If I identified them correctly, then they are a type of aloe vera plant. Interestingly, they ought not to be in bloom yet. In general, they bloom during summer, but can also burst forth in the right conditions. That goes to show how crazy our weather is and how our climate has been changing.

I'm linking up with Our World Tuesday. Click here to check out what bloggers around the world are posting.

San Juan Bautista Cemetery

"What do you want to do for your birthday?" the Husband asked me last month.

"For starters, I want to have a coffee and croissant at Vertigo Coffee, then walk over to the highest point in town and take pictures."

So, off to San Juan Bautista, we went. The breakfast was delicious, thank you very much, Vertigo. And, yes, we walked across town in the wonderful rain to the San Juan Bautista Cemetery.

What can I say? Cemeteries are interesting, especially the cemetery in San Juan. We can across many headstones of people who died in the late 1800s. I found it curious that back then the husband's name was more prominent on his wife's tombstone. 

The San Juan Bautista Cemetery, at the northwest end of the city, is also known as the Larios Cemetery for Don Manuel Larios, who deeded 10 acres of his rancho to San Juan for establishing a cemetery. To learn more about Don Larios and his family's plot, read Frank Perez's story Honoring His Family's Past.

Everything about a cemetery is fascinating. I wonder what may be the reason that loved ones placed certain decorations on the tombstones.

When I see a chair beside a tombstone, I imagine a loved one sitting and finding a calm of being there.

Rain Art

Last week, the rain created a pretty good size puddle at the corner of Fifth and Monterey. The puddle offered a cool reflection of a tree from across the street, as well as cool patterns from the rain. Do you see the face, by the way?

Soaring Over Highway 25

One day last week, the Husband and I were entertained by this large bird enjoying the breeze, as we waited for the light to walk across Highway 25 at Meridian Street.

Changes

That's Sunnyslope School in the background. I attended Fourth and Fifth grades there several decades ago. I remember looking across the street and seeing a small house surrounded by fields. Parked on its driveway was one, maybe two, rusted 1930s vehicles. Those fields are now covered by a medical complex and a neighborhood.

Today, I'm checking out black and white photos from bloggers around the world at The Weekend in Black and White. Come join me by clicking here.

Autumnal Mellow Yellows

Yellow leaves in the Fall. Of course, lots of them on the ground with red and orange leaves. But, yellow flowers in Autumn? Of course not. They pop up in Spring and Summer.

Wrong! Yellow daisies and yellow daylilies greeted me as I walked around the perimeter of the Sunnyslope Medical Center yesterday.

Today is Monday Mellow Yellows. That's where I'll be, checking out other posts featuring the color yellow. Click here to join me.

Seeing and Hearing Autumn

One of the best ways to experience autumn in Hollister is to take a walk through the neighborhood just a block west of Downtown Hollister. You can see the colors on the trees and hear the crunch of the leaves beneath your feet.

Good Morning, Tigers!

Nearly every school day, around 8 a.m., I hear the starting bell ring at Sunnyslope School and, a few seconds later, the noise of the PA system. A cheerful voice (I presume the principal) comes on and says, "Good Morning, Tigers!" When the weather is just right, I can also hear the announcements and  the daily joke, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by one of the Tigers. I love it!

Sunnyslope School is where I went to fourth and fifth grades in the ancient days. We had no school mascot. But, we did have more running and play space. Today, a lot of the open school yard and field that we played in are covered with buildings full of classrooms.

Yesterday, when the Husband and I walked by the school, we noticed the colorful murals hanging on the outside walls. Many of them look like the work of the Tigers. And, yes, I wish we could've painted outdoor murals back then.

 

Today, I'm linking up with Monday Mural hosted by Oakland Daily Photo. To see other murals from other parts of the world, please click here.