Coming Events: How to Find Out

Are you like me, and you find out about events after the fact, especially in Hollister and San Benito County? Or, you learned about happenings to be several weeks before the date, only to forget when the day arrives?

Okay, then. Here's an online source for you to bookmark for kid and family friendly events and activities in our community: Hollister Macaroni Kid

This Web site is also a free e-newsletter that suggests activities for families to do together. It is edited and published by local Valerie Silva, who has been at it since May 2010. Being a mom, she says her mission is "for families to engage in quality time together, whether it be outside the home with events listed in the newsletter, or by enjoying crafts, cooking and other projects that might be listed in that week's posting."

Valerie posts every week, usually on Thursday.  She invites both organizations and individuals to post their events and activities on Hollister Macaroni Kid.  Businesses are also welcome to advertise at her site as well. Currently, Hollister Macaroni Kid has over 5200 views per month. It is is also on Facebook and Twitter. You can contact Valerie at valeries at macaronikid dot com.

One again, that's Hollister Macaroni Kid at www.hollister.macaronikid.com.

Disclosure: Valerie asked me if I would post something about Hollister Macaroni Kid. I was very glad to write about her Web site since I've used it as a source for some of of my past posts, which was way before she contacted me. So, to FCC and anyone else who cares, I did not receive any money, gifts, or threats to write this post.

Growing Through the Cracks

These tiny, delicate blue flowers are growing happily out of the sidewalk.  I came across them as I was walking along San Benito Street in downtown Hollister. You know that saying "slipping through the cracks." The flowers are a great example of the desire and persistence to grow throw the cracks.

By the way, today is the 225th day of my posting a daily photo for a year. It's also the third anniversary of Take 25 to Hollister. Here's the link to my first post.

Readying for Harvest

As we were driving to the Pinnacle farm stand in San Juan Valley yesterday, we passed apple orchards bursting of fruit.

A Metal Monster in Repose

This stands attached to a building on Industrial Drive in Hollister. I have no idea what it is or was used for. Do you?

I think if it had its other arm, it could fly, maybe to a metal dream world far, far away.

Which is the Real Thing?

This is the field across from the Catholic church in Tres Pinos, just off Highway 25. It's the field in which skydivers land on the west end and hang gliders take flight on the east end. The landscape looks just as wonderful from the sky as it does from the road.

I took the above photo around 5 p.m. last Friday. This image is untouched. So either I have a dusty lens or it was rather smoggy that day. It could be a combination of both.

Now, see how the image looks when I did some adjusting of brightness, contrast, and color in Photoshop.  My question is this: Which image shows the scene as it really is—the top, middle, or bottom photo? 

After clicking on the auto levels and auto contrast in Photoshop

After clicking on the auto color in Photoshop