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.

From the Archives -- Smelling of Home

Here's more from the Take 25 to Hollister archives. . . .

Ten Smells of Hollister, California

(originally published March 1, 2009)

I have yet to sniff the Hollister California line of bottled fragrances. But, it intrigues me that some people are willing to buy and apply a smell that would make others (and themselves) think they are living a fabricated Hollister California life.

It also got me thinking about the aromas of my hometown. What could I bottle and sell as Sigh, I’m Feeling Nostalgic for the real Hollister California? These are my top 10 smells (past and present). They are not in any particular odor. Hee-hee, I couldn’t resist the pun.

1. The wild mustard that bloom in spring
2. The tons of tomatoes as they are being canned on a hot summer evening
3. Freshly-mowed grass on a Saturday morning
4. Morning fog that clings to rows upon rows of tomato plants
5. The heaps of fresh compost on Highway 25
6. Manure just laid on newly-prepared vegetable fields
7. Meat being barbequed on charcoal by next-door neighbors
8. Gas, oil, and/or burning rubber fumes of a beyond-vintage truck or car passing by
9. The livestock stalls at the county fair
10. Approaching rain

What aromas get you thinking of home?

X is for. . .

Xeriscaping. This is a type of landscaping that conserves the use of water. A good example of xeriscaping is the grounds of the new county courthouse on Fourth Street.

Click here to find other A to Z challenge participants.

Spring, Solar Eclipse, and Supermoon!

Today is the official day of Spring.  Whooo-hoo! At 3:45 p.m. (Pacific Daylight Savings Time), the sun is directly above the equator, marking what is known as the Vernal Equinox. That's when the Earth experiences 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night during its orbit around the sun. It happens again on the Autumnal Equinox.

Another cool thing that's happening in the sky today is a total solar eclipse. Unfortunately, we won't be able to see the eclipse in our part of the world. The scientists say that a solar eclipse on Vernal Equinox is rare.  Even more extraordinary is a solar eclipse occurring on the Vernal Equinox when there is a Supermoon, which is a new (or full) moon being at its closest point to the Earth. And that's happening today! Wowza!!

Not So Incongruous

Once upon a time, I thought it was weird to see palm trees outside of Southern California. Oaks, pines, and redwoods are part of our natural landscape and, of course, all the apricot, apple, walnut and all other fruit and nut orchards that once covered Hollister and San Juan Valley.

Then as I grew older, mourning the decimation of trees for progress,  I accepted the sight of palm trees in Northern California. Like all living trees, they give us oxygen, shade, aesthetic pleasure, and hope. I still think it is weird to see them outside of Southern California. But, just a little bit.

How I ramble. The gorgeous conifer tree and palm trees in the photo stand along San Felipe Road on the north edge of Downtown Hollister.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Drying Out

The other day I saw a bunch of crows hanging out in a tree around the corner from Vertigo Coffee in San Juan Bautista. The crows looked like they were trying to dry their feathers before it rained again.

By the way, Vertigo is a comfy, cozy place to hang out and sip a cup of coffee and eat some yummy croissants, pizza, and other food, rain or shine.
 

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.

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.

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.

Afternoon Shadows

Taking photos allows me to get my exercise in the fresh air. How else would I have ever seen the shadows on the corrugated metal building near the railroad tracks on Hillcrest Road?

Check out black and white photos from other bloggers around the world at The Weekend in Black and White.

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.

After a rain . . . Mushrooms!

The past couple weeks, I've noticed mushrooms growing in the most interesting of places around town. I've seen them in the lawn at the medical complex on Sunnyslope Road. I've even seen mushrooms in the gravel in front of the new courthouse. Amazing, isn't it?

Looking at the Sky on Hillcrest Road

We've been having some rainy days the past two weeks Yaaay! The days following the rainy ones are often gorgeous, as you can see in the reflection of this puddle on Hillcrest Road.

Skywatch Friday is the meme for today. Come check out how the sky looks in other parts of the world by clicking here.

A Setting for Sitting

My favorite setting for sitting in downtown Hollister is the new county courthouse on Fourth Street. The beautifully landscaped grounds is like a little park. And, the benches, as well as the red chairs at the red tables, are comfortable seats.

The other morning, the Husband and I hung out there while we waited for our car to be fixed at a shop a few blocks away. It was quite pleasant, sitting on what's becoming "our" bench, reading and watching the cars and foot traffic go by. I'm looking forward to when the trees get bigger.

Today the letter is S at Mrs. Nesbitt's ABC Wednesday. That's where I'll be checking out posts of other bloggers from around the world. Click here to join me.