The Short Long Alley

How short is Long Alley?

It's half a block long!

It starts (or ends) at College Street and ends (or starts) at McClure Alley.

Still don't have a clue where Long Alley is? You know where the SDES Hall, aka Portuguese Hall, is on 7th Street. Long Alley runs behind it.

The Husband and I wouldn't have known about this possibly shortest alley in town, if it weren't for taking a walk. 

Hello, Rain!

Fresh, clear sky with the puffy clouds that come through after a rain.

Rain, last Thursday. Rain, again, yesterday. Lovely, wasn't it?

The Weather Channel forecasts chance of more rain for this coming Wednesday and Thursday. And, oooh, this is good, starting next Sunday, a chance of rain for four more days.  Whoot! Whoot! Whoot! 

Keep on praying, channeling, thinking positively, and dancing that the forecast comes true, everyone!

Feb. 3 - 9, 2014: Free Admission to the Monterey Bay Aquarium

Yes! You read that correctly. From Monday, February 3, to Sunday, February 9, residents of San Benito County, as well as Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties, can get into the Monterey Bay Aquarium for free. All you need to show is a photo ID with your current address.

Why such a treat? Because this year is the Aquarium's 30th Anniversary and as part of its celebration it's having this free-admission week.  Whooo-hooo! Congratulations, Monterey Bay Aquarium! And, thank you very much!

Links to Check Out:
Monterey Bay Aquarium
"Visit Monterey Bay Aquarium Free" by Billy Weis, BenitoLink.com

Shop Locally: The Pinnacle Farmstand

Last Saturday at the Pinnacle Farmstand in San Juan Valley, this potato guy was smiling at us along with the young ladies who work there. They, the young ladies, brought out the potato's personality with green eyes and a carrot tail. And, of course, they let everyone know it's a product of the USA.

The Saturday farm stand is open until 1 p.m. today. It's the only place in San Benito County that sells fresh, local organic vegetables and fruits throughout the year. Thank you, Phil and Katherine Foster!

The Mission Bells

This week I've been posting about San Juan Bautista. I can't let the week go by without a stop at Mission San Juan Bautista, the 15th mission that the Franciscan friars established in California. Founded in 1797, the mission was built near the Popeloutchom, a Mutsun village.

The mission did not have a bell tower at first. The one we see today was built in 1976 when the mission was being reconstructed. Originally, the mission's two bells hung from a wooden bell rack. The bells rung in the early morning, noon, and evening, according to  Issac Mylar in Early Days at the Mission San Juan Bautista. He wrote,"They could be heard from six to seven miles away—yes, even over to the sheep ranch owned by Mr. Hollister, now the flourishing county seat of San Benito County."
 
Resources for Mission San Juan Bautista:
California Missions Resource Center: San Juan Bautista
Old Mission San Juan Bautista
Early Days at the Mission San Juan Bautista by Issac Mylar (originally published in 1929)s

Note: So that FCC won't get on my case, the link to Issac Mylar's book leads you to Amazon.com. And, if you happen to purchase it via that link, I may get a bit of change for my effort of referring you to the page.