Tasty Meals at Dunneville Corners

Crrrrrrussssssh! 

From behind the windows at Dunneville Cafe and Market, I watched a repetitive scene going on across the street at Clean Green Recycling. Humongous yellow mechanical jaws mangled, pounded, and chewed away at the huge piles of forsaken wood, which would eventually become wood chips for landscaping. The wood must've tasted pretty good to that machine, just as the broaster chicken and tri-tip meal that we bought at Dunneville tasted to us. Yummmmm.

Morning After Rainfall

Yesterday marked a full day and night of rainfall. One weather caster called it a storm. Perhaps in some areas. To me, it was a delightful, gentle, steady Spring rain that gave joyful reprieve to the parched hillsides.

From the Archives -- Driving the Bolsa

Here's another post from the Take 25 to Hollister archives. Imagine what Bolsa Road, aka Highway 25, would be like today if the casino, Sun City, and El Rancho San Benito had been built.

The 25, The Bolsa—Same Difference

(originally published October 14, 2008) 

The route into Hollister from the north is via the two-lane Bolsa Road. California State Highway 25, to be more precise, says the Husband. That, I suppose, is a difference between having lived here as a kid and now as an adult. Also the difference between being an old-timer and one fresh-off-the-highway. You say "Highway 25," I say "Bolsa Road." Potay-toe, po-ta-tah. Toe-may-toe, toe-mah-tah. By the way, there are tomato fields on the Bolsa. Not the road, but the area.

Bolsa is the Spanish word for pocket. No doubt it comes from Rancho Bolsa de San Felipe, of which the route and surrounding land were part during the once-upon-the-time of Spanish and Mexican dons. I've read that this pocket of land was known for its swamp, willow grove, and ravine. During heavy rains (remember those?), Bolsa Road can get so flooded that it has to be closed. That can be maddening when you need to get in and out of town, but still the flooded plain is a beautiful sight to behold.

It's 12 miles between Hollister and Highway 101 by way of the Bolsa. Twelve miles out to the real world. Twelve miles back to living far, far away. I’m not kidding. When movers from the Bay Area drove our belongings here, they panicked at the instant sight of no buildings, no freeway exchanges, and no sound walls as they turned onto the Bolsa. One mover called his honey and said he was half-way to Los Angeles.

On the Bolsa, you drive 12 miles of flat land, first viewing row crops, next cows out standing in their fields, and then row crops again. As you get closer to Hollister, you see a few orchards too. And, yes, there used to be a lot more orchards and on both sides of the road.

Being older and having lived for many years of adulthood out in the real world of freeways and noise, tall buildings and noise, urban crowdedness and noise, I appreciate the drive through space that is the Bolsa to seemingly far, far away of Hollister. Who knows how much longer this luxury of nothingness will last. Just within the past five years different developers tried putting up an Indian casino and a Sun City along the Bolsa. There’s still talk about building a brand-new town on the Bolsa, nearer to highway 101. I don’t even want to try to imagine it.

Driving the Back Road Home

Yesterday, the Husband and I took San Juan Grade Road back from Salinas. We figured the scenic route was the best way to get back home during the evening commute. I drove the wiggly road at an old fogey's pace, but it seemed like we got to San Juan Bautista just as fast as if we took the highway.

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.

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.

Rural. Rustic. And, Red.

This gorgeous scene is from the intersection of Bolado and Southside Roads, just below Tres Pinos.

I'm hooking up with Mrs. Nesbitt's ABC Wednesday. Today's letter (I bet you guessed correctly) is R. To check out other R posts, please click here.

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.

Lone Tree Road

There's nothing like a morning bicycle ride on a country road.

I'm hooking up at Weekend in Black & White. Come check out other black and white photos with me by clicking here.

A Rocky Hillside

This hillside on Lone Tree Road is riddled with rocks all the way to the top. It reminded me of the hillsides to the east of Lassen Volcanic National Park, in Northern California, that are landscaped with rocks, which had been spitted out of a volcano millions of years ago.

Seeing this hillside got me wondering if the rocks had hurled out of a long forgotten ancient volcano in San Benito county. What do you think?

I'm hanging out at Our World Today. Want to join me? Click here.

Living in the Country

"When I view Airline Highway on Google Maps, it looks like a country road," I said to the Husband.

"It is a country road," the Husband said.

"Because it's a two-lane highway?"

"Whether it's a state highway or a road meandering through the country side, it's a country road."

Yet another Duh! moment for me.  I'm so used to the views alongside Airline Highway, also known as California State Highway 25, that when I'm going down it,  I don't think of being in the country. I am very fortunate that once I leave my driveway I can go in any direction and I'm out in the countryside within ten minutes.

Anyway, the other day I noticed that on the north side of Airline, near Best Road, is a great view of the peaks called the Three Sisters. Those are the small peaks in the far right of the photo.

Today,  I'm hanging out at Our World Tuesday. Come along with me and see and read about life in other parts of the world.