Looking Upward on East Street

We've had some beautiful skies this summer. Hoping for r-a-i-n.

Beautiful Countryside

On Southside Road, near Enterprise Road, someone recently planted several Italian cypress trees. That's going to be an even more amazing scene when they get bigger.

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.

San Juan Plaza

This week, I shall be featuring random digital art photos of San Juan Bautista. That sweet old mission town. Today, you're looking at the Castro-Breen House in San Juan Plaza, an original Spanish-era plaza.

Do you like ghost stories? Check out this article from the Hollister Free Lance about some of the ghosts of San Juan Bautista.  The stories scared me so much I couldn't finish the article.

Time to Go Home

As I was riding my bicycle yesterday, I noticed the goats on Enterprise Road. Of course, I had to stop and photos. I watched a black and white goat for a while. It was apart from the others, gazing up at the barn. It took a few steps up the hill, stopped, walked a few more steps, stopped. Then, slowly it made its way up the hill as if drawn by some alluring music.

When I looked at this photo hours later, I noticed goats hanging out in the shade of the barn and in the fenced area to the side. Maybe the black and white goat was missing its partner. One can imagine.

Until tomorrow.

Looking Upward on Enterprise Road

It was a beautiful blue sky earlier this morning. Now, it feels like the fog is coming back in. Unless. Perhaps. Maybe. Gathering rain clouds. We can hope.

I'm participating in Our World Tuesday. Click here to see what's going on in other parts of the world today.

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!

Beneath the Trees

Mmmm, I enjoy the shade of the lovely trees on Monterey Street, near Fifth Street.

Diablo Mountains

That's the Diablo range to the east of Hollister. Doesn't it look like it's right behind the neighborhood? They're several miles away. By the way, that wall separates the neighborhood from Highway 25.

See Da Tree?

Isn't this very, very tall and huge cedar tree on Fifth Street gorgeous? Just think of all the Hollister history it has lived through so far.

Morning on Southside Road

A few mornings ago, I rode my bicycle on Southside Road. It pays to look up.

Looking West on John Smith Road

This is looking west on John Smith Road. Here's the view looking down from up there. 

It's Nature Footstep's Digital Art Meme today. Click here to check out digital artwork by other participants. 

Here's the original image:

A View from KT Road

It was a wonderful morning for a bicycle ride on Southside Road. Pedaled a bit down Thomas Road and came across a neat old wooden bridge near the intersection of Thomas and KT Roads.

Santa Ana Valley Road

Santa Ana Valley Road is a pleasant bicycle ride or drive, several miles east of Downtown Hollister. You can get there one of three ways.

The most direct route is to access it from the north by turning onto Santa Ana Valley Road from Fairview Road.

From the south, turn onto John Smith Road, and follow it all the way to the end. You have a choice of turning left or right onto Santa Ana Valley Road. Turn left and you pedal or drive through the valley floor.

The least direct route is from Tres Pinos. From Highway 25 (aka Airline Highway), turn onto Quien Sabe Road, across from Immaculate Conception Church. Simply follow the road, and at the end, turn left. Voila, you're on Santa Ana Valley Road.

Enjoy!

Local Corn Fields

That's the Gabilan Range in the distance. Where am I? Looking at the corn fields on Fallon Road.

Irrigation Pipes

I have a soft spot for irrigation pipes. Sounds weird, I know. But, they were a part of my childhood. The Daddy worked for various farmers in San Benito County as an irrigator. Between the ages of four and eight, he and the fields were my babysitter.

One of my memories is of playing next to the large irrigation pipes from which water rushed down vegetable rows from the small open gates in the pipes. I made sure to see where the Daddy was as he worked his way across the field to the other end. When the water reached the end of a row, Daddy held his shovel high above the row. My job then was to shut the water gate for that row. Looking back, it was one of the best jobs I've had.

By the way, this scene is on Union Road, near Ladd Elementary School.

Drying Apricots

Tray after tray of organic Blenheim apricots dry in the sun at The Farm/ Bertuccio's Market on Airline Highway (aka Highway 25).  The aroma of the drying apricots was delightful.

Summer Morning

It's another beautiful morning in Hollister. This is a view from Union Road above The Farm/Bertuccio's Market.

Dark Clouds, But No Rain

We've been having strange weather. High temperatures with humidity, which you'd think would break into rain. Nope.  Dark clouds passing through, which, again, you'd think would result in rain. Ha!

We can only hope that some of this weather may give us a surprise summer rain.