Clothing for Little Princes and Princesses on San Benito Street

Today is Worldless Wednesday. To check out posts from around the world, please click here.

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.

Toro Petroleum in Hollister

A few weeks ago, I came across this enormous tank truck while walking along McCray Street.  It was parked at the gas station with the four silo-sized gas tanks, near Walgreen's. I've always been curious about that station, but never enough to learn about it. Until now.

The station is one of four outlets for Toro Petroleum, which has headquarters in Salinas. It offers fuel and oil products and services to the farming, trucking, manufacturing, automotive, food machine, marine, and aviation industries. Wow! The things we can learn about our town from the Internet. If you're interested in learning more about that station on McCray Street, check out Toro's website.

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.

The Small Town Feel and Comfort

I just love it! This is looking south on College Street from the Ding-a-ling Cafe during breakfast. That cafe has some of the best salsa around. I like spreading it on my pancakes, followed by syrup. Yummmmm!

Hiking and Biking Nearby: Coyote Creek Trail

On New Year's Day, the Husband and I took a walk with friends at the southern end of Coyote Creek Trail in Morgan Hill, which is about 26 miles north of Hollister. It's a very scenic trail that anyone can enjoy, from babies in strollers to older folks like me who prefer to stroll. If you're walking, do keep your ears open for bicyclists coming up from behind. That all-of-a-sudden whistling you hear just may be an approaching bicyclist.

Coyote Creek Trail is over 18 miles long that runs through Santa Clara County. It has three sections that will eventually be connected. The longest segment is paved, and mostly flat, going from Morgan Hill to Tully Road.

For more information, check out these links:

• Coyote Creek Parkway
• San Jose, CA: Outoor Fun: Coyote Creek
• Yelp: Coyote Creek Trail and Bikeway 

 

Outstanding!

These cows are definitely out standing in their field above Quien Sabe Road. Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk.

Whooo-hooooo! It's the first day of our new adventure around the sun. May you all have a 2015 trip full of wonder and joy.

Yippee!

from Santa Ana Valley Road

Our drought is far from over. There is a good but though and it is this: But, our hills are green, green, green! I cannot repeat myself enough. To me that means we are approaching normal -- as normal as can be.  Last year, our hills were dead brown, which was unusual, and they stayed that way for a few months. So, yippie ki-yay! for the rain that came our way this past month.

To one and all, Peace and Joy, as we embark on our new trip around the sun!

Today,  I am linking up at ABC Wednesday, which is hosted by Mrs. Nesbitt and her team of wonders. It's the letter Y today. Click here to read other Y posts by bloggers around the world.

And, one more thing for you today: Below is my 2014 album at Facebook, showing some things that took place in our area throughout the year.

Post by Take 25 to Hollister, California.

Huh?

Hahahahahahaha. . . 

Yes, press that button to get across the field.

And, please don't go soooooo fast across the field!

Ah, the illusion you can create with a bit of cropping. Hahahahaha.

If you must know, this is at the corner of Highway 25 and Union Road.  :-)

Being that it's Tuesday, you can find me over at Our World Tuesday checking out other parts of the world. Click here to join me.

Which Way to Go?

Either way would make for a wonderfully fun and scenic drive or bicycle ride along a country road southeast of Hollister. One way to get to this point is to turn left onto Quien Sabe Road from Highway 25, by the Immaculate Conception Church at the south end of Tres Pinos.

Another Gorgeous Sunday in San Benito County

This beautiful view is from the old El Camino Real in San Juan Bautista.  It's just below Mission San Juan Bautista.

Have a wonderful last Sunday of 2014!

Tres Pinos Countryside

Today's post is a continuation of the Husband's and my ride on Quien Sabe Road yesterday morning. Here's a black and white interpretation (with a film grain effect a la Photoshop) of the green countryside overlooking Tres Pinos. Highway 25 is just beyond the field where the skydivers land. To see how gorgeously verdant our world is right now, check out yesterday's photo.

To see more B&W photos by bloggers around the world, check out The Weekend in Black and White.

Enjoying the Reflection of Green

This morning, the Husband and I headed over to Tres Pinos to eat a yummy breakfast at Flapjack's Counry Cafe, followed by a drive on Quien Sabe Road. With stops now and then, of course, for me to take photos of the gorgeous green views.

To see photos of reflections caught by bloggers around the world, check out Weekend Reflections.

Merry Christmas!

Dear Take 25 to Hollister Readers,

I wish you peace and love, joy and happiness on this Christmas Day!

~ Su-sieee! Mac

The Bakery in San Juan Bautista

 When I was a kid, the Mama would bring home freshly-baked French bread from the bakery in San Juan Bautista once or twice a week. Back then, it was known as the Paradis Bakery. Several owners later, the bakery at 319 Third Street is now called the San Juan Bakery & Grocery. The Husband and I like to stop by now and then to purchase a loaf of French bread for the Mama.

According to the San Juan Bautista Historic District Walking Tour pamphlet, the bakery is housed in the Gardella Building, which was built around 1860. Frank Gardella operated a store and, for his security, kept a parrot, which let him know when he was being robbed. For more interesting facts about the building and other places in San Juan Bautista, check out the pamphlet.

By the way, don't you just like the bakery's festive holiday display? Check out the painting in the left window. Look familiar? (Here's a close up.)

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?

Morning Breaking Over San Juan Valley

This view is of San Juan Valley, from Mission San Juan Bautista, looking to the east towards Hollister and the Diablo range. This is just before sunrise. The morning was overcast, but that didn't take away from the glory of the breaking of the day.

Today is the Winter Solstice. That means it's the shortest day -- and the longest night -- of the year, as the Earth travels around the sun.  Earth now begins its jig on its axis that causes us, in the Northern Hemisphere, to see the sun setting later each day until the Summer Solstice. The universe is amazing!

This morning the San Juan Intertribal Council held its 18th annual Winter Solstice Sunrise Ceremony at dawn in the mission to celebrate the day of Spirit Renewal. Listening to the songs, chants, and prayers as the light worked its way into the darkened church was uplifting to my soul.

Robots and Reflections

Doesn't it look like the camera-spider robot is taking a photo of the building across the street? Which building, you ask? Maybe both.

The robot and several others are currently on display in the windows at ArtSpace, 240 Fifth Street (corner of Fifth and San Benito Streets). The robots were created by Paul Loughridge who builds them out of everyday trash. To see more of his awesome work, check out his Pinterest page.

Today, I'm linking up with Weekend Reflections. To see photos of amazing reflections caught by bloggers around the world, please click here.

Glory, Glory Hallelujah!

"Wow, oh, wow, oh wow!" Thankfully Byxbee Road was up ahead. I turned the corner and came to a stop. Who wouldn't want to take a photo if she could, right?

To see a close-up of the mist rising from those fields in San Juan Valley, click here.

Today is Skywatch Friday. Click here to check out the sky in other parts of the world.

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.