Spring is Here

Glorious green. Looking south from Southside Road, near Ladd School.

Shop Locally: A Butcher, A Market

That's right. A butcher shop and a specialty market will be opening in the store front formerly known as Brothers Market, and before that, the Public Drive-In Market, at the corner of South and San Benito Streets.  Yum! Anyone know when the grand opening will be?

Leave Your Checkbook at Home

Did you know you can use a credit card to pay for leaving your garbage at the dump?

Ours cost $10 the last time we were there. They took a ten-dollar bill. No checks though.
For more info about the local dump, excuse me, landfill, click here. 

Shop Locally: Pietra Santa Winery

This was taken a year ago on a foggy day at the Pietra Santa Winery on Cienega Road. The building as you can see is gorgeous. So is the setting, as many of you know. Never taken a drive out to the winery and beyond on Cienega Road? What are you waiting for!

H is for the Hillsides of Hollister

I admit it. I am biased. The hills (and mountains) of Hollister are simply beautiful, green or golden. This hillside flanks the western side of Union Road, just several miles from downtown.

Nothing like the true Hollister, California, eh?

Take 25 is participating in ABC Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Mrs. Nesbitt and her friends. Today is the letter H. To check out other H posts, please click here.

Looking Up: Our Lady of Guadalupe

This is a close up of one of the beautiful pieces of tile art hanging on one of the buildings at the St. Francis Retreat Center above San Juan Bautista.

Way Back When

 

Recognize any names? The book shows who bought what during the 1930s from  Tiffany Motor Company, which is the oldest Ford dealer in California. This year the local business will be celebrating its 101st anniversary.

A Sunny Hill

Yellow mustard in bloom all up and down this hillside on Union Road, near the intersection at Highway 156.

Sky Floater

The clouds were glorious this past week in Hollister, particularly on Thursday. Doesn't this cloud look like a guy happily floating on his back?

Another Point of View

Last week, I posted a glance of Fremont's Peak from Hollister. Today, you can see how part of Hollister looks from Fremont's Peak.

What do you think that body of water is in the foreground?

Merrily, We Go Round and Round

Got small kids? Need them to work out their ya-ya's after being cooped indoors. How about a treat on the carousel at Casa de Fruta?

G is for Garbage Dump

It's not what you think. This is at the top of the John Smith Road Landfill, the local dump for San Benito County. It is possible that one of these days, way, way, waaaaaaay in the future, the landfill may be a solid mountain peak like that in the distance. Think about it.

Take 25 is participating in ABC Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Mrs. Nesbitt and her friends. Today is the letter G. To check out other G posts, please click here.

The Last Remains

This is what remains of the last apricot orchard on Hillcrest Road. The owners have slowly been pulling out the trees over the last few years. I understand that eventually this land will be paved with homes and apartments.

Working on the Railroad

 

Repair work was being done on the railroad tracks in town earlier in this month. Does that mean there will be more trains coming into Hollister?

What if the proposed bullet train swerved at Highway 198 and came up parallel to Highway 25? Now don't get excited. Nothing like that is happening. It just seems to make more sense than going through Pacheco Pass, doesn't it?

The Light

 

One of the stained glass windows at the Hollister First Presbyterian Church on San Benito Street, near Cienega Road.

A Pause from the Rain

Late yesterday (Friday) afternoon, around 5 p.m., looking east on Hillcrest Road at the mountains.

You've Got Mail

 

A very scenic bicycle ride from Hollister to Tres Pinos is by way of Southside Road, which travels kind of parallel to Highway 25. One of the neat sights on the road is this mailbox that keeps on doing its job. Regardless.

Heading East on McCloskey Road

There's nothing like getting on the old bicycle and pedaling around the area. We really live in a beautiful place.

Figuring Out the Meaning of Figures

This sign is posted at Hospital Road, where it dead ends on the eastern bank of the San Benito River. See the man and woman figures on the sign. Can you figure out what it means? Is there no holding hands from this point forward? No frolicking allowed up ahead?

Take 25 is participating in ABC Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Mrs. Nesbitt and her friends. Today is the letter F. To check out other F posts, please click here.

Not So Afar from Here

See that peak in the distance? What do you think it is?

Yep. That's Fremont Peak! You're looking at it from the corner of Santa Ana and Fairview.

Looking Up: The Clock Tower

It's almost 5 o'clock. Wouldn't it be so cool if the clock could Bong! out the hour? It would almost be like having our own Big Ben.

Want to read more about the landmark building?  Click here.

It's a Flowing River

San Benito River, that is. Quite rapidly, too, for one so dry during the rest of year. I took this photo yesterday afternoon from the east side of Hospital Road.

Diversity

All in one place. Amazing, huh? You can see for yourself at the corner of Fifth and Monterey Streets, in front of the county court house.

Under the Clouds

This is the view from the corner of Sunnyslope and Fairview Roads, almost an hour ago. There's snow on those mountains. I just know it. 

Signs of Spring

The trees were in bloom on the northwestern flank of Park Hill a couple weeks of ago. Did you see the glory as you were driving by on San Benito Street?

E is for Everywhere

The wild chickens in San Juan Bautista are everywhere! Doesn't matter where you go in that cute mission city. So, drive slowly. Buk, buk, buk. . . .

Take 25 is participating in ABC Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Mrs. Nesbitt and her friends. Today is the letter E. To check out other E posts, please click here.

Beep! Beep!

Have you been to Victoria's Deli lately? The pesto is yummy! So are the meatball sandwich, the turkey and ham deli sandwich, the potato salad, the . . . .

Happy Valentine's Day

This is the locked gate at the eastern entrance to Henry Coe State Park on Pacheco Pass (Highway 152).  All locked gates should be so loving.

The Ubiquitous Windmill

This windmill can be found at Casa de Fruta. Yep.

Spires and Towers

The United Methodist Church stands at the corner of Fifth and San Benito Streets. The building was constructed around 1910 to replace a wooden structure, which was built in 1872. Back then, it was the Methodist Episcopal Church South.

Two Vaults

You're looking into the bottom floor of the old Pendergrass Building on the corner of Fifth and San Benito Streets. It's being turned into a restaurant. See the bank vault? Once upon time, this location was home to a bank that was across the street from another bank, which is now a nightclub called the Vault.

More Sideshow Bob?

So, what do you think? Do the hedges remind you of a bunch of Sideshow Bobs (from the Simpson's) after they've gotten haircuts?

And, there is that palm tree on San Benito Street.

Dandy, Delightful, and Delish!

Here's a dandy field of yellow mustard, near the corner of Union and Valley View Roads. A delight to the eye and nose. Also, delish to eat, sauteed in garlic, soy sauce, and olive oil. 

Take 25 is participating in ABC Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Mrs. Nesbitt and her friends. Today is the letter D. To check out other posts, please click here.