A January Sunrise in San Benito County

I saw the sun peeking through some clouds over the rooftops this morning. I sooooo lucked out.

Want to know what the sky looks like in other parts of the world? Check out Skywatch Friday.

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.

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!

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.

The View through the Vault's Windows

It's Wordless Wednesday.

Late Afternoon Light

I like how the late afternoon light looks in downtown Hollister as the sun makes its way home for the night.  It pays to look up and see buildings bathed in yellow light. This is the southern face of the once-upon-a-time Pendergrass Hotel on Fifth and San Benito Streets.

Today is Monday Mellow Yellows. Click here to check out how bloggers around the world feature the color yellow.

The Historic Path Below Old Mission San Juan Bautista

Below Old Mission San Juan Bautista is a short and easy walking path that overlooks the San Andreas Fault. We've been having some good rocking and rolling lately, by the way. Small healthy earthquakes in the threes and fours on the Richter magnitude scale to ease the tension of the fault. So, I hope.

Okay, back to the path which is actually a segment of the original El Camino Real that ran between the 21 California missions, from San Diego to Sonoma. You can access the path either by the stairs next to the mission or from the south at the end of Franklin Street. The path swings behind the mission and up to First Street by Casa Maria. Unfortunately, you are only allowed to walk part way on the path.

It's worth the venture, considering that you'd be briefly walking on the historic El Camino Real alongside the amazing San Andreas Fault as well as seeing some gorgeous views of San Juan Valley.

Waxing Gibbous Moon

This past week, the moon has been in a waxing gibbous phase. That means it gets lit more each day by the sun as it approaches Full Moon. And, that is tomorrow!

I took this photo on Monday by the Methodist Church on Fifth Street in Hollister. The word gibbous comes from the Latin word gibbosus, which means humpbacked.  What do you think? Does the moon look like it's a humpback?

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

A Late Afternoon Flight Around Downtown Hollister

Today is Wordless Wednesday.

A Beautiful Day for Something

In this case, the something for someone was jumping out of an airplane last Sunday morning.

Nearly every weekend, you can see professional and novice skydivers float down under colorful parachutes above Tres Pinos.  It's cool to see. It's also awesome to be one of them. If you're interested, check out Skydive Hollister, which operates out of the Hollister Airport.

Today's link-up is with Skywatch Friday. Come along and view the skies in other parts of the world by clicking here.

The Peafowl of Casa de Fruta

Peacocks and peahens wander aimlessly around the grounds of Casa de Fruta. I came across this peahen near the swimming pool of the Casa de Motel, also known as the Peacock Inn.

Seriously, these guys and gals are all over Casa de Fruta. They walk through the parking lots. They hang near the pond. They saunter around the exhibits of antique farm machinery. They even stop and watch the kids ride the Casa de Carousel and gaze at folks eating their lunch on the patio of  the Casa de Wine.

Yes, a visit to Casa de Fruta for me is not complete without an encounter with one of the peafowls. Now, if only one of the peacocks would've strutted about with his feathers in full display. Next time.

Today, I'm linking up with The Weekend in Black and White. Please click here to see other B&B white photos from around the world.

Eclectic Treasures

The other day, a friend and I wandered into Eclectic Treasures, at 731 San Benito Street, a new home furnishing store that opened in September. The owner sells unique furniture, rugs, and other decorative items imported from all parts of the world. The piece in the above photo was made in Peru out of wood from the Amazon forest. The wood felt very smooth.

I noticed the detailing of the ceiling tiles that I didn't recall as having been there in the previous store. The woman in the shop told me that they were the original tiles and that she had an unpainted one hanging on the wall, which the owner of the building gave her. Gorgeous isn't it?

There are a few other old buildings in town that have a white ceiling with a similar textured look like the one at Eclectic Treasures.  I wonder if intricate painted-over tiles line the ceilings of those buildings, too.  Can you imagine how a ceiling might look with those tiles not painted? Wowza!

Here's the ceiling at Eclectic Treasures. Go check it and the home decor and furnishings for sale yourselves.

The View from Valley View Road

The views are spectacular from Valley View Road. This is the last unobstructed view, which is between Sunset Drive and Union Road. That, too, will be no more as plans go forward to construct a housing development on that expanse of land.

On the positive side, the view looking up on Valley View Road is gorgeous no matter what is in the way.

Today is Skywatch Friday. To see what the changing sky is like in other parts of the world, please click here.

Another Pretty View of Hollister

The clouds did their best to gather to give us rain in Hollister yesterday. Hopefully, rain will fall soon.

I took this photo at the corner of Sunnyslope and Memorial, looking north on Memorial. We live in a very beautiful area, don't you agree?

A Downtown View of Santa Ana Mountain

Here's another cool view of Santa Ana Mountain from Third Street in historical downtown Hollister. The mountain looks nearer than it really is. Though I suppose it actually is since the road near the base of the peak is about 9 miles away.

Register to Vote!

Are you qualified to vote, but haven't registered yet?

To qualify in California, you must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old on Election Day, and a resident of California.  You may not be qualified if you have a felony criminal conviction or currently in a correctional facility, or if a court says you are mentally incompetent.

You'll need to re-register to vote if you moved or changed your name since the last election. Should you want to change your political party, you'll need to re-register, too.

You can register to vote up to 15 days before an election. Our next election is Tuesday, November 4. That means the last day for registration is October 20, 2014.

Three Ways to Register to Vote

You can register in person. In San Benito County, go to the Registrar of Voters office located at 440 Fifth Street, Room 206. That's the second floor of the old courthouse.

Your can register by mail. Pick up a voter registration application at the public library, U.S. post office, Department of Motor Vehicle office, or  San Benito County Registrar of Voters office.

You can register online at the California Online Voter Registration website.

There are no excuses. Go out and vote!

Heading Up to the Clouds

Yesterday was a gorgeous day to hike the Anza Trail, a mile or so south of the City of San Juan Bautista. The trail, formally known as the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail, is 1,200 miles long, stretching from Nogales, Arizona to the Carquinez Straits in Contra Costa, California.

The local segment of the trail used to be the Old Stage Road, on which once upon a time stage coaches ran between San Juan Bautista and Salinas. The first mile of the 4.5 trail is a rather steep climb that I wonder how often passengers had to get off the coach and walk.

Today, I'm hanging out at The Weekend in Black and White. Click here to see other black and white photos by bloggers around the world.

One of the Three Sisters

Don't let this photo fool you. The peak is further away than it looks. I took this from the north end of Santa Ana Valley Road when I was bicycling around the valley a couple weeks ago.